Chereads / Rebirth of Artemis / Chapter 30 - Spiritual Warfare

Chapter 30 - Spiritual Warfare

Amala: So now we are off to where Ivan lives? Now that all of that's over, what's the address?

Terra: I wrote it down. It's 130 Blackstone Ave in….

Amala: Spit it out!

Terra: You're going to like this. It's in California.

Amala: And you waited to tell us?

Terra: ...Yup.

Amala: Alright. We're leaving behind the RV. We're flying.

Leon: We can't fly!

Millie: What, are you afraid of flying?

Leon: We literally all have weapons and recently one of us received a big metal part on their body.

Amelia: True. We would definitely get kicked right out of there and probably arrested.

Terra: I have a way. I could talk to Matt and get his friend to get me another private jet.

Amelia: You can get a private jet?!

Terra: Yeah. I already took a ride in one.

Amala: Let's track down Matt then.

Terra: I can call him.

Amelia: Well what are you waiting for?

Terra took out her trusty flip-phone and dialed up Matt's number. Matt picked up the phone. He was breathing heavily.

Matt: Terra. What do you need? I don't have much time.

Terra: Wait. is something going on?

Matt: There's three people here, in my house. I'm on the roof.

Terra: Three people? Are they all wearing black? And does one of them have freakish pink hair?

Matt: Well I wouldn't know.

Terra: Oh yeah...Do you know what weapons they had?

Matt: One had two swords. One was longer than the other. The other had no weapons and no powers. And the last was the quietest and had a sword.

Terra: That must be them.

Matt: Their tracking down metas and mutants and either killing or capturing them. But You are 5 hours away.

Terra: Get to a safe area. And call me back.

Terra hung up.

Terra: We have to get home. Now! The Shadow Squadron is there!

Leon: Excuse me? Shadow Squadron?

Terra: The three people who tried to kill me! One of them stabbed me. Ivan called them the Shadow Squadron in my dream. Matt won't be able to hold them off.

Amelia: I don't know if you forgot. But we are still 5 hours away.

Terra: Amelia. Can you make the car go faster?

Amelia: It's a piece of shit and no!

Terra: Well I guess Matt's by himself.

Amala: Oh and also. Now might not be a good time. But I stole your old spear. Looks like your mom had it.

Terra: My old spear? That spear was the spear I killed Beck with.

Amala: Yeah, so?

Terra: Killing might not be a big deal to you. But it is for me. I took his life away.

Amala: Well you did it. Who cares?

Terra: I don't feel like I did it. It felt almost animalistic. He ran at me and I just held out my spear. I don't want to know that feeling ever again. Of killing someone.

Leon: Well everyone has their own opinion about that. I respect yours. Killing is hard for some people.

Terra: Well in my life I've been taught that nature is sacred. Humans are still part of nature.

Millie: Why don't you just try and hold it? See how it feels.

The spear was in the backseat of the RV. Terra grabbed it off the seat and held it. She did a couple swings with it.

Terra: But on the other hand. This used to be a staff that my grandfather made for me. This is the only thing that helps me remember them.

Terra sat down and put the spear next to her.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Matt jumped down flights of stairs. He got to the bottom and looked around for a vent. The door was too obvious. He opened the door and felt a well right under him. He opened it and ducked in. He was in the sewers. But he had no time to worry about smells. He hid behind a wall. He felt someone grab him by the back of the neck and pull him into a chokehold. He headbutted them and tried to escape. It was Mary. She had turned invisible. She slit his throat. But he held up his billy club and covered his throat. He wrapped the line around her sword and threw his second billy club away. It pulled Mary's sword out of her grasp.

Mary: Clever. But what did I expect from our own Devil of Hell's Kitchen? You know, I always admired you as a kid.

Matt: I don't get along with crowds. I'm a lawyer.

