Chapter Eight
2045
"Hey, wake up!" Jez was jolted from his dream, and he turned to find Zara staring at him, an unimpressed expression on her face. "Sorry for interrupting, but the teacher is giving us the death stare!" she scolded, and Jez looked to the front of the room to see that she was right. Their old teacher with white hair and a permanent scowl on his face looked even more displeased than usual. "Now that we are all paying attention today," he grumbled, quickly continuing with his lecture. "The Spectre's were power-hungry. They were desperate to be noticed by the world, and when they realised we had become more popular, they began turning corrupt and evil! Killing any of us that they passed in the street!" Jez sighed and glanced back at Zara, who was still staring at him. "I was dreaming," Jez said softly.
They had had too many talks about this for Zara to be told any more. "Oh," she said, quietly so that their teacher would not hear. "You thinking about your mom again?" Jez nodded, risking a quick glance around the room before whispering, "It was ten years ago today that she was murdered by a Spectre." Zara sighed and, unless Jez was mistaken, rolled her eyes. "We have talked about this. You don't know that it was a Spectre!" she said, clearly exasperated, but Jez shook his head stubbornly. He was not going to be told any different. "My father, the General, saw the Spectre fleeing the house! Even the kernel said that it was definitely a Spectre!" To that, Zara had no response. She just nodded and resumed staring at the teacher, looking as though she was actually interested in the class for once.
"I know you have your...opinion on the way we choose to stand up for justice, but when my own mother becomes a victim, I have to start following the rest of the Zodiacs." Jez thought it was a reasonable thing to say, but Zara remained silent. "The Spectre Games are happening in a few days. Aren't you bothered by forcing people who may be innocent to kill each other?" Zara said after several quiet moments, and Jez gaped at her. The question itself had caught him off guard, but when he thought about it, he could see what she meant. "Either way, we cannot do anything about it," Jez said, but Zara seemed determined to get her point across, "You're the General's son!" Jez felt himself grow angry, and he pointed a finger to his left cheek, where the red, crossed-shape scar rested. "I won't convince him," he muttered.
The teacher at the front of the room coughed loudly, and both Jez and Zara looked up to find him staring straight at them. "Jez! You may be the General's son, but you still have to pay attention in my class!" the teacher sighed, waited for the two to stare at him, and then he continued. "Spectres thought we were thieves and murderers over several disputes in the past. Their influence on the law lead to Zodiacs being arrested under false charges, and shopkeepers began refusing to sell us food. For our own survival, the Zodiacs moved out here, in isolation." As though on cue, the door to the classroom swung open, and the General stepped inside. "This is correct. I am the one who made sure we had a place to move to," the General said, stopping in the centre of the classroom and turning to face the students.
"Under my leadership, I have shaped our Zodiac Empire into one that will conquer what has been taken from us. The Zodiac Empire has grown tremendously since the past ten years when my own wife was murdered by the Spectres." The General paused for several seconds, letting his words sink in. "Our Empire is now ready to finally show the world that we are not afraid to stand up for what is right, and we have an army that is feared by all!" He stopped again, and even Jez felt compelled to stand alongside the General no matter what. His father was good at speeches. "Now that most of you boys are fifteen, aside from a few fourteen-year-old exceptions, you are able to train as not just soldiers, but Elite Guards. Our time to come out to the world is drawing closer. Only one of you shall be chosen as an Elite Guard."
He stopped yet again, but Jez now felt a burning desire to be the Elite Guard his father was telling them they had to become. "You will be the last group of young trainees to be part of this conquest. If you wish to train to be an Elite Guard, make your way down to the gym with me for the first trial of your skills." Zara sighed and leaned back in her chair, and Jez realised what was bothering her. "Look, I'm sorry girls aren't allowed to be in the Empire. I might be able to ask him if you can still fight, though," Jez said, trying to be helpful, but Zara shook her head. "Don't bother. I do not care about the army and all. The only thing I want from the world is peace." Jez wishes he knew where she got her wisdom from, but then he turned and hurried away without saying more. He caught up with his father and the boys from his class within seconds.
They entered the gym minutes later, and the General led them straight over to the Ring, turning around quickly and facing the group. "Zodiac Soldiers need to be strong, fearless and quick. Today I want to see the skills that you already possess. The last person standing today will be the Champion, and therefore most likely to proceed to become an Elite Guard. The Champion will also have the honour of standing next to me at this year's Spectre Games!" The group of boys, including Jez, remained silent. The General seemed to sense their anxiousness because he chuckled, indicated to the Ring behind him and said, "Who would like to go first?" The boys looked at one another, and then Jez looked straight at his father, smirking. "I will!" he declared loudly.
There were mutters and murmurs amongst the group as Jez stepped out of their way, past his father and stepped up onto the platform of the Ring, slipping underneath the ropes and standing in the middle. Another boy left the group, look nervous as he too entered the Ring and stood opposite Jez. "One last thing," the General called, "If you end up unconscious, we will not bother moving your body for the next fight!" The two opponents stared into each other's eyes, and then the General yelled, "Begin!" Jez stepped forwards and, without hesitation, smashed his forehead against the other boy's. The boy stumbled backwards, and then Jez spun on the spot, landing a kick to his chest and sending him flying backwards. "Another! Go!" shouted the General and Jez felt the ground of the Ring shake slightly as someone charged at him from behind.
