Chapter 157 - 157- On The Ground

warning: violence

"What the fuck do we do now?" Ares shouted in distress as he watched his brother trying to keep away the people who were pushing on their door. Just a little bit more time, a few more seconds so they could at least think of something. Theseus didn't seem to be in a very talkative state, he took a few steps back signaling his brother that he wasn't able to keep them any longer. 

As if an explosion had just happened the door was blasted open, leaving its frame and hitting the opposite side of the wall. It had flown above their ducked heads like a Frisbee before it shuttered into big pieces. Immediately six armed men pointed at them with huge guns. Ares smiled and raised his arms in a surrendering motion. 

"Should we talk about this with some tea and biscuits?" he asked them jokingly but all they did was keep staring at them, pointing with their guns. "I guess not" the elf prince concluded and rushed forward. Avoiding skillfully a storm of bullets. 

He grabbed one of the men from his face and slammed him to the ground, taking his gun as the rest took a few steps backwards. They had created a dead end, so the elves wouldn't escape. They were not attacking. It was as if they were expecting for someone else. 

"They are waiting for backup we need to leave now!" Ares shouted to his brother. 

Theseus had been blocked by two of them and now one was fighting with one, arm in arm and the other was throwing bullets hoping that he would hit him. This was too difficult. He couldn't use his shadows, as he did not intent to kill them and he had to focus at the same time not to get hit by the rain of bullets that smelled distinctively of spider lily and herbs. The same mix Achlys had used to hurt Allias on that horrific plan. 

Seeing his brother, exchanging punches and kicks with that man, he realized he had to do something. He grabbed the gun of the man he had just left unconscious and mimicking the other hunter who was shooting at his brother he shot him too. He let out a grunt and fell on his knees the gunshots stopping. 

"Don't kill them!" Theseus scolded him but Ares was now targeting the people who were closing his way.

"I did not kill him…I think" he said, half whispering the last words. He was aware that Allias did not want any human blood to be spilled. It was his main way of reasoning with Joe but the newly assigned Hunter leader was nowhere to be found and his brother was right now at the ground while being punched by a human he couldn't kill. Ares stepped backwards still targeting the men in front of him, holding the gun wrongly but somehow still succeeding to scare them into not moving. As it seemed even the idea of having two of the most powerful supernatural creatures you could encounter in front of you was scary enough on its own. In reality they had no idea how helpless the two brothers were. 

He turned the gun around and hit the man who was above Theseus hard in the back of his head with the handle, the man falling unconscious to the ground. As fast as he could he returned to targeting them. Theseus stood up, spitting blood on the floor as he stood next to his brother, grabbing his shoulder as he tried to hide a frown. They had reduced their numbers in half, the best they could do without using any of their powers. 

"So listen," Theseus said. "We just need to talk to Joe. We do not intent to hurt you. We swear." He tried to reason with them. He wanted to make Allias' vision true no matter what. A tomorrow without the fear of a war, a day without the terror of losing your loved ones. Living in harmony as one. He too wanted to believe in that vision and for that he had to bring Joe to Allias. 

"We are intending to kill you though." A familiar voice was heard and behind the men Joe finally appeared. He was standing there so close. Theseus had to think of something. 

"Joe, listen to me. Allias, Alex he…he wants to talk to you. Spare him a minute okay? He believes in you. He knows that you are different than the others. He considers you a friend." He said and the young man's jaw clenched. He bit his lip and the general could see how upset he was, the way his muscles seemed tense, his hands forming fists. Theseus observed him well when he noticed something different on his wrist. "Where did you get that?" he asked him and pushed Ares behind him, wanting to shield him. 

"Oh this?" Joe asked and raised his right arm. He wore a thick golden cuff on his wrist. One with elf carvings on it. A spell. Theseus took a few steps back cautious. He wasn't supposed to be able to have something like that. Those bracelets had all disappeared before the end of the war. All of their owners had died. They belonged to the royals of the Avgee tribe. "A friend of mine let me borrow it" he said and without a warning he smacked his right hand on the ground. 

The kind of pain Theseus felt was unbearable. It was like an enormous gravitational force was pulling him down and his whole body was slammed mercilessly on the floor. He was unable to get up. But it wasn't just that, the power of that extraordinary cuff. He made them unable to breathe. Their lungs burning in need of air as they tried to get on their feet. Then a second shock came, like lighting and hit the two brothers leaving them almost dead. If it was anyone else, the wolves or even Ea they would have already died. 

"And now gentlemen." Joe said amused "You can see how I will avenge my father. By killing those who betrayed me, slowly" he said and sat on the ground. He was staring at them, his palm stuck on the ground. Every time he raised it the Avgee magic would spread through the walls and ground to harm them. Theseus could still not understand how he found it. Only a few existed in this world less than ten and all of them were forged by Allias' father and distributed to his relatives. All of them were dead though. 

"Joe, you don't have to do this" Theseus said as he tried to not lose his consciousness. "Allias can help you. All you have to do is listen to him" he groaned in pain.

"Help me?" he said and stared at Theseus who was beginning to profusely spit blood. He raised his palm and brought it again onto the ground. Another shockwave hit them and Ares screamed. Theseus closed his eyes trying to block out his brother's scream, no matter how much it hurt him. "You are the ones in need of help right now. I can see that bullet mark on you shoulder Theseus, the blood patch. Isn't it supposed to be poisonous? You are already half dead."

"What mark?" Ares asked "What mark?" he shouted at his brother. "You bastard. You and your noble acts. Now I will never see Ea again! We will die." He said as he tried to get up. The only part of his body that was able to move though was his head. 

"I believed you" Joe told them. "I had faith in Alex. I believed his words and I was fooled. You can't help me. All of you. You are all the same."

"No we are not. Allias wants peace. I give you my word."

"Your word? You dare say that!" Joe screamed and hit his hand again on the ground.

"Enough! Theseus Enough!" Ares screamed as he felt the piercing pain again. It was as if someone was trying to cut his limbs off with a knife. Slowly and painfully, the sensation was the same as his skin being ripped. "We will die" he shouted at his brother, crying. 

He couldn't let his brother die here. He was his family but at the same time what was he supposed to do? He had a mission. One chance to finally end this disaster, he couldn't just blow it up like this. But behind him, screaming was his little brother. Crying and in pain. There had not much energy left, they were barely keeping it together so decision time was short. It was now or never. Stay or try to save themselves. It a choice between the world and the dream they always had and saving his brother. 

"Joe. Please we can have a better tomorrow" Theseus told him, meeting his eyes. You could see the physical pain Theseus felt, barely able to move. Blood on his chin and bruises on his face, he seemed ready to crumble. "You can be better, than all of us" he groaned and Joe smiled at him dramatically and slowly raising his arms ready to strike them another time. 

Fuck the world. Theseus thought. 

"Ares use your powers!" he screamed at his brother with the last of his energy.

...

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading. Just wanted to lett you know to check out my new book Bloody Lovers. I am sure you'll like it!