Child of Recklessness (Trials of Strength Book 2) (29 page)

‘
All towards the goal,’ Hazel replied, and when I opened my
mouth to reply, she shut me down. ‘Shut up! It’s time we got this
over with.’

Her eyes
shot back down to the blades, and a cruel smile worked its way
across her face. Beside the pieces of glimmering metal was a glass
vial, filled with translucent liquid. Hazel noticed my unspoken
question, and she picked it up.

‘
This is what made us who we are,’ she explained, ‘the drug
that made us into gods.’

‘
We’re not gods,’ I shot back.

She
ignored me and put the vial back down, her attention back to the
weapons.

‘
I hear you like fighting with blades?’ Hazel said. ‘I do
too.’

‘
We don’t have to do this, Hazel,’ I replied, my voice almost
pleading.

She
ignored me and picked up both weapons, her sight locked onto them
admiringly before she returned her attention to me. I managed a
quick glimpse towards the windows, but didn’t see what I wanted to.
It was moving too fast.

‘
Time to die dear brother,’ Hazel whispered, before she fired
one of the blades through the air.

I braced
myself to catch it as it spiralled my way. My sister pounced with
speed I’d had not too long before. My hand shot up and my fingers
clasped the hilt of my weapon. Hazel was upon me though, and I’d
just enough time to deflect her first slice. I staggered back, but
stayed steady. She came again and I deflected. She swiped down and
I blocked. The metal in our hands clanged and reverberated around
the large room.

She was
faster and stronger, her senses far more attuned than mine, but
each blow she threw, I parried. I saw a blind spot and thrusted
towards her side, but Hazel used her speed and knocked it away. She
followed up with a backhanded punch. I hadn’t seen it coming, and
my nose snapped as I lifted from the ground and slammed back down a
few feet away.

That
stopped her, and she stared wide-eyed, incredulous, as I regained
my feet, water gathering in my eyes.

‘
You’re weak?’ Hazel laughed.

I kept
my mouth shut, using the second’s reprieve to anticipate her next
move. I may not have had the strength or speed my sister did, but I
wasn’t a slouch. I had been training with Chris for almost two
months, and I tried to use that to supplement my lack of
abilities.

‘
This’ll be easier than I thought,’ Hazel growled.

She
threw herself forward and fired a flurry of swipes towards me. I
managed to parry and block, but she was pushing me back. My rear
smacked a table and I ducked a slice for my head. I swung my right
fist into her side before I stood and planted a kick into her
stomach. I angled my sword directly for her throat, but she bent
backwards and I missed. I moved away from the desk and Hazel
followed. She flew for my left, but I anticipated it, and as I
grabbed her wrist, I turned into her and brought my other arm’s
elbow straight against her cheek.

But she
was far faster than I was. As I turned to plant my fist against her
face, she recovered and a sharp pain slid across my arm. I could
feel the blood as it trickled down my skin, but I lifted my weapon
and caught another of her attacks. A knee broke my defence, and as
the air rushed from my lungs, a fist angled upwards collided with
my chin. Again I flew through the air. I crashed through glass
vials and beakers on a desk before I landed loudly on the
floor.

I could
hear my sister’s cackle as she sprinted for the table and vaulted
over it. Her blade dove for my chest but I brought my own round and
smacked it in time. Then a kick sent me rocketing across the floor.
I gasped and spat blood. Hazel had the upper hand, and I’d be lying
if I said part of me wasn’t holding back.

My
sister advanced.

‘
Wait! Please!’ I mock cried.

It was
enough, she stopped and laughed, but I moved. I slid round and
kicked out my leg, sweeping the ground from beneath her. My sister
gasped in surprise, and as she landed, I planted my foot in her
face. Her head knocked backwards and I jumped to my feet, weapon at
the ready.

Hazel’s
green eyes flashed as she stood.

