The Edge Of Destiny

CHAPTER THREE The Garage Room Lair

CHAPTER THREE

The Garage Room LairBack at Lucas' room, the friends caught a breath. The converted garage that was Lucas Sandler's bedroom resembled a gym, with machines of all sorts: weight station, treadmill. It also was very much a teenage boy's room, exploding with pop culture objects and posters. The mirrors that used to hang on both walls facing each other were now replaced with just one.

In the mirror, Katie adjusted her make-up, a nervous habit of hers. “I can't get the sound out of my head, when my shield ball hit that kid's jaw.”

“Yeah,” Ariana put her hand on Katie's shoulder, “that was really bad.”

“Hey! I thought you were comforting me.”

“I am, I was.” Ariana dropped her hand. “Sorry. I mean, we just need to be really careful. It's been only a few months since the final battle.”

“Final Battle?” Lucas laughed. “You sound like Cody.”

“Hey, Lucas, come on.” Zacke was getting sick of being the voice of reason. “Cody tried something. Didn't work. That's okay. We're all trying to figure this stuff out.”

“Yeah, well,” Lucas threw his mask in a garbage can. “I told you this superhero stuff wasn't the way. That's not our story. We are Amartus. There will be bigger fights.”

Ariana added, “Plus, it was danger we looked for. Zacke almost got fried. That kid will be drinking liquid for months.”

“Yeah, that can was a surprise. Do all taggers had a backup blow torch?” asked Zacke.

“And the cops? Did they see us? Did someone else? I know we aren't a big city or anything, but like forty thousand people live here. They all have cell phones with cameras.”

“And someone called the police. They got there too fast,” offered Katie.

“We can't be doing these things.” Ariana sat on the weight bench. “We're still just kids in high school.”

“And that guy can fly,” Katie pointed to each person in turn, “and he can fry cell phones…”

“And she can break people's jaws,” said Cody.

“Hey! Too soon. We're not superheroes,” Katie said.

“But we're not normal, either,” Ariana said with a sigh. “Yeah, I get it.”

Lucas said, “We're also not technically in high school. Winter break still has a week left.”

Zacke blurted, “I wish John was here.”

“Me too,” said Lucas.

Ariana asked, “Anyone tried to call or text lately?”

“Yeah, like every day,” said Zacke. “What is that about? He was supposed to come back and help us.”

“Nobody knows,” Katie shrugged.

Zacke asked, knowing the answer already. “Cody have you heard from your Dad?”

“I already told you no.” Cody said, the words barely escaping through his gritted teeth.

“Okay,” said Zacke, “just asking.”

“Guys, we can't… I mean, we have to do something.” Cody's next words came in a flood. “After all the crazy s**t… I don't know what to do now. I feel stuck and, I don't know, angry all the time.”

“Me too. After the fire tower, I thought I'd be stronger. But I'm just scared all the time. What if someone comes after us, like that Elder lady? Lucas may be activated, but I'm not.” Ariana slumped. “I don't even know what I am.”

“Yeah, me neither,” echoed Zacke.

“One thing we can't do is give up.” Katie stood up. “Especially not to fear. I'm scared too, guys, but I'm also tired of being scared. We stick together. Not as superheroes, but as friends who have each other's backs.”

Cody said, “That's a superhero speech.”

“Shut up, Electro boy,” said Zacke with a half-smile.

Cody retorted, “Mixed-race Superman.”

Zacke c****d his head to one side, considering. “I like it.”

Cody shook his head but smiled anyway.

Lucas said, “Sorry guys, nearly eleven o'clock.” Curfew for most of them.

“I'll drive you guys home,” said Cody. “Unless you want to fly.”

“Don't start,” warned Zacke but was cut off from a knock at the side door. Zacke smiled. “Looks like I have a ride after all.”

Lucas answered the door to find Victoria.

She asked, “Hey guys. Hey Babe, you need a ride?”

“As if you read my mind.” Zacke walked to the door and kissed Victoria.

“Ughh. Gross,” “Boo” and “Get a room” were heard from the other teens.

“Yeah, yeah. You're all just jealous. Bye guys.” Zacke said as he and Victoria left.

Mutual goodbyes were said. Cody left with Ariana and Katie to drop them off. Lucas said goodbye and closed the door to his garage room.

He frowned about how the night had gone. It was clear the others didn't understand what the Amartus struggle really was.

Lucas stood at the cheap mirror he had bought after all his large ones were destroyed by Zamma. He let the warrior awake in him. Elgisard, the ancient Viking warrior said through Lucas, “I should have taken over.”

“I still can't get used to your blue eyes.” Lucas stared at himself in the mirror.

“They are your eyes too, now. They have always been.”

“That's not confusing at all.” Lucas said to his own reflection, and two beings becoming one.

