As the story continues, Alissia begins to see the downsides to her power while her group seeks the final two Primordials and builds an alliance with the Watchers to counter Avarice's forces. Meanwhile, Tymon and Za'Fia focus their efforts on persona...
Tymon and Za'Fia watched the explosion from a safe, distant location on the island. The bomb was more powerful than he thought it would be – judging from the explosion, it had to be nuclear level. The massive ball of fire following the blast had obliterated the entire base and created a mushroom-shaped cloud of black smoke that began to spread outward at an alarming speed.
"Whoa," Za'Fia expressed.
"Come on," Tymon said as he shadow-traveled himself and Za'Fia back to the cave. When they emerged, Za'Fia turned to look at him in disbelief.
"The way you talked through that man earlier, how'd you do that?"
Tymon pulled out the map and scratched off bases M and D before scanning for the next location.
"I figured out I could reanimate dead animals accidentally a couple of years ago. Figured I'd try with a person this time. My energy's too potent for the bodies, so it doesn't last long enough to be useful, though."
"What if you tried doing it to someone more powerful – more durable? Or spread that shared energy into multiple parts instead of putting it all in one." Za'Fia suggested.
Tymon silently looked up from the map and contemplated this.
"I guess either of those would help make the power more practical. I should be able to test it out soon enough. But for now, let's figure out our next move while they're preoccupied."
* * * *
Avarice kicked open the door to his lab in the Chihuahuan Desert as he rushed in, carrying Junichiro's limp body, causing Kaila and Claeg to leap from their seats, alert. Trevor, Wren, and Verin flew in behind him as he placed Junichiro into one of the augmentation tanks. Though the properties of the solution inside change the human body, it also had healing properties that would take effect before the changing process began. Those already altered by it could sit inside it for as long as necessary to recover until they regain consciousness.
"What the hell happened?" Kaila asked as she walked closer to the tank to get a closer look.
"We were caught in a trap," Trevor paced anxiously. "There was a bomb. My bomb. A-And J used his spirit energy to give me extra protection, but that left him with none. Pops would have made it in time, but a suppression field caught him off guard while he was focused on trying to reach us, so J ended up getting caught in the explosion."
"Verin protected me..." Wren added with a worried expression as she looked at Junichiro.
"A bomb did this?! We're supposed to be invulnerable! What bomb can put us in that state?!" Claeg waved, motioning at Junichiro.
"It wasn't a normal bomb," Verin stated while checking on the charts for Junichiro's vitals. "It was one of the bombs Trevor and I built that could be charged with spirit energy. Tymon found it and used it against us."
"He shouldn't be this powerful. Doesn't it seem like he's gotten stronger?" Wren voiced her concern, looking at Junichiro's condition.
"Junichiro is strong; he'll be fine in a day or so," Avarice reassured them. He turned and focused his attention on Wren and Trevor. "Even by your standards, he's highly resilient. Had it been either of you two, you would've died from that explosion. Not to mention how lucky we are that he couldn't apply Last Breath to the energy he fed the bomb."
"He must've known he'd have a better chance at surviving than me," Trevor said, clearly disappointed in his strength.
Before Avarice could say anything, he received more red alerts from one of the remaining bases. When he pulled up the holo-screen, he saw it was base N in southern Texas this time. A visible vein of vexation bulged on Avarice's forehead. His patience for these antics was gone. Avarice didn't want to fight yet. Not before his plan began, but Tymon was gaining too much momentum.
He looked at Verin.
"Another one," she grumbled. "Kaila."
"Right..." Kaila responded as she headed toward the exit.
"If they're still there, alert us. Regardless, you'll need to destroy the base when you get there."
Before Kaila could leave, Avarice added another order.
"Claeg, you'll be going to Base A in the Pacific. Tymon's likely saving base T for last. If no one has arrived by the time you get there, you're to alert us and wait there. Since you can't fly, you'll have to swim there and use the water columns to reach the island. Conceal your spirit energy as much as possible until you see one of the Primordials."
"I won't fail this time," Claeg assured them before leaving.
"And both of you: should you come across Za'Fia, kill her. Make that your top priority after destroying the bases, but do not fight Tymon. If he's there, signal us and escape. The other Primordials aren't on the move, so you shouldn't have to worry about them, but you don't want to be outnumbered in case they surprise you."
Both siblings grinned with pleasure before they sped off.
"Won't that piss Tymon off?" Trevor asked after they were gone.
"That's the idea. He'll go into a blind rage and lose his edge," Avarice calculated as he and Verin prepared to leave. "None of you will bother with Tymon anymore. Leave him to me."
"Wait, where are you going?" Wren asked them.
"We have to appear to address the problems that'll pop up due to Tymon's stunts." He replied as they began to levitate outside the lab door. "Tymon's resorting to these tactics because he knows he can't win a direct fight against all of you. If you stick together, you'll be fine. Just don't go off by yourselves until we return. If we sense something off, we'll come rushing back. Until then, remain with Junichiro."
With that, he and Verin sped off. He knew how much of an opportunist Tymon was, but TekTra was necessary for his plans. He just hoped he could finish things before Tymon did anything else.
-----
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Fun fact: At Avarice's behest, Trevor and Verin used their mechanical and biochemical engineering ingenuity to create a bomb that can be charged with one's spirit energy before being sparked with a chemical reaction that would cause a massive, nuclear-level explosion. Depending on the potency of the spirit energy used, even beings such as the Primordials could be wiped out with it...
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