Chapter Fourteen
The Zodiac moved stealthily through the night, rolling along the close rooftops as he neared the building where his target sat. He knew that the man he was after hid inside, working at a desk while his henchmen guarded the building and prevented him from being harmed. Therefore, that was exactly what the man was going to do. He reached the pistol at his side as he sprinted toward the building, kicking up the gravel from the rooftops, and then he jumped. He smashed through the window his target hid inside, rolled along the marble floor, rose to a crouch, and shot the bewildered man in front of him. The man fell backward, hitting the ground as blood splattered the white floor. The man scrambled forwards, took the radio that was attached to the man's waist, and said in Russian: "Bereg chistyy, kto-to brosil kamen' v okno, Iozhnaya trevoga."
The man sighed, stepped away from the body, grabbed the corpse's rifle, and stepped into the moonlight. Jez looked around at his surroundings, trying to rememorize the other Russian words he would have to speak. What he had actually said through the radio was: Coast clear, someone threw a rock through the window, false alarm. He waited a few more minutes, making sure no one was coming running, and then he moved, clipping the pistol into the holster on his belt as he walked swiftly. He saw two men suddenly charged out the door before him, and Jez was quick to raise his rifle and fire twice, both men crashing to the ground. Shouts rang around the hallway, and Jez sighed, raising the rifle and sprinting through the door in front of him. He fired several times, six people dropping instantly, and he ducked as a number of bullets flew over his head.
Jez looked around, raised the rifle, and shot. A man fell, his weapon clattering onto the ground, and Jez rolled onto his feet, proceeding down the hallway quickly, his gloved hands reloading his rifle. As he raised the rifle, a man kicked it from his hands as he charged out the door to Jez's left, and Jez stepped back, raising his fists quickly as the man kicked several times through the air. Jez ducked and blocked the kicks, and saw a second man charging down the corridor ahead of him, raising a pistol and aiming. Jez ducked aside as a bang echoed around the room, and he instinctively shot his right hand, pinching the smoking bullet from the air with his gloved hand. The man reloaded his single-shot pistol as Jez slammed the man who had attacked him into the wall and shoved the bullet into his chest, the man crumpling onto the ground as blood seeped through his clothes.
Another bang and Jez ducked his head aside, the bullet flying past him. Jez reached to his side and withdrew his pistol, firing twice and watching the enemy fall. Jez looked around the corridor, wiping sweat from his forehead, and then he approached the door to his right, making sure to hold the pistol at chest height as he opened the door and charged inside. He found nothing but a man sitting behind a desk, a glass of whisky in his hand, staring at Jez. "I knew it was only a matter of time," he said, taking another sip and then gazing at Jez. Jez, of course, could easily understand the man, even if he did have a thick Russian accent. "So you know why I am here?" Jez asked, and the man bowed his head, his sharp black hair looking smooth and almost glowing in the light of his office.
"I want you to revoke it," Jez whispered, and the man sighed, downing his glass, setting it down on the table, and then standing from his chair. "No," he said simply, and now Jez sighed, looking down at the floor for several quiet moments before looking up at the man while raising his pistol again. "Revoke it!" Jez said sharply. The man reached into his suit pocket, withdrew his phone, typed on it for a minute, and then tossed it to Jez. Jez caught it with his left hand and then shot a glance at it. "You raised it to three trillion?" Jez growled furiously, throwing the phone aside and hearing it smash against the wall. The man glared at Jez, and then shrugged, "What can I say? You are already a wanted man, Jez! You betrayed everyone two days ago, and you didn't think bounties would emerge?"
Jez clenched his fist around the gun and held it higher, pointing the end right between the man's eyes. "Take it down!" Jez yelled, and the man sighed, picking up his glass again and then tossing it behind him, hearing it smash against the wall. "All I have to do is shout one word, and my men will send a message that will have the entire Zodiac Army rush over here and execute you." Jez hissed at the man's words, shrugged and said, "That's only if you get to say those words." There was a mighty bang, and the man toppled backward, blood pulsing from a hole in the man's forehead. Footsteps filled the room, and Jez spun on the spot to find two henchmen charging through the door. Jez dropped to the ground as bullets ripped through the air, and he fired at one of them, already knowing the bullet had found its mark.
Jez stopped moving as he heard the other man retreat, shouting, and he groaned, quickly grabbing the fallen man's rifle and then rushing from the room, rifle raised. He scanned the corridor with eyes, making sure the way was clear before hurrying forwards. Jez checked that the rifle was raised, heard several footfalls, and turned, seeing three men charging towards him. Jez instinctively threw his rifle through the air, seeing it smash into a henchman's face, several bullets scattering over the floor, and he dropped to the ground. Jez blocked two punches from the next man, received a kick to the gut, and was pushed backwards, the two approaching with their fists raised. Jez ducked as a leg sailed over his head, and he shot his hand forwards, punching the man in the groin and then swiping his leg out from underneath him. The other man punched at Jez's head, and Jez moved aside, quickly grabbing his wrist and sending him sailing through the air.
Jez grabbed his rifle again and hurried away, firing at four men who entered the corridor and leaving them all dead. There was a loud click, and Jez immediately ducked as a bang echoed around the room. He turned and jammed his rifle into the man's chest, quickly pushing him against the wall and then pulling the trigger. Nothing happened. Jez groaned, punched the man in the face, grabbed a bullet from his pocket, fed it into the chamber of the gun, and then stepped backwards, firing the bullet straight into the man. He turned away as the man slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood along with the paint, and Jez proceeded away, anger filling him with each step he took.
