NOVEL NEXT Book 2. Chapter 69. Just Another Tuesday.
I felt cold as the realization and fear of things to come hit me. I felt dizzy as the adrenaline that had been fueling my will to fight drained from my body, replaced by the immense weight of loss.
Elvis was gone, and Matty had lost his brother. I could hear him sobbing behind me. I could hear C.J. and Tiff trying to console him. I knew I should be there, supporting him, but I didn't move. I just stood, staring at the cold metal doors of the cargo bay.
I felt a hand on the shoulder of my armor and turned to see Michael standing there, concern and relief on his face. I dismissed my armor, and he saw the tattered state of my clothes, filled with holes, my wounds still bleeding. Realizing how I must look, I mentally selected a health stim and saw the look of utter shock on his face as the spider-like arms emerged from the back of my neck, plunging one of the health stims into my skin with a hiss.
"That is a bit disconcerting," he said with a grimace.
"One of the perks of all this craziness," I replied numbly as my wounds began closing.
"You good, Andy? You need to talk?"
I shook my head and sighed against the weight of the last few months. "No, Mike, I am not good. Yeah, I definitely need to talk, but now isn't the time."
"I am proud of you, little brother. I hope you know that," Michael looked over at Matty, who was hugging Tiff like a child and continuing to sob. "You were always a loner, Andy. You always marched to the beat of your own drum. I never would have guessed that you would be what you are now, but you are, so I am gonna give you a little advice."
"I could use it, now more than ever," I replied, watching Matty break into a thousand pieces.
"These people were hopeless after the Drop. They were thrown into something that nobody could have prepared for. Then, you came. You gave them something more than purpose or a chance at revenge. You gave them a family. Whether you want it or not, whether you feel prepared for it or not, they all look to you for direction. Not because you have the most power, but because you never asked for anything in return," Michael pointed at Matty. "That man over there has followed you into more than one life-threatening situation. He has more military training, more combat experience, hell, he has more life experience, but he still calls you Captain. That means something, Andy. Something that you can't fully understand right now. He doesn't call you Captain because of who or what you are. He calls you Captain because he knows what you can and will be worthy of it. Don't let him down, don't let any of them down."
"I didn't ask for it, Mike. I don't know if I can be what they need me to be."
"That's why you are the perfect man to lead this revolution, Andy." He reached out and jerked me into a firm hug. " He doesn't need a captain right now though little brother. He needs a friend."
I nodded and pulled away to see my brother smiling sadly. He knew the weight of what he was telling me. He knew the chances of us all surviving this were slim to none. He also knew that someone had to be the one to spark the flame, and the sadness in his smile told me he wished it wasn't his little brother.
I walked over to my friends and knelt beside Matty. It's a strange thing to see a man you respect, a man who has proven himself to be capable and powerful, broken and crying on the floor in front of you. I know the overwhelming power that grief can have on someone. I understand the feeling of having part of your heart ripped out and torn to pieces in front of you, but I have never been through what Matty just experienced, and I selfishly hoped in that moment that the kind of pain he was feeling never finds me.
Watching Elvis die was a pain that I can't fully explain. He was my friend, he trusted me and gave his life for humanity, and most of them will never know his name. Still, to see your own blood slaughtered in front of you like an animal, that kind of pain has the capability to break even the strongest of men.
I reached out and tentatively placed a hand on Matty's back. I didn't know if he blamed me or if he would harbor resentment for what happened to Jax. I didn't know if he would want to continue with us. So many questions that were all answered when he turned and saw me there with him. His face was a mess of tears, anger, and helplessness, but not directed at me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me in. Something in me broke in that moment, something I didn't think I could show to my friends, something that had been building for a long time. I hugged Matty back and felt more arms wrap around us. Tiff, C.J., Loren. We all sat on the deck of that beat-up containment ship and mourned the loss of our friends. I stood after a few minutes and pulled Matty to his feet.
"I'm sorry, Matty."
Matty shook his head and looked down. "Don't, Cap. I know you tried to save him in the end. Even after the things he did, you tried. I won't ever forget that, not ever."
"What now? I understand if you need some time, need to think about your next move." I said, reaching out to place a calming hand on his shoulder.