Ohhhhhhhh sh-

I’d
never seen anyone move so fast, but I sidestepped her blade’s
downward arc then ducked as it came round. I pushed off the knee
that rushed to my face and blocked a swipe at my side. Her attacks
were becoming faster, the force more pronounced. Sweat soaked my
face as I worked to just stay alive. We reached the pit, my back
towards the windows as our blades danced off of one another. Hazel
pounced to the side and I turned; the glass that looked out into
the night hit my peripheral vision.

As for
my sister, she shook with rage. My mind couldn’t wrap around the
logic that caused her to be so angry at me. Whoever had raised her
had used jealousy to fan the flames of hate. My sister was tortured
as a child.

I
blinked, and she screamed. I caught her blade with mine as it came
round, but the strength behind it was unnatural. My weapon snapped,
half of my blade flew towards the windows, and the reinforced glass
shattered. I gasped as I tried to think, but Hazel forced her palm
against my chest, and before I knew it, I’d smacked against the
chair in the pit, and slid to the ground.

‘
This is over!’ Hazel screamed as she stalked
closer.

I had to
think of something fast.

The Sirens

‘
You know they’ll kill you too!’ I screamed at my
sister.

I’d
smacked her blind spot again and she stopped.

‘
They don’t give a damn about you,’ I said. ‘Once I’m gone and
they have my son, they’ll take what they need from you too, then
you become expendable.’

‘
You know nothing!’ Hazel cried as she brought her foot into my
stomach.

I gasped
and she followed through with a punch to my jaw, but she wasn’t
using her blade, and that was what I needed. I turned back to stare
at her, words forming in my throat, when all my prayers were
answered. I looked out the window, my ears primed to the heavenly
sound of police sirens. Their coloured lights flashed from below
and bounced around the ceiling.

‘
I know that you don’t have as much foresight as you think,’ I
spat.

‘
I have everything!’ Hazel growled.

I
struggled to stand as my sister glared at me, her eyes begging for
me to respond and fill her with fire.

‘
I have one thing you don’t,’ I gasped as I swayed.

‘
Oh?’ she mocked as a smile made its way to her face. ‘And
what’s that?’

I
levelled my eyes at her, my green ones meeting hers.

‘
Family,’ I enunciated.

My eyes
left her and settled on the woman who had just entered the room.
Blood clung to her every limb, but she strode with purpose. Hazel
raised her blade at my jibe, and Jessica opened fire. The sound
filled the room as bullets blasted into my sister. I turned away as
she shook violently with each shot. Finally, a click signalled the
end of Jessica’s clip and I turned back to my sister sprawled on
the ground. It was hard to swallow.

‘
You were right tough guy,’ Jess beamed as she stepped over
Hazel’s body, ‘forcing the police here to handle your Dad’s guys
worked.’

I let
out a breath and stumbled.

‘
Whoa,’ Jessica said as she steadied me. ‘Looks like I made it
just in time. Why is it a lady always has to save your
arse?’

I
laughed and brought my eyes up to hers, ready to repeat my doubts
about her lady status when a sword burst from her
stomach.

‘
Jess!’ I screamed; my eyes wide.

She
slumped to the ground as the metal pulled back. My sister glared at
me maniacally.

‘
You think that’s all it takes to kill ME!?’ she
roared.

I lunged
for her, but her hand flew up and slapped me. I tripped over
Jessica’s body and hit the stairs that ringed the pit. I turned and
rolled, throwing my hand out as my sister’s blade plunged for Jess.
I cried out in agony as the sword passed straight through skin and
bone. But I’d done what I intended, the blade didn’t reach my
saviour. I brought my leg up and kicked away my sister’s hand. Her
fingers loosened and let go of the blade.

I raced
to my feet, desperate to take advantage of Hazel’s bullet-ridden
state. I used my good hand to punch her stomach and she wailed as
she folded in on herself. Filled with despair, my right hand pulled
the blade from my left. The pain was excruciating, but I did my
best to focus as I drove the sword through my enemy’s chest. Hazel
screeched, and I pulled the blade back before I stabbed her
again.

