"You ready?" Kyoko asked me.
It was the day of the rally at Hofstadter Plaza and I was partnered with Kyoko among the crowd of people that had gathered to watch Director Abina give her speech about how she planned to deal with Specter. Kyoko was dressed in jeans, black lace up boots and a burgundy overshirt with her neutralizer gun tucked into the waistband of her jeans hidden by her overshirt. I myself was dressed in black chinos, a grey windbreaker and a pair of cognac high tops, my eyes nervously scanning the crowd for any sign of Alexis or other members of Specter.
"No but it's do or die at this point in the game," I said with a slight sigh.
"That's the spirit, kid," Kyoko said sarcastically.
I shot her a dirty look then went back to surveying the crowd. No seemed out of the ordinary but I was still on edge for some reason and I didn't know why. The plan I had come up with foolproof honestly but Alexis was unpredictable person and who's to say that she didn't see me plotting against her when she peered into the multiverse at some point. The setup for the rally reminded me of the presidential speeches that I would watch on tv when I was younger and I was getting flashbacks to a particular speech where the guy had gotten his head taken off on national television and it made me shudder inwardly. There was a large stage in the center of the plaza with several large speakers so that Director Abina could project her voice from the podium that stood at the center of the stage. Mr Knight, Derrick, Whitaker and Kelly were all posted at the four corners of the stage with Ayleanna standing directly next to the podium. All five of them were dressed in the sharp business suits that I had come to associate with the Sentinels as their unofficial uniform. I locked eyes with Ayleanna who gave me a reassuring smile and waved which admittedly helped to calm my nerves a bit. I smiled back and I could've sworn that I saw her blush before turning her head back to look at the crowd.
"I think she likes you," Kyoko whispered conspiratorially.
I jumped. "She's just being nice. Plus she's older than me."
"Aren't you eighteen?" Kyoko asked with a smirk.
I hesitated. "Well, yeah."
Kyoko shrugged. "She's twenty. It's a two year difference."
I shook my head in exasperation but found myself stealing a glance at Ayleanna. She was pretty for sure and definitely nice and genuine but….I had other things to focus on. I had just broken up with Yasmine the day prior and that feeling was still fresh but I had been ignoring it in order to focus on the mission at hand today. Part of me secretly wondered how she was doing and if Layla had consoled her after I had left. I did feel a bit guilty about breaking up with her but I knew that it was something that I needed to do in order to not drag into whatever the hell was about to happen to my life. Alexis returning had definitely changed things because now I was fighting not just for the sake of the city but possibly the entire multiverse and I didn't need anyone that I cared about getting hurt or I'd never be able to forgive myself. I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear my phone ringing. The caller ID showed that it was Ebony calling which was weird because she was supposed to be in school right now.
"Hey, kiddo," I said when I answered. "What's up?"
"Josiah?!" She responded, sounding frantic. "Where are you?"
I frowned. "I'm at the rally right now. What's the matter, sis?"
"You need to get to my school now!" She almost yelled. "There's a girl here who's-"
The line went dead and I pulled my phone away from my ear to see that the call had been disconnected due to the service being poor but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me something was horribly wrong. I turned to look at Kyoko to tell her that I needed to leave but her eyes were fixated on something behind me. I turned to see what she was looking at and felt my hurt drop. Kiera was standing in the crowd, watching me like a predator who had caught its prey injured and bleeding. She tilted her head slightly to the right like she was listening to stomach then nodded slightly before tilting her head back upright.
"Kyoko," I said quietly.
"I know," she said tersely. "What do you wanna do?"
I stared Kiera down. If she was here then there was a high possibility of Alexis being here as well which meant that we were most likely surrounded by her and her lackeys. I was torn. Did I stay here and see what was going to happen or did I go to my sister who could be in danger? That's when I had an idea pop into my head. I imperceptibly pulled out my phone and sent two separate messages to my friends with specific instructions then slide my phone into my pocket. I glanced over to the stage and saw that Director Abina had take a stand at the podium, causing the crowd to become loud with clapping and cheering.
"Josiah….what's the plan?" Kyoko prodded.
"Stay calm," I murmured. "We don't know if it's just her or if she's alone. Both possibilities suck but I'd prefer if she were alone."
I kept my eyes on Kiera as she continued to stand in the middle of the crowd while Director Abina began her speech for the rally.
"Citizens of Charter," she began, "This rally is being held in honor of the esteemed accomplishments of not only the authorities but as well as our devoted protectors, the Sentinels."
A rousing applause went up from the crowd and I could clearly see how much the people of the city had put their trust in both the authorities and the Sentinels. They viewed them as invincible and unstoppable and that they were the ultimate force to be reckoned with and I could understand why. Individually, the Sentinels were strong. Each of them possessing an omega level ability that no one could hope to stand up to no matter how strong they thought themselves. As a collective though, the Sentinels were a powerful, cohesive and overwhelming force that was like an unstoppable tidal wave that seemingly wiped away everything in its path. It was no surprise that Alexis wanted to take them out as quickly as possible. The Sentinels were the only ones who posed a viable threat to her plan and if they were out of the picture completely….there'd be no one left in the city who would be able to stop her. She wanted to shatter the hope and strength that the Sentinels gave people by destroying the faith that the city had in their protectors.
