A few minutes before…
The War Room was filled by a dense back mist dense as molasses, from which no light seemed to escape from. Velo and Raptor stopped over the threshold, trying to figure what was happening.
Velo took from his utility belt the sonic torch and the relative goggles, a couple of devices part of the standard equipment of Vanguard from many months* , acting like an x-ray beam.
What Kristogar saw was a massacre: a Strikeforce agent, armed with an ancient sword, was killing one by one the Mandelovian soldiers and technicians, while Drax, Grimm, and Mr. Smith were engulfed and blocked in the darkness matter. Another Strikeforcer, armoured with what seemed a robot shell, was standing not far them, unable to see in the darkess like them.
And to Velo dismay, Nadia was lying reverse over the ground.
“I don’t know what this shadow his, but I have yet to seen a shadow that resist the rays of the sun!” yelled Velo to the Raptor, pointing at a sector of the outer wall. Raptor looked at it, shaking his head: “It’s a reinforced steel wall, I can’t even think of taking it down, Kris!”
“I know. But I know what can tear it down…” responded Velo, jumping inside the room. He began crawling toward Nadia, opposing his will force to the extreme resistance of the black matter. Inch after inch, he was pushing himself hard toward the Russian woman, as the darkness’ embrace was tighter, closing like a slipknot around his neck.
Finally, he was near Nadia, he touched her. She was alive. He had just the strength to yell her name, before the lack of oxygen make him passing out. Nadia opened her eyes for a moment... but that was enough for an invisible force, emanating from her body, took shape in the War Room. The giant form of a demon, invisible to everyone, stood on the battle ground, roaring in rage. Suddenly, heavy blows began to shake the outer wall, like a gigantic hammer.
The noise alarmed ACK, which, blind by the darkness, began to move toward the source of the sound… when he felt being swept away by the fall of stones, concrete and reinforced steel.
Trapped under the big pile of debris, he didn’t see the sun rays entering from the huge break in the wall.
He didn’t see the shadow mist dissipating and taking refuge in a dark corner of the room.
He didn’t see the huge form of Nadia’s demon returning to her again senseless body, in the shape of her tattoo.
He didn’t see the scared stupor on the face of Agent O’ken, when he find himself facing the axe of Grimm, the mace of Raptor and the fangs of Drax.
Velo, stood up, massaging his throat. “Drax, bring Nadia out of Mandelovia, to the nearest hospital!” ordered with a feeble voice. The dragon left, but a whip of tail send the swordmaster on the ground. Raptor quickly kicked the sword, making it flying a few meters away.
“Grimm, to the courtyard, those hotheads need some directions. Keep the palace clear of Strikeforcers!” The death Avatar ran to the hole in the wall, and jumped outside, while Velo was putting handcuffs at Agent O’ken, tying him to a metallic shaft sprouting out of the floor.
“Mr. Smith, Raptor, you follow me!” said Velo, taking the spiral staircase down, toward the dungeons. A few story below, the three men entered a long, dark tunnel, lit by torches that were sending long, trembling shadows over the walls.
What they didn’t notice was that their shadows were four.
....
*see issue 12