Matt threw a couple punches at Mary. Which she parried. She threw some punches at Matt's stomach. She hit him hard in a bunch of pressure points. But Matt powered through it. He grabbed her hand and punched her in the face multiple times and followed up with a couple knees. He knocked her off her feet with his second knee and he threw her to the side and into the sewer waters. Mary shot a huge fire blast into the roof ahead of Matt. Blocking his path. He ran the other way to take the long way around. Mary shot blast after blast and Matt dodged blast after blast. He realized Mary had suddenly stopped and felt another presence. He ran down another sewer tunnel. Where he felt someone else in his presence Tess showed herself.

Matt: It doesn't matter if you turn invisible. I see all of you.

Fleet showed himself too.

Fleet: Too bad we aren't stealthy like Mary, oh well.

Tess teleported behind Matt. Matt threw out an elbow from behind. Tess phased her body and let Matt phase through her. She took out 5 needles and threw them into Matt. Poison entered his body. He had to fight though. He threw a couple uppercuts at Tess before hitting her with a jab and kicking her back. Fleet came behind with his sword. Matt dodged and weaved. Flipping out of the way of Fleet's sword. Fleet swung low and then swung high with his other sword. Matt flipped in between both swords and kicked Fleet in the face. He swung his swords at Matt. He tried his best to dodge and weave but got a couple cuts from Fleet's longsword. He powered through it and kicked Fleet's sword out of his hand. He landed with his back facing and hit Tess into the sewer water with a tornado kick just in time. Fleet punched Matt in the back with his prosthetic hand. Matt felt a shake go through his spine. He was breathing heavily and felt himself bleeding in many different places. He wrapped up Fleet's legs with his Billy clubs and dragged him down towards him. Fleet used his shortsword to cut the cable. He came from under and slashed at Matt's throat. He jerked his head back and did a back leg front kick. Fleet had grabbed his longsword. He stabbed both his swords down and trapped Matt's leg. Fleet came through and knocked Matt down on the ground and got on top of him and started punching him in the face over and over again with his prosthetic hand. Fleet swung down for a final hit.

Fleet: It's my honor to kill Daredevil.

Fleet's hand was hit with some sort of sticky string. His hand was stuck to the wall. Then his other hand was stuck to the ground. Someone swung across the sewer and knocked Fleet through a wall. He has a black sweatshirt with a yellow hood. Then a ski mask that has white eyes he can see through. The black sweatshirt has a yellow spider on the front of the suit. The black gloves have yellow fingers sewn into them. He has black pants on, and yellow and black shoes.

Matt: Who are you?

???: Leo. Maybe the name Arachno rings a bell.

Matt: Well you aren't lying.

Leo: Come with me. I have a safe place.

Leo held out his hand. Matt grabbed his hand and they ran off. Fleet bust through the wall. Mary and Tess regrouped behind him. Tess teleported in front of both of them and picked up the water and threw it at both of them. Matt was blasted back. But Leo shot his webs up in the air and avoided the water. He shot a web at Tess and stuck her to the wall. He saw light shining down. Leo jumped back and grabbed Matt and jumped up through the well. They came to the surface. Feet and the rest jumped up after Mary freed Tess from the wall.

Fleet: Everyone split up. We'll cover more ground that way!

Leo let go of Matt. They had turned invisible.

Leo: Back into the sewers.

Leo and Matt jumped back into the sewers. Leo led Matt down a secret trail and into a huge room with tons of metas and mutants taking refuge they were in groups and were sitting on blakets.

Matt: There's so many people here.

Leo: Yeah. They are all metas and mutants.

Matt: So they really are after metas. Thank you for protecting everyone Leo.

Leo was surprised by this.

Leo: It's no problem.

Matt took out his phone and called Terra.

Terra: Yeah?

Matt: I'm safe. Tell me when you're here so we can keep you safe.

Terra: I'm not a kid anymore!

Matt: Then just get stabbed again.

Terra: Alright. You have me there. I'll call when I get back. Amala, how long until we get there? Just sit back Matt.

Matt: Sure.

Terra hung up. Matt stood up.

Matt: I'm going back out. There's still people out there who need to be helped.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra and her group arrived in New York.