"The authorities and the Sentinels have protected this city since the emergence of superhuman abilities first began," Abina continued. "But now a new threat has appeared to threaten the safety of our city. A threat known as Specter, a group of super criminals who seek to destroy our peace and way of life."
Murmurs of worry rippled through the crowd as her words settled. Several people exchanged worried glances and whispered things about feeling scared which was understandable. A shadowy group of superhuman individuals who wanted to takeover the city wasn't something that you heard everyday. I glanced over at Kiera, who was watching the speech with rapt interest but to me it seemed like she was waiting on something. I gave the crowd a quick scan and my eyes settled on a person of interest that made my blood run cold. It was Alexis, standing in the midst of the crowd with her eyes fixed on Director Abina with an unsettling expression on her face as she took in every word that the Director was saying. Her eyes were narrowed with unbridled hatred and rage that I could feel from I was standing, her bloodlust sending shivers down my spine and causing me to take an involuntary step backwards. Suddenly, she started making her way through the crowd, effortlessly brushing past people as she strode with purpose towards the stage, eyes locked on her target. I nudged Kyoko roughly to get her attention and she looked down at me in annoyance before realizing what I was looking at and her expression hardened slightly before she pressed her earpiece and muttered something that I didn't quite catch. From her position on the stage, Ayleanna touched her ear then peered into the crowd before her eyes narrowed sharply and she leaned over to whisper something to Director Abina who nodded almost imperceptibly then continued giving her speech without missing a beat.
"Get to the stage," Kyoko ordered, cracking her knuckles. "I'll deal with Kiera."
I nodded and began making my way to the stage, roughly pushing past people and muttering apologies. I made sure to keep Alexis in my line of sight just in case I had to activate my powers but she was moving so swiftly through the crowd that I debated on just running out into the street to catch her. I looked back at the stage, trying to make eye contact with Mr Knight but luckily Whitaker saw me and quickly assessed what was happening. Unfortunately, it was too late. A cry rang out from the crowd as four large tendrils of energy burst out from underneath the stage, sending everyone flying in a haze of splintered wood and smoke. I ducked down to the ground to avoid a plank of wood that came flying my way then glanced up to see what was happening….and it was utter chaos. The rest of the Sentinels had their powers activated and were currently fighting the younger brother of Jasper, Brayden. Up close, they were definitely identical brothers with the only difference being the way they style their hair. Brayden looked over at me and I immediately activated my powers, feeling the familiar rush of energy that surged through my body whenever my powers would activate. He gave me a malicious grin then shot one of his tendrils at, aiming directly at my chest. Fortunately, Derrick intercepted it by grabbing onto it and swinging Brayden around before launching him into a nearby building.
"Find Alexis!" Derrick ordered. "We'll deal with him!"
I nodded then ran into the crowd to find Alexis, dodging screaming civilians as I made my way to the destroyed stage, the sounds of fighting raging all around me. I briefly saw Kyoko and Kiera fighting but I didn't stop to watch, using my momentum to launch myself above the crowd to get a better vantage point and see if I could see any sign of Alexis. Using my enhanced senses, I quickly scanned the area and almost let out a sigh of relief when I locked onto Alexis who was currently engaged in a fight with Ayleanna. I quickly zipped down, extending my leg into a flying quick and feeling my foot connect with Alexis' shoulder, causing her to go flying into a car. I landed protectively in front of Ayleanna and got a good look at her ability for the first time. Her power allowed her to create energy constructs and it seemed like she had created a staff to help her fight off Alexis. We exchanged looks that silently asked if we were both okay, nodded, then turned our attention back to the problem that was at hand. Alexis got to her feet lazily, shifting her eyes between me and Ayleanna, then let out a low chuckle that was close to maniacal laughter as she continued to stare at me, a wild light dancing in her eyes.
"You were so worried about me betraying you, but now look at who's the traitor," she said, a dangerous edge to her voice.
"You need to be stopped before people get hurt. What you're doing is insane," I retorted.
"Insane? I call it a necessary evil," Alexis replied, grinning wickedly. "I'm tearing down the old and ushering in a new age where society isn't bound by the laws of an inept government. Our powers aren't meant to be controlled, Josiah. Deep in your heart, you know I'm right."
I shook my head in disgust. "I'll never agree to that kind of ideological crap."
Alexis let out a low chuckle and cocked her head as she looked at me. Something was off and I could feel it as my senses started to go haywire the longer I looked at her. Her eyes were glowing brightly and intensely as she raised her hand in the air, the air around her beginning to distort and shift. Almost as if the space around her hand was collapsing in on itself.
"There's another part of my power that I don't get to show off too often," Alexis said, her eyes meeting mine. "I can generate black holes to destroy matter in an instant."
She suddenly closed her hand to form a fist, the space around her hand collapsing completely and I could feel the effects of it from where I was standing but my powers being active made it bearable to withstand.
"However," she continued. "I can also generate white holes for a completely different and more devastating effect."
I felt my eyes widen in realization as everything clicked.
She wouldn't, I thought to myself.
"You said you'd never align yourself with my ideals," Alexis continued, her voice low but I was still able to hear her. "But the multiverse…says otherwise."
She opened her hand and the last thing I saw was a bright white light before I was flung backwards by a massive shockwave.