They both laughed at their reflection. Lucas internalized his thoughts and the warrior answered. Elgisard thought, We are one, Lucas. There is no you or I, there is only us.

Lucas thought, It still doesn't feel that way.

It takes time. I will always be here.

All my memories, all my lifetimes.

I can show you more

Not yet. I'm still… still not ready to see it all.

That last time really…

Yes. I know. I pushed too hard last time.

Am I fully activated?

My mind still feels separate from you, like you're an…

Like I'm an invader in your head.

I know. It may feel that way for some time.

If John was here…

Pentoss must have his reasons.

He's a complicated warrior.

Aren't we all?

Not really.

They both laughed as one.

There is an old saying –

when the mind is stuck, move the body.

Are you really done for the night?

Lucas looked at the clock, 11:13.

He glanced at the door connecting his converted garage bedroom to the house.

Beyond it his awesome and concerned parents were likely in bed already.

Nope, not even close.

Good.

Lucas reached for the leather bandana. He'd cut large eye holes in it, ready for just such a night. Much cooler than a ninja turtle. He put black grease makeup around each eye. He'd seen similar stuff used in baseball and football. Supposedly it was to reduce glare. Lucas used it to help hide his identity. He also thought it looked cool as he put on the bandana and looked in the mirror.

Elgisard thought, You look like a racoon.

As Lucas tied a knot at the back of his head as tight as he could, he said to his reflection, his warrior, “An ancient Norse warrior racoon. I'll take it.”

He left by the side door, not bothering to lock it. John had said that all of their houses had been building quiet protection, a kind of immunity. The home bases were safe, just like in some kid games. John hadn't explained fully, which seemed to be a John trait. Lucas didn't know if it was his ancient, the River, or if it just happened naturally. He'd gotten no straight answer from his ancient warrior either.

As he left, he wasn't worried about tracking down criminals. He'd found out where they would all be, all in one place. His ancient warrior Elgisard had been gone from this plane of existence for a while, stuck in the River instead since 1964. Coming back deep into the twenty first century was a continuing education. Technology was amazing, information available at a fingertip. They had found the chatrooms and social media trail. It wasn't hard to find at all.

In his small city, the crime was limited to small, contained areas of two to three blocks. Mid twentieth century apartment buildings filled with struggling lower income families, and of course a criminal element. If there was a shooting or stabbing in Sea Valley, it was in one of these seedy pockets. What he needed tonight would be found there.

As he approached the alley, he saw the glow to the left. It came from between two apartment buildings, three stories tall. He scanned for the layers of “security.” Though he knew many Hispanic young men lived in this neighborhood, the first layer of bouncers was a couple of strung out skinny white guys. The sole light pole shone down on them.

The tallest of the two asked, “What are you, homie?”

Lucas was shirtless, fifteen, and scrawny. Although he'd been working out for a year and knew martial arts, his small frame with a sinewy layer of developing muscles. He wore his not-superhero racoon mask. He said just two words, “Fight Night.”

The layers of tattoos roiled like a snake as the youth on the left covered his mouth to snigger. Lucas produced a $20 bill. The one on the right looked Lucas up and down. “Your funeral, dude.” He waved him through.

As Lucas walked through the two tattooed guards-of-sorts, he felt Elgisard under his skin, filling his frame, making him feel taller. Through the warrior's eyes, he saw the glow to the left. From between the buildings, Elgisard imagined a scene like his first homeland. He expected to walk into the scene of warriors ready to do battle, sensors, torches, and open fire pits all around, lighting the scene. As they turned the corner in their small, teenage frame, the lights came from modern LED lights.

Not unlike an ancient fighting pit, light came from all around and shone dramatically. Lanterns strewn the scene laying on the tough scrub grass between the buildings. Several large modern pop-up canopies were tied together to make a series of fighting tents. There were no more guards, just layers of shirtless warriors about to do battle.

Brown flesh, white flesh, all mixed together. The outer ring was made up of watchers, shouting. Chanting. The action had already begun, two warriors beating on each other with their fists. Lucas caught the eye of the one that was winning. His losing opponent swayed, confused, his back to Lucas.

As Lucas stepped closer, the crowds stopped. About three dozen boys and men of all ages stopped. The winner put his arm around the loser, who flinched. Lucas figured he was just about to go down when the winner locked his arm around his shoulders and spun him toward Lucas. The loser couldn't believe what he was seeing at first. With a bloody smile, he was the first to laugh. The winner joined. Then the whole crowd joined in, as Lucas stood there, the object of everyone's attention.

He's wanted a fair fight. Lucas scanned from right to left, the peals of laughter echoing through his mind. He felt the warrior Elgisard just under his skin, just under his mind. No such thing as a fair fight. The warrior and he smiled together and bit their tongue, releasing the berserker blood rage.

They shouldn't have laughed.