Heroes & Roses (X-ray and Vav)

Chapter 20: The Palace

It was still dark outside whenever we were up and about, planning out the fine details of our plan quickly. Despite being unusually tired do to the inconsistent sleep I had gotten last night, I was alert and ready for the mission. We all piled into the invisi-car (I like to say the swag mobile) as Kerry slipped into the passenger seat as Geoff drove. Michael sat on the left side in the backseat as Gavin sat in the middle, and me obviously to the right. Geoff tried to distract us with idle conversation about videogames and such, but we weren't paying much attention, or at least I wasn't. The way to the palace was bleak and full of grays from the emotion plastered permanently on pedestrians' faces and the lack of color that lined the streets. It seemed like years that I was one of them; like years since I got nearly beaten to death in an alley. Then, no one would have noticed if I were to die. Now at least I felt secure on saying I would get a funeral and some tears.

We parked a few blocks away from the entrance of the Palace, but immediately I could tell tensions and security were high. I could just see around the building to see a steel wall, or at least I believed it was steel, guarded by multiple Knights, motion activated cameras, and flood lights, however what laid beyond that was incredible. There was a tower, or rather 'Palace', taller then any building I've seen in Texas. It resembled a skyscraper rather then a castle, but the title was fitting. The King's specialized 'red steel' went up both sides of the building, with glass running up the middle. Extravagant placements of gold were placed frivolously around the windows and went up the walls surrounding the red steel and making miraculous patterns or swirls and designs upon the already bright-red metal.

I soon snap back to reality whenever Michael hits me in the arm. I let out a small 'Ouch' and asked why he hit me.

"We're moving out, dumbass! Get into position!" I look over at the others who were already displaying confidence and stone-faces that normally wouldn't belong to them. I quickly rush over and take my position in the back of the pack; taking pride in the way my cape sounds as it flaps behind me in the light breeze under the bag I carried on my back with all the equipment.

"Ready?" Kerry asks, or rather Dragonface, as I would call him for the rest of the mission. It was an odd name but somehow fitting. No one answered but he wasn't really looking for one.

Everything became very quiet for a moment, until he began. Kerry stood in the middle of our formation, and began concentrating, on what, I may never know, but whatever it was, it caused us all to change. I hear a small gasp from Gavin as he looks down at his red boots, which now appeared to be changing into black work shoes, all of ours were. Starting from the bottom, our entire apparel began to change. First the black shoes and black work pants replaced my form-fit green tights. My cape and the bag disappeared, but it felt as if they still were on my back. Soon everything had disappeared. I was wearing a full suit, minus the black coat that I would usually would, and my left sleeve was pre-rolled up to reveal the tattoo of a cow on my forearm. The only one wearing a black coat was Kerry, who stood in the middle of us to seem like the more important of the Knights we now resembled, however his left sleeve was rolled up too. Although I couldn't feel it, I knew I was wearing a cow mask where my Heat Vision glasses once were -or I guess still are- since the others, besides Kerry, were too. Kerry no longer looked like himself however; he was taller now with dark eyes and dark brown hair with very plain facial features; a face that wouldn't be easily remembered. This was strange. I wasn't sure if it was because I was being cloaked as something I hated, or because I never realized how powerful Kerry was, because this is incredible. It seemed so real despite the fact that it was an illusion.

Without realizing, we were already moving toward the compound we we're trying to break into. The Knights stopped us, as expected, at the gate into the palace with cool tones.

"What are you doing? You should know that no one enters the Palace earlier then seven AM," Explained one of the Knights who armed an Gold sword in hand and no mask. The other Knights had iron swords or a standard pick-axe and wore a standard mask; he was the leader. He had long, dark black hair and a light physique.

"We have gathered vital information on the whereabouts of the Achievement Hunters," Answered Geoff. His voice sounded deeper, and not as light-hearted as usual. I wondered if Kerry was masking his real voice. The Knight looked impressed. He leaned against his sword which remained planted in the gravel. Golden swords were strong, but easily wearable, causing them to break easily under the right circumstances, such as extreme pressure or sudden impact with an extremely strong unexpected force.

"So where are they? In the sewer where they belong?" The Knight asked in a light tone. Even though I couldn't see Geoff's face, I could tell that he was uneasy.

"The King directed that speak only to him," Michael answered for him. Kerry looked straight ahead, trying to look like someone importaint enough for entry to the massive building, but he also looked like he was trying to avoid the Knights' stare. The Knights' face becomes hard and his spikey black hair almost seems to droop with his mood change.

"Let me see your arms," The Knight stated. We all hold out our left ams and he looks over our marks; which he approves. A lower-level Knight guides us foward, directing us to stare forward.

"Sorry guys, this is new," the lower Knight begins. It sounded like a female voice, and I could just barely see short blond hair stick out from behind the Knights' mask. She would sound almost nice if it weren't for the slight muffiling her mask caused.

"A telepathy screening. It's easy, one of our telepath's will come and scan you guys over, individually, then you guys can go," She explained. This is the point where I question if Geoff will be able to get close enough to absorb the telepath's powers. Kerry wasn't a telepath, but his power of illusion was considered a type of lower-level telepathy since it alter's people's mindset, and could therefore be detected. We hadn't been expecting this, since like the Knight said, it was new. I look over to see a shorter Knight come towards us. Thank Christ he started at the front of our group where Geoff was, and due to Geoff's powers, he gives off no sigh of powers of any kind since he technecally has no powers until he takes them. Just as the Knight begins to move on to Gavin -who would give off a low-level telepathic signal since he has powers that are being covered by kerry's illusion-, Geoff grabs the Knights arm.

The Knights begin slowly picking up their weapons, getting ready to fight. Geoff lets go of the Knight, and I see a shiver run up the Knights spine, and I knew that Geoff had completed his task. He can absorb people's powers immediantly if he touches them rather then slowly absorbing them if he isn't.

"I was just wondering what the time was," He says in a cool tone, "We have to pick up a pink pen later," The Knights put their weapons down, but also backed away slowly. What the fuck would he need a pink pen for? Whatever it was for, the Knights seemed to want no part of it. The telepath quickly looked everyone else over, looking a bit conused, but nodded for us to be let in. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in and move forward with the rest of the group and through the steel doors, which were manually controlled by the head Knight at a control table. I let out a shallow smile; This was it. We got in, and now it's showtime. This is where it gets tricky.

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Hey guys! Sorry about the wait, I've been busy :/ anywho, here it is! Chapter 20! Woot! haha, as always, leave comments and improvements, and thank you all for reading!

**Chapter 21: Edgar, Coming soon!!**