My feet
crumbled beneath me and I found breathing hard. I watched as Hazel
tried to keep her footing. Her hands grabbed the blade and ripped
it from her body. I watched helpless. My energy had sapped, and any
reserves I had were keeping me conscious. A sickening grin slipped
across my sister’s face as blood dribbled from her mouth. She
staggered haphazardly towards me and I tried to regain my
feet.

Hazel
lifted the blade, I watched wide-eyed and she laughed. She roared
and brought the instrument of my impending death down, but a set of
hands caught hers, and we both snapped our heads to face the man
that had come out of nowhere.

‘
Dad?’ I gasped.

‘
You!’ Hazel cried.

Richard
Bishop had looked better. His already paltry and aged looks were
riddled with shades of blue and purple. His face was swollen and
his gait was shrivelled. The man looked ready to collapse, but he
wrenched the blade from Hazel and swung it for her neck. I closed
my eyes as my sister’s head spiralled from her body.

‘
Lucas, son,’ Richard said as he crouched, ‘are you
alright?’

I batted
his hand as he extended it and shifted back. Richard stood, his
face pinched, well, as much as I could tell with his face the way
it was. He closed his eyes and nodded.

‘
I’m-I’m sorry, Lucas,’ he whispered.

My
forehead creased and my mouth opened and closed.

‘
You may never know the full story, but trust me when I tell
you, I did this all for you,’ Richard continued. ‘I just wanted it
to be over. I just wanted my work to be done. That’s what my life
was for, that was
my
mission.’

I stared
dumbfounded, unable to coherently process what was
happening.

‘
They have to be stopped,’ my father suddenly erupted, his eyes
wide and panicked. ‘
New Dawn
has to be stopped!’

Richard
stumbled as he made his way to the obliterated windows. The wind
that blew whipped through his grey hair and he turned.

‘
Who’s
New Dawn
Dad?’ I asked.

He
narrowed his eyes.

‘
Their true name,’ he replied. ‘Not
FOG
. Their mission isn’t what I
signed on for; it’s not the purpose of what I made. We were
supposed to be helping people!’

‘
You killed hundreds!’ I cried.

‘
What is the price of a few lives, if it makes the world better
for the millions?’ Richard whispered, but he was no longer looking
at me, his eyes favouring the ground.

Police
sirens and gunshots echoed into the room from the streets below,
the war still being waged. I crawled over to Jessica’s body, her
blood pooling beneath her, but her chest rose and fell as her lungs
dragged ragged breaths.

‘
Athena
!’ my father erupted. ‘Lucas,
son,
find Athena
!’

‘
What!?’ I gasped.

‘
You’ve been betrayed, you’ve been betrayed,’ he continued to
ramble. He stopped trembling and his eyes locked onto mine, they
quivered with fear. ‘You’ve been betrayed! I told you that you
wouldn’t believe me before, but you have to know, you have to. You
need to watch out for-’

BANG!

My body
jumped as my father’s head snapped back, a hole in his forehead.
His eyes glazed over and his legs gave way as he fell out into the
darkness, and crashed towards the street. My head whipped round, my
eyes landing on the two people I came to rescue.

‘
Chris!’ I screamed.

The man
didn’t meet my gaze, but kept his gun aimed as he and Anna made
their way over.

‘
Oh my god,’ Anna whispered, dropping to her knees.

My hand
came up and cradled her face as tears sprung from her eyes. She
laughed and threw her arms around me. I gasped.

‘
Sorry!’ she said, but she didn’t let go, and neither did I. ‘I
watched you die! I watched you die!’

‘
I know,’ I whispered, ‘I know. I’m here, I’m fine.’

‘
Alex?’ Anna asked as she pulled away.

‘
Fine,’ I replied with a smile, ‘Brian’s got him.’

A
strangled choke pulled our attention to Jessica as blood burst from
her lips. All of us surrounded her, and her eyes fluttered
open.