***
Jez made sure he was not being followed before diving into the pool of water, swimming downwards, underneath the waterfall, and then rising on the other side, quickly wiping his wet hair from his face as he headed down the rocky tunnel. He walked for several long minutes and came into a large room inside the mountain, computers lined on several walls and a few suits propped up along the furthest rock wall. "Anything new happen?" Robert asked absent-mindedly as he stared at the screen before him, and Jez shrugged, tossing his rifle and pistol onto the bench before him. "I found the man who set up my contract," he said, and Robert turned, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Russian fellow. I asked him to take it down, and his response was to raise the price on my head to three trillion!" Robert exhaled loudly, sounding disappointed.
"So what did you do?" he asked as he took his eyes from the screen, and Jez shrugged, "Shot him in the head." Now Robert groaned, stopping before Jez with something like pity in his eyes. "Jez, the price on your head will only rise if you keep killing these people." Jez laughed, shook his head, and replied, "I need to find a way of ending this! If these people don't stop supporting the enemy, then they will be killed!" Robert seemed lost in thought for several moments, and then indicated to the man on the bed nearby, his eyes closed and blue hair shining in the light. "What do we do with him?" Robert asked, and now Jez shrugged, not knowing either. "Keep him here until he wakes, I guess." Robert nodded, apparently coming to the same conclusion.
He then pointed to the three suits at the back of the room and murmured, "What about those? Your suit is good and all but I see no need for mine to still be here. It has been years since I've been The Prodigy!" Jez gaped at Robert, feeling shocked, and then he whispered, "You are the original Prodigy?" Robert looked confused when Jez finished, "What do you mean original? I thought I was the only Prodigy!" Jez looked down, feeling himself blush for whatever reason, and he replied, "I was good at fighting. I've heard over the radios that people from where I'm from have started referring to me as The Prodigy." Robert made an 'ah' sound, and then returned to staring at the computer next to Jez. "At any rate, we need to be prepared," Robert whispered, and Jez looked over at the screen too.
It was broadcasting live from a camera hidden in the wall of the War Room in the General's office, planted by Robert many years ago. The screen clearly showed the Kernel and several other people of high importance gathered around a large, circular table, looking into the center and moving several pieces as though it were a board game. "We don't have much time. Our leader will make his comeback soon enough, but until then we need to fight on without him. We now need to focus on the enemy at hand, and what to do about them." They continued talking, but Jez stopped listening. "Who is their new leader?" he asked, and Robert shrugged, "I am positive it is not the General after you blew him to hell, so I am not sure." Jez nodded and then stepped away from the computer.
"Come on, we need to get going out for supplies," Robert murmured, and Jez sighed, nodding quickly and then looking over at the Spectre. The Spectre was still unconscious, head lay back against the bed and one of his legs bent, and his army uniform dirty. "Shouldn't one of us stay here to keep an eye on him?" Jez asked, and Robert chuckled, "I do not believe the Zodiacs, or any of their supporters, will be able to find us. He will be perfectly safe if we decide to leave him here." Jez nodded again and then approached the furthest wall, where his new suit sat on a mannequin. It was completely black, the gloves of which tight yet gripped, as well as the feet, and there were also two sheathes sewn to each side of the suit. "Like it?" Robert asked, and Jez nodded, smiling.
"Well, come on then, we best get going. The sooner we leave the sooner we can return." Robert said, and Jez stepped towards Robert's old Prodigy suit. "I can't believe that you used to be the Prodigy! I've only heard you were a great threat to the Zodiac Empire, but I haven't heard anything else!" Robert looked at his watch, sighed, and said, "I suppose we can waste a few minutes talking." Robert sat down on the chair at the console while Jez remained standing, and Robert immediately began speaking. "A few years before you were born, when I must've been about nineteen, there was a big war between your father's empire and mine. The Zodiacs were ready to wipe out the Spectres; their army had grown that much. So, in retaliation, I and my own small army of Resistors took the fight right to them.
"There was a very, very big fight. We had them right at the place you know as your school. Anyway, we started battling the Zodiacs, and I must say, the General must have been surprised when we attacked. We had never been the first to start a conflict of this magnitude. Now, the Resistors had actually made me boots that, more or less, defied gravity completely. We called them Flights, but I have not used them since I hung up the suit. On with the story. We had just managed to get past their Elite Guards, whom I am sure are still at large with the new leader of the Zodiac Empire, and then I fought the General. It was an incredibly matched fight. I have a scar here, see, and on my chest. Unfortunately, for the General, we were the ones who had also figured out what he was most afraid of.
"He was very close to stabbing me through the heart, but then I pulled out what he was so afraid of, and he instantly fled. You would have thought we would have caught and executed him, right? No, he somehow escaped. If we had found him, there would be no Zodiac Army to threaten us. Of course, he does think I am retired forever, which is true." Jez had sat through most of the story with his mouth open. "You were the hero!" Jez said, and Robert laughed, "Yes, I suppose you could call me that, but not anymore. I will not fight the General. This has to be something that another person accomplishes." Jez looked down, not sure how to feel about Robert refusing to face his father. "It hasn't come to that yet," Jez said assuredly, "We still need to push them further away before we do anything."
On the other side of the room, however, something happened they were not aware of. Zack's eyes snapped open.