Phantasia

When Chris Shaw’s gleaming red monster rolled around the corner, Phoenie told herself it was a coincidence. When it screeched into a breaking slide, throwing up stone from the cracked ground, she told herself he was there to show off or gloat. When the doors lifted and Chris, Elone and John stepped out, she told herself it was a dream brought on by stress. And then she realised just how amazing the army she’d brought together was, and couldn’t help herself from flinging her arms around the egotistical city-boy. He almost revelled in the attention, but then pushed her away and dusted down his fancy coat.

“Your knight has arrived,” he announced, taking a long look around the assembled students, then grunted disappointment and turned his attention to Elone. Phoenie decided it would be best to ignore him for the time being – this operation was all about teamwork, after all.

“Godhand’s territory is just a hundred metres away,” she announced, surveying the strange group she’d amassed with proud eyes. They were standing in the shade of a mutated tree that had once attempted, it seemed, to devour the collapsed masonry nearby. Now it sat like a stone obelisk, creating a natural shelter with the rubble around it, protecting them both from the light drizzle and the eyes of Godhand: protection they couldn’t rely on for much longer.

John began to hand out equipment. Those without one were given a cell-phone connected to the Veritas network, allowing them to stay in constant communication and giving them access to various databases (they were lucky to get such an experience!). The second device wasn’t so common – a pair of glasses just like the ones John wore. He passed them on to Doyle, his Sapphire classmate, and it appeared little explanation was needed.

“Never thought I’d get myself a pair of these beauties!” he exclaimed. Phoenie hoped he wouldn’t put the technology to girl-impressing use (though at least Chris Shaw wasn’t in charge of them – he’d just use the camera and zoom to take perverted images!).

“These are tranquillizer guns,” explained John as he handed out palm-sized weapons to Theseus, Doyle, Lyra and Phoenie. She’d only ever used them in lessons and Phoenie found the ergonomic weapon, made from a smooth artificial alloy somewhere in Malkuth, to be quite disturbing. A single dart could knock a human out in seconds, and holding that kind of power, knowing it was just a reflex away, made her nervous. She pocketed the weapon and accepted the final of John’s gifts: the plastic explosives.

“Obviously you’ll need to set the detonator,” he explained, “There’s enough explosive power in one pellet to break through a heavy wooden door with ease. A bit more and you should be able to blast open your own door.”

Joel was turned the package over in his hands, a stern look on his skeletal face. “What’ll it do to a person?”

There was an awkward silence, punctuated only by the gentle tapping of drizzle on the roof of Chris Shaw’s car. John went to snatch the explosives from Joel, but Theseus stopped him.

“Don’t even try it,” said Theseus to Joel, “Not that it’d even be workable. Geez, you expect to just sneak up behind someone and stick a bomb to his back?”

Joel looked up, malice in his eyes. “Yeah, well what if I can?”

Lyra kicked him in the back of the leg. “Well don’t bitch at me ’cause they found you in a pool of your own vomit and your head’s screwed over ’cause you can’t forget the sight of a bloke’s guts painting the walls,”

Joel muttered something under his breath and Phoenie, judging the atmosphere to be too self-destructive, interrupted the mood with a clap.

“Team! We haven’t got time for this nonsense! Mr Gibson, please try not to get too intense: I’ve assigned you to the backup team along with Ms Kent, Mr Shaw and Mr Orpheus. The four of you will remain here and only act should you be ordered to, or if we others fail in our mission,”

“The hell I’m staying here!” snapped Joel, “I’m rescuing Kaori!”

“And I’m rescuing Shelley!” added Elone. From the look on his face, Phoenie assumed Dante had mouthed something about Katrina too. Perfect.

“You’re all too emotionally involved,” she said, “And Mr Shaw needs to look after the escape vehicle. Please understand this is for your own safety as well as the success of the mission!”

Joel wanted to start something, but the pain in his side must have reminded him that Phoenie Rogan wasn’t the sort of girl you messed with, and it wouldn’t be long before Godhand learned that lesson themselves…

***

Chapter 16
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