Chapter 27: Por que no los dos?

Chapter 27: Por que no los dos?

Singh drove the hummer down the avenue. It was that still, magical hour of the night when the city seemed enervated, the streetlights causing the iced over pavements to glitter, coronas of orange light flaring around their lamps. Cars had been pushed up onto the sidewalks. Shattered glass reflected moon light. The smell of smoke was thin and pungent in the air, and seven blocks over the sky glowed a dull orange.

James felt light, purified by grief that had been, if not processed, then strongly felt before being repressed all over again. His Agility and Speed made him feel a little more liquid, a little more self-possessed, and he still wasnt used to the sensation of natural strength and explosive potential for movement and violence.

But it was more than that. His high Arete, his Lead Aura 6, his ability to summon Smite and Sacred Strike - it made him at once a stranger and a wonder to himself. Who was he? Not the man that had slipped into bars just before closing time to feel the warmth and dream of being able to order a whiskey. Not the man whod lie awake at night under a layer of cardboard beneath the overpass, trying desperately not to think of all the good meals hed once had.

That James, wary, cynical, broken, self-effacing, waiting to sublimate into the polluted air - that man was gone.

Was his replacement a truer version of himself, the man he might have become, his ideal self? Or had he died, in a sense, and become something else, a reflection of the cipher that had walked the streets, now filled with purpose and a fierce desire to do better?

And if he was himself still, how much change would it take before he ceased to recognize himself?

They rolled on, Singh in no rush, a spotlight slowly crawling over the buildings, teasing out dark corners. They saw plenty of gremlins. Just because their malefic cousins had arrived on the scene didnt mean theyd exited stage left. Thousands of them infested the city, fuck, tens of thousands, maybe more. The Fourth Wave had been a colossal clusterfuck, and only today were they coming to terms with the repercussions.

A city crawling with Nemeses.

But still James felt hopeful. Perhaps it was delusion. But while he was still able to level, while he could still manifest abilities like Sacred Strike, there was hope. And who knew what hed manifest in ten more levels? In a hundred?The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.

The Humvee abruptly slowed.

There, said Singh, and James leaned out to peer around the canvas awning that covered the passenger cargo area in the back.

A Nemesis 2. It turned its porcelain mask to stare at them, its sneer identical, its expression dour and striking, the entirety of its body nightmare-inducing.

It was emerging from a dark window. For a moment it just hung there, frozen by the beam of light, and then it flickered up the wall and out of sight onto the flat roof.

Hold on, said Singh calmly. Its time for some action driving.

They tore through a three-point turn, then shot back half a block and turned down the street. Cars were parked on both shoulders, but somehow Singh threaded the needle and raced down the center, so close that James thought he could reach out and touch the passing vehicles.

You got eyes on it? asked Singh.

Negative, said Mancini.

They turned at the next intersection, putting them a block over from the original sighting, and just idled there, the engine rumbling.

Nothing, said Mancini at last. These bastards are hard to pin down.

James stared out over the tail gate. High in the air, perhaps ten blocks away, wreathed in purple flame, hung a demon symbol.

Not the same as the one inhabited by the Monitor that had deigned to speak to him, but instinct caused him to speak out. Hey, sergeant? Can we take a loop past that demon sign up in the sky behind us?

Singh adjusted his rear-view mirror to get a lock on the symbol, then looked to Mancini.

Why not, sighed the sergeant. Were just spinning in circles out here.

Singh made the right turns and James lost track of the symbol.

What are you thinking? asked Huffman. Shed been dour all night, swaying with the cars movements, gun hanging across her chest, expression bleak.

Im thinking we might as well cross shit off the list. James rippled his fingers on the emergency fire axe hed liberated from the NYCEM. The haft was of smooth, stout hickory, the head painted red but for the blade which sported a stripe of wicked naked steel. The Nemesis 2s are going somewhere. Its probably not the YMCA. So, lets check the huge demon beacon hanging in the sky?

Delvecchio frowned at him. Hold up. I thought you said those were where the Monitors chilled out and watched us all.

Yeah. But maybe its got multiple functions.

Serenity had her head back, eyes closed, head rolling with the cars rhythm. As Ernest Hemmingway once said, Por que no los dos?

Delvecchios frown deepened as he stared at her. He opened his mouth to comment, caught himself, sat back.

What did you spend your points on? James asked the automatic rifleman.

Aeviternum. Its the new hotness since you came back from the dead. Delvecchios grin was ghastly. Apparently they dont want their smitey-SAW dudes dying on them too quickly.

Huffman snorted. Soon as I hit Level 5, Ill back you up.

Star 41, permission denied. Return to base, over.

Command, order confirmed, returning to base, out.

The Killer Egg zipped away through the night.

What the hell, sarge? Delvecchios outrage was sharp. Why didnt they terminate the fuckers?

The radio crackled. Sergeant Mancini, you are not to engage the hostiles, repeat, do not engage the hostiles.

Command, this is Sergeant Mancini, order confirmed.

Singh needed no prompting. He began to reverse once more.

Hold up, said James. Im getting out.

Singh stopped the hummer and Mancini twisted about to stare at him. Bad idea, Kelly. We cant back you up on this one.

Im not going in. But I want to circle, get a better sense of whats happening here. The Killer Egg cant have seen everything.

Theyve got a battery of sensors. Weve got an Orion in the sky. You dont know what they picked up.

James hesitated, but his instincts told him to press on. He couldnt just return to NYCEM and sit tight till the army briefed him. In a few hours dawn was going to break and hed be meeting potential recruits for the DRC. He had to have something to tell them.

But it was more than that. He didnt know if it was intuition, or instinct, or his Arete that was cluing him into a fact: theyd not win this war by being cautious and slow.

And hed not level up from the safety of the NCYEM.

Not saying its wise, but I am getting out. Jamess tone was firm. But Im not running in, either. Just going to scout around.

We cant engage, but we can get you out if things get too hot, Mancini said. Radio in. Well stay close.

Sounds good. James leaped lightly out the back of the hummer and landed neatly on the road. A second later Serenity landed beside him, a Sig in each fist.

She met his gaze. This feels like a terrible idea, but thats never stopped me before.

Ill never hit Level 500 if I dont start taking risks. James propped the axe over one shoulder and reached into the hummer to draw out the 10 ft. of rebar hed stolen from a construction site. Hed used Duct tape to create a grip, and the corrugated length of it felt springy in his hand.

Mancini was still staring back at them. Come round to my window.

When they did, he frowned, raised his hand, and then a wash of power flooded through them. It felt like dipping into a swimming pool filled with Red Bull, washing away the first hints of fatigue. But more than that, James felt stronger, more lethal, more everything.

Oh, fuck yeah, said Serenity. Now were talking. Was that Bless?

It was, said Mancini. And what I should have done before we engaged the Nemeses. It should have given you both a +2 bonus to every stat.

Outstanding, smiled James, thinking of Hackworths favorite word. How long will it last?

Spread over two of you? An hour at least.

And you can do this to just two people?

Up to six, including myself. I hit the fireteam, too. If I focus it on just one person, however, the bonus becomes +5 to each stat and the duration doubles.

Very nice, said James. He patted the windowsill. Well be in touch.

Singh leaned forward to make eye contact. Stay safe.

Unlikely, said Serenity. Ready James?

There was fear, but more than that there was need. Need to learn more, to kill, to level, to start taking control. It felt good to be in the night air, invigorated by Mancinis bless, ready to face the enemy and learn more.

He stepped back from the hummer, axe in one fist, rebar propped over the other shoulder. Turned to stare at the burning symbol three blocks away and gave a slow nod.

Ready.