"We are gonna be travelling for a while, I'm guessing. That's all the time I'll need."
"Matty, this isn't a decision you need to make right now. Just take some time and think about what you need to do."
Matty's head shot up, eyes burning with hatred. "I know what I need to do, Cap. I need to kill as many of those fuckers as my hands can handle. As far as I am concerned, every one of the Council-affiliated races is meat for the grinder from here on out. My capacity for mercy died in that arena with my brother. You point me in a direction and I will send every soul in that god forsaken place to hell in pieces."
I was taken aback at the sudden rage that filled him, but I also knew that he was dealing with a lot right now. I needed Matty, I needed his skills, and most of all, I needed his guidance, but I didn't need a loose cannon. I let it go for now and decided to make some time in the future to talk to him in more detail.
"Okay, Matty. If that is what you want, then I won't argue. I want you to take a few days when we get back to the Bloodhound. Rest, recover, and then we can talk about what our plans moving forward are."
"Okay, Cap. Okay."
I glanced over at C.J. and motioned for him to follow me up to the bridge. A few seconds later, we entered to see Kinthragor sitting in the pilot's chair. He tensed as I entered.
"Kinthragor."
"Thank you for what you did to help my friends and my brother."
"I was honor-bound, Michael saved my life," he responded, never turning to face me.
"Are you and I gonna have any problems?" I asked.
"I assume that after the events that occurred today, my family and people will disavow me. I failed to avenge the death of my brother and instead took up with the very people who saw him slain on the Red Moon of Alcara. I am now no more than a stray with no place to call home. My personal sense of honor outweighed the debt my patriarch gave me, and I will suffer the consequences of those actions."
"So, if you are asked to take me out by your patriarch, you would what?" I asked with trepidation.
"Kinthragor was the chosen son of our family. I was overlooked and never given an opportunity to bring honor to my people. I was cast aside my entire life until it came time to throw my life away in honor of his death. If my patriarch were to ask me to satisfy his thirst for vengeance by bringing him your head, I would take the words of my friend Michael and deliver them with all the respect the patriarch is due."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
I looked at C.J. pensively, fearing the words Kinthragor might say next. "And what exactly are those words?"
Kinthragor grunted and cleared his throat. "Suck a fat one."
C.J. burst out in laughter and slapped Kinthragor on the back. Kinthragor slowly turned his head in C.J.'s direction, and his lips slowly curled back, revealing the massive, sharp teeth that filled them.
C.J. recoiled and put his hands up defensively. "Sorry, sorry, I just thought that was funny.
" I agree, C.J.," Kinthragor hissed. "Can you not see that I am smiling?"
C.J. wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and let out a breath in relief. "We have seriously got to work on that smile, bro. That shit is gonna haunt me for weeks."
"Thank you, Kinthragor. You need to know that you have a place with us if that is something you want. We can discuss it further later. For now, can you give me the bridge?" I asked.
"Yes, the ship is set for an intercept course with the Bloodhound. We are approximately 36 minutes out at our current bearing," Kinthragor turned his eyeless head toward C.J. "Do not touch anything."
"What the hell, man? Why you telling me that?" C.J. asked defensively as Kinthragor got up and left the bridge. I sat in the pilot's chair, and C.J. collapsed into the co-pilot's chair beside me.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, sighing deeply. "Thanks, bro. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't freed everyone. Everything just started spinning out of control, and I couldn't do it on my own."
"Since when did you think you had to do it on your own, Andy? Look, I know you have had to do a lot since this all started, but we have all been here, we have all been fighting right along with you. Sure, you seem to find yourself in the toughest fights, but that doesn't mean we aren't fighting just as hard. I mean, c'mon, bro, stop thinking you gotta do all this on your own and let us in."
"Things are about to get worse, C.J., much worse."
"So, just another Tuesday, then?" C.J. chuckled. "Oh, shit! I forgot to tell you I had a fight, on my own, and won that shit!" He held up his arm to show a pretty serious-looking wound.
"Damn," I exlaimed. "I'd hate to see the other guy."
C.J. coughed into his hand, "Girl."
"Girl? You fought a girl?"
"She is a Rerek, so technically bigger than most guys," He clarified defensively. "Bitch was tough, though."