Jez spun around and felt another smash into him, trying to push him out the Ring completely, but Jez would not be defeated that easily. He raised his right elbow and quickly brought it down on the boy's back, feeling him buckle slightly before grabbing him by the shoulders and purposefully throwing him between the ropes and onto the hard gym floor. Another came running at Jez, but he simply raised his fists and struck forward, punching the teenager straight in the face and knocking him out completely. Jez grunted as he fought, spinning and kicking simultaneously, each and every one of his opponents falling. One of the final ones even managed to punch Jez in the chest, but when he fell to the floor, he used his strength in his arms to immediately push himself back up and then knock out the final teenager.
Silence filled the gym, and then clapping. He turned and actually saw his father clapping for him! However, he could not see the expression on his father's face, because the mask covered it. "Well done, my son. I had no doubt you would be victorious," his father said, although Jez could not detect any pride in his voice. "Go tell the nurse that these weaklings need to be treated, and then come and meet me in my office." Jez nodded, saluting his father quickly and then hurrying from the gym. He found the nurse in her office, and after he told her of the several unconscious boys in the gym, he walked through the hallways of his school before finally finding the General's office. He knocked, hoping that respect would earn him points with his father, and a sharp, "Come in!" was the reply.
Jez opened the door, stepped inside and closed it behind him, seeing his father behind his desk with another man sitting beside him, focused on the computer. The man paused a few seconds, and then looked up, spotting Jez. "Ah, you must be Jez," he said, standing up from his seat beside the General, leaning over the desk, and outstretching his hand. Jez shook it with a firm grip, and the man chuckled. "I have heard a great many things about you, Jez. Your father is most honoured by your achievements." The man turned his head around to glance and he said, "What was his progress with earning his place by your side?" the General nodded slowly, let a few seconds pass and then said, "He beat everyone." The stranger now looked even more pleased, but Jez was still confused about who he was to be at his father's computer.
The man seemed to sense this, because he suddenly straightened and said, "I am the Kernel. I am a close friend of your father, and I believe that we can also work closely together." Jez nodded, grateful to at least know who the man was, but still did not know how this involved him. "Our last man to be put to the mission we are asking you to complete was, sadly, killed. That is why we put it in capable hands," the Kernel explained. Jez felt his eyebrows raise in surprise, certainly not expecting this sudden turn of events. "Before the Spectre Games are to begin, we need you to go forth and hunt down a troublesome Zodiac. They are working with several others to try to free the Spectres. He is the leader of this little group, so you must take him out."
Now Jez felt concerned and a little shocked. He had never been asked to go on the hunt before. "Do you want me to capture him?" Jez asked, and both men before him shook their heads. "We want you to kill him," said the General. Now Jez was incredibly uncomfortable. He was fine with trying to find someone and even capturing them, but to kill someone? He had never done that before. He had never, ever taken a life. "I..." Jez started, but he paused, trying to figure out what he was going to say. "I see you are hesitating," said the Kernel, standing quickly and leaning over the desk. "Tell us what you need, son, and we will get it for you so that you can finish this task." Yet again Jez was at a loss for words, but not for long. "I need... a crew," he said finally.
The Kernel, and even the General, looked surprised, but then the Kernel straightened and clapped his hands together excitedly. "Very well then. Come here at nine in the morning, and we will have a crew ready for you." Jez nodded, gave a quick salute, and then hurried from the room. He was outside before he stopped, trying not to think of what his own father, the General, wanted him to do. He decided it was best if he just headed home, but even that now seemed like a long and awful journey. Suddenly, his phone rang, and when Jez picked it up, he saw that it was his father. "Hello?" Jez asked as he answered the call, and his father's smooth and cunning voice came through. "We have information on who we want you to capture." Jez sighed, but then told his father to proceed.
"He is one of the few well-known Spectre's left. He is called by others the Last Spectre. He has a wife and daughter. Your mission is to kill only him. If we kill his family, it is too risky." Jez could not help but agree with his father. Even if others had died trying to kill this Spectre, there was no doubt he would be able to do what others could not. "It is getting close to the end of the year. Only a week away. I want you and your...crew...to move in on him on the tenth of January." For Jez, it was too soon to go and kill a Spectre, but he did the right thing and agreed with his father. "Good," was the reply from his father, and then Jez's phone beeped. His father had ended the call.
The day passed in a blur and Jez already found himself headed towards the General's office, feeling anxious as to who was chosen to help take down this Spectre. He knocked on the door and was immediately told to enter. Inside were five people. His father, a muscular-looking man, a girl with two swords crossed on her back, another man with several guns holstered to his waist and legs, and then a final man with an ugly scar on one cheek. "Ah," said the General, looking up at Jez as he entered the room. "Lady and gentlemen, this is Jez, your commander," said the General, and the other four nodded at Jez. "And Jez, this is Streak Force," the General added, more pride in his voice for the group of strangers than there had ever been for Jez. "When do we get planning?" asked the girl, cracking her knuckles.
"You can start planning immediately. The War Room on the top floor is not being used, so you can use it to plan this Spectre's murder," said the Kernel, entering the room with a grin on his face. "Thank you, sir," said Jez, and the Kernel chuckled, "The pleasure is mine. Please feel free to use it at any time." Jez nodded again, and then left the room, the other four members of Streak Force following closely behind. "What are your names?" Jez asked casually as they ascended a staircase and the girl was first to answer. "I am Michelle," the man with clear muscles grunted and said, "I'm Merlin." The man with guns laughed and energetically said, "I'm Matthew." The final man, who had a black shield attached to his back and wearing black armour said, "You will refer to me as the Black Knight." Jez was tempted to say that he was in charge and should therefore know the man's name, but he thought better of it. There were more pressing matters at hand.