Terra: I'll call Matt again.

Millie: Where are all the people?

The streets were mostly devoid of people.

Leon: Something is not right here.

Terra: We need to go to 44th.

Amala: Gotcha.

Amala drove the RV over to 44th street. Where they saw Matt come into the road protecting a couple people. He led them into the sewers.

Matt: Terra? Come with me, into the sewers.

Terra: Come on guys. We can't just stay here.

Amelia: Into the sewers? That's disgusting! I think I should just wait he-

Millie: Stop complaining!

Leon: Wait and sec girls.

Leon did a quick spell and put a shield around the RV. Matt led everyone into the sewers. Amelia was plugging her nose.

Amelia: Do all of you seriously not smell the stench?

Terra: We do. But this is an important mission!

Amelia: Who ever said this was a mission?

Matt showed everyone to where all the metas and mutants were. Millie scanned and saw Kris.

Millie: Kris! Thank god.

Millie ran over to him and hugged him.

Kris: Yeah I know.

Kris tried his best to escape Millie's grasp. He then realized Millie's other hand.

Kris: Wait. That's your new arm?

Millie: Oh yeah, this old thing.

Kris: You have become the coolest sister ever.

Millie: Shut up! I already was. Do you think you'll be safe here?

Kris: With these people protecting me? Yeah I think I will.

A girl walked over. She had tan skin, and long black hair. Her hair went down to the middle of her back. She has her hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing some sort of pink superhero suit on. It was kind of faded.

Kris: Oh, this is Chloe. She was the one who saved me.

Millie shook her hand.

Chloe: Your Kris's sister? Repulse right?

Millie: Wait, how did you know that?

Chloe: Same figure. If you came back out of the shadows with that prosthetic people would easily be able to find you.

Amelia was looking around for her fellow blue coats. None of them were found.

Amelia: Matt. Did you ever find any of the blue coats?

Matt: No I don't think so. I'm sorry.

Amelia: I'll be back.

Amelia sped out of the sewers. She ran up and down the roads of Hell's Kitchen. There was a blinding light that came across the street in front of her. She tried to duck but lost momentum. She was able to regain her footing and slide around to face Fleet.

Fleet: The last blue coat left.

Amelia: Last blue coat...You're lying!

Mary: Not in the slightest. We butchered them. I wonder why you didn't recruit more. There were only three. Let me tell you their names. There was Harry, Oscar, and Blue. Or Ozzy. All nice names.

Amelia shot a furious look at all of them. She didn't even notice the tears going down her eyes. Amelia charged speed into herself. She started to vibrate her body and focused it into her hand. Mary went to attack. But Fleet stopped her.

Fleet: No. I want to see what this is all about.

Leon came from around the corner driving the RV. He ran right into the shadow squadron.

Leon: There's no time! Get in!

Amelia let herself go and ran into the RV. They returned to where the refugees were. Amelia just sat. Completely silent. Millie walked up to Amelia. She even stuck her hand out on her shoulder.

Millie: It'll be alright.

Amelia pushed Millie off of her a little too roughly.

Amelia: Don't give me that hopeful bullshit.

Amala: Matt. You and your peeps will be able to protect this place. Right?

Matt: No doubt.

Terra: We should go. I don't know if we can stay here much longer.

Leon: Hey, remember the question you originally had for Matt?

Terra: Oh yeah! Matt, is there a chance I can get another jet ride to California?

Matt: Probably not. Danny is not here right now.

Terra: Well it was worth a try. Is there anything anyone needs before we go?

Amala: I'm going to say no.

It wasn't long until everyone was back on the road. Amelia was still quiet.

Millie: I hope Amelia works things out.

Terra: Me too.

Leon: Alright guys. Off to Cali. We aren't stopping now. Unless we need gas.

Amala: We're going across the country! And this thing sucks!

Leon: Well you wanted it!

Amelia was in the back of the RV. Thinking to herself. Thinking about how every one of them was going to pay. All three of them.