"Well, good job, man. I remember those Rerek soldiers on Alacara, bunch of psychos. One less in the galaxy doesn't hurt my feelings."
"Well…" C.J. groaned.
"Well, what?" I turned my head toward him.
"Well, she isn't dead. She is in one of the cells back there. Tiff gave her some drugs that knocked her out. She was pretty beat up and very loudly proclaiming death to humanity, death to Captain Andrew Dawes."
"Well, she is kind of important. Me and Tiff figured she could be useful in the future."
"Important how, C.J.?"
"Her dad is a grand general or something. Some bigwig with the Rerek military."
I groaned in frustration. "Let me get this straight. After everything we are dealing with currently, you thought it would be a good idea to bring the wrath of the entire Rerek military down on us by kidnapping the daughter of a high-ranking Rerek General? And Tiff agreed?"
"I mean, when you say it like that, it sounds pretty bad." C.J. winced.
"Can we not just catch a tiny break?" I pleaded. " I mean, damn it, bro, we have a fleet of True Havokium psychos bleeding into our Galaxy. The Council has all been assassinated, which I will definitely get credit for. We still have the Lacertine threat on Earth to deal with, and now we are definitely gonna have the Rerek to worry about. To top it all off, I am nowhere near strong enough to deal with Karis or his psychotic rival Koametes."
C.J. melted back into his seat with a sigh. "Yeah, shit is pretty bad right now," he reached over and slapped me on the chest. "Hey, she is honestly kind of hot, though. Surprised the hell out of me after we saw what the males of their species look like."
I laughed, leaning back against my headrest. "Yeah? I never would have guessed that."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I never thought I would have been into red skin and yellow eyes, but if she didn't hate me with every cell in her body, I might try to get her Snapchat or something." C.J joked.
"Do they have Snapchat on their homeworld?" I asked jokingly.
"As uptight as they all are, I bet they still use Facebook," C.J. responded.
We both laughed and sat silently for a few minutes. C.J. got me up to speed on everything that had happened since I left Earth. We couldn't see out the viewport as it had been destroyed when they boarded the ship, but there were plenty of screens indicating our course and ETA to intercept the Bloodhound. Surprisingly, we hadn't experienced any resistance on our trip so far. I assumed the orbital fleet had its hands full with the hundreds of Havokium vessels that were currently pouring into space around Boutelerien. Regardless, I wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.
After a few minutes of silence, I looked over at C.J.. "We gotta get stronger, bro. I don't know how, but we aren't strong enough to fight the battles that are heading our way."
"Whatever it takes, you got me right by your side, don't ever doubt that, Andy." C.J. glanced down at my arm and noticed it was rippling slightly. "Uhh, is that supposed to be happening?"
"Ses? You good?" I asked.
"Who is Ses? Who are you talking to?" C.J. asked.
"It's a long story. I'll catch you up when we get back to the Bloodhound, along with everyone else."
I heard Ses's voice in my head. "The Seed. The Seed will strengthen."
"The seed will strengthen? What does that mean?" I asked.
"Bro, who the fuck are you talking to?" C.J. sat up and looked concerned.
I looked over at C.J. "You have that silver football you picked up in the arena?"
"Yeah, I put it in a compartment up here on the bridge, why?"
"Grab it for me, would you?"
C.J. grabbed the Seed from a compartment behind him and handed it to me. "What is that thing?"
"Part of the long story. Gimme a second." I said. "Okay, Ses, I have the Seed. What now?"
"Make contact. Provide strength to the weak." Ses responded.
I sat the seed in my lap and placed my hands on it. Nothing happened. "Nothing happening here, Ses. You said make contact, am I doing something wrong?"
"Is that like a special football or something? Let me take a look," C.J. reached over and grabbed the seed, when suddenly a pulse of power exploded into him. He slammed back into his seat and sat there motionless, eyes closed, for a few seconds.
"Ses! What the hell was that?" I set the Seed down and stood up to check on C.J.. "C.J.? You okay, buddy?"
C.J.'s eyes shot open, and an excited grin spread across his lips before he jumped up out of his seat.
"Hey, hey, calm down. You just got knocked out. Are you okay?" I asked.
"Okay? I'm better than okay, brother. Way better than okay. I just got my class!"