More Power More Hope- Book Three In The United Series

Chapter 10

John's POV:

The Mog swings his long sword at me and I automatically duck. I try to summon my Lumen, but it doesn't work. That freak has got to stop taking our legacies away.

The Mog kicks my chest and I go tumbling to the ground. He presses his foot against my wrist holding my diamond edged Loric dagger and holds the tip of his sword against my throat.

"Where's Number Two?" He asks me coldly. I know I should be a bit scared, but the only thing I feel is relief. The Mogadorians don't have Max. She must've just gotten lost in the woods.

"I can't help but ask you the same question," I answer him. He digs the tip of his sword deeper into my neck.

"Calm down, Lover Boy, we don't have her. Yet," sneers. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Adam cornered by another Mog, his sword lying on the ground feet away from both of us. I can't move my right hand, the hand holding my only weapon, and Adam and I don't have any of our legacies.

So basically, we're screwed.

Max's POV:

Ivan stares deeply into my eyes and I now just realize that ever since he started helping me, he looked at me the same way Leo does. From when he unlocked my handcuffs for the first time in the Anubis to when he said his last words to me.

"I-Ivan..." I trail off, but I can't find the right words.

"It's alright if you don't feel the same way. I know you have a thing for Number Four," Ivan replies and I feel almost helpless. He sounds so much like Leo.

"Ivan..." I sigh and reach out to hold his hand in mine for reassurance, but Nico stops me.

"If you touch him the connection breaks," Nico informs me and I quickly pull my hand back.

"Max," Ivan calls to me. I look up at him, tears flooding my eyes. I can see tears glistening in his eyes, too, which is honestly surprising. I never thought I'd see the day Ivan cried.

"It's time, Max," Ivan takes a small step back from me, then holds his hand out for me to take.

I shake my head. "I can't," I say. Ivan gives me a small smile.

"Yes you can. Goodbye, Max. Good luck during the war. I wish I were there to help," Ivan replies.

"Goodbye, Ivan," I tell him sadly, then I close my eyes and reach out and grab his hand.

I feel solid skin.

I open my eyes again and Ivan is still there, and he looks just as confused as I do. My hand is still in his. He traces his thumb across the back of my hand, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Uh, Nico?" I call to Nico, who walks right beside me. He looks just as shocked as I feel.

"This has never happened before," he informs us. He looks at Ivan and closes his eyes, looking deep in thought like he's concentrating on something. 

"What is happening exactly?" I ask Nico, who opens his eyes. He looks surprised.

"He's alive," Nico says in disbelief, which takes me aback. Ivan is alive?

I look back at Ivan, who also looks shocked at this news. I reach out and touch his left shoulder, my fingertips trailing downwards and grazing his arm, but he doesn't disappear or sink back into the ground or anything. He's really alive.

My face brightens and so does Ivan's.

I throw myself onto Ivan and hug him tightly. He hugs back and hugs me much tighter than I hug him.

"It must be a new legacy," Ivan tells me. I nod and bury my head into his shoulder.

After a few moments of staying in that position, Ivan leans in closer to my ear.

"Thanks, Garde," he whispers into my ear, which makes my smile widen. It's about time I'm being called 'Garde' by Ivan himself.

"Anytime, Mog," I whisper back and Ivan chuckles.

"You guys are so sappy," Nico says from next to me. Then I remember something else.

I break away from Ivan, turn to Nico, and ask, "Can you summon two people at a time?"

Nico shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess."

"Good," I reply.

"Do you remember those other two guys? Nine and Five?"

John's POV:

I'm still being held down by the Mog when my right ankle sears with pain. At first I think it's a new scar burning  into my flesh and that another one of the Garde are dead, most likely Max. But this isn't a new scar. Or, this doesn't feel like a new scar. This feels cold and icy, the complete opposite of a new scar searing into my flesh.

It's the same feeling I had when Max, One, and Three were resurrected.

A few minutes later, after the Mogs have discussed something important in the Mogadorian language, the Mogadorian holding me down lifts his sword to finish me off. Before he can stab me in the chest, the sound of a bullet echoes through the quiet woods.

I'm shocked to see the Mog holding me down turn to a pile of ash on top of me. I spit ash out of my mouth and turn to face the Mog who cornered Adam. He looks shocked at first then charges at me with his sword, so I jump to my feet, kick his chest, and stab his stomach. He disintegrates into a pile of ash on the ground.

Adam grabs his sword from the ground then turns to me. "Thanks, but...where'd that bullet come from?" Adam asks, which is the same thing I'm been wondering.

"Good to see you again, Johnny."

I turn towards the all-to familiar voice and he's just standing there with a pistol in his hand and that crazy, wild smirk plastered on his face.

Nine.

"Nine!" I exclaim, shocked. I can't help myself as a grin spreads across my face.

Then another figure appears next to Nine- Five.

He looks guiltily at me, but the person who appears after Five finally wipes the grin off my face. Adam scowls at him.

Ivanick.

I take a step forward, clutching my dagger tightly. I reach into my pocket and grab my red oval bracelet then snap it onto my wrist, sending pins and needles up my arm. The bracelet starts violently vibrating since there are two Mogadorians near me.

I glare at Ivan then charge. He seems surprised at my sudden actions and doesn't move as I attempt to bring my dagger down on him, but I stop when a voice calls out to me.

"John, stop!" A female voice cries out.

I whip my head in the direction the voice came from and surprise and relief flood through me. It's Max.

I forget about Ivan and rush over to Max. I hug her tightly and she hugs me back. When I break apart from her, I point to Ivan, Nine, and Five.

"How did that happen?" I ask her. She looks a bit confused, too.

"I think I resurrected them."

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