Chapter 11: The Drone Hive

Cole sneaks out of the NGP base. He goes in search of black crystals quickly learning more about his power. He encounters the drone hive forced to take them all out. He gathers black crystals then brings them back to the NGP. Cole is labeled a success, given a rank, a woman, and residency in the NGP base.

Cole sits in the chair eyeing down his bread and water. His mind is full trying to process the day. He begins with the bread. It's stale giving him no satisfaction. He drinks the water to wash it down. For every bite of bread he has to take a sip of water just to get it down. Cole’s jaw is fatigued after a few minutes of this. He lays down on the bed even though there is no way he could sleep. He stands up pulling on the light string. With the light off, the moon peers through his window. Cole looks out at the sky noticing the atmosphere is crystal clear, allowing millions of stars to light up the sky. It’s striking, brighter than he’s ever seen.

The KillShot must have ripped off the atmosphere. I can see the whole galaxy. Such a strange glow. I can’t believe the sky is so bright! That damned moon is too bright! How could anyone sleep with this?

He tosses and turns in bed. Sleep is not possible with the bed spring poking him. A flash of a shadow sweeps through the room. Cole turns his head to see what’s at the window. Nothing.

I must be imagining things. I just need to get some sleep. I shouldn’t have drunk all that water, now I have to pee.

Avoiding the bed spring he slowly rolls out of the bed. He quietly opens his door checking the vicinity. With the coast clear he heads to the outhouse. Inside he thinks to himself, It’s so dark in here. Anything could be happening outside and I wouldn’t even know it.

He finishes then heads back to his shed. A person concealed by the night is sneaking into his room! Cole sticks to the shadows to observe. The intruder is only in the shed for a moment. When they exit the bright sky shines revealing them. It’s Toxic. The only person who could possibly be wearing a yellow biohazard suit. He’s holding the pair of black combat boots from Cole’s room. He looks around for a moment making sure no one saw him, then leaves with the spoils.

Cole thinks to himself, I can’t sleep here tonight. The bed will scratch me to death, and who knows who else will try to rob me if I do fall asleep...

His thoughts drift to his encounter with Death.

If getting some crystals will put me on Death’s good side then maybe nobody will mess with me around here. Good thing I know where to get some. I hope it's still there.

Concluding that sitting around will not do him any good, Cole decides to head back to where he first met the band. Hopefully there is a remainder of crystals leftover from his previous battle with the drones. Maybe, just maybe, completing Death’s mission will get him some street cred.

If I head to the entrance now the guards will probably stop me. The last thing I want to do now is have an encounter with ogres.

Cole heads to the fence line. He envisions back when he was running from the drones. The feeling of how his feet felt when he was at full speed. He imagines air particles condensing under his feet. Once the feeling is right he takes a running leap of faith towards the fence. He lunges over it effortlessly. The height reached takes him by surprise making his landing awful. He rolls his ankle, consequently falling flat on his face. He bites his hand trying to not make any noise.

I was able to jump over the fence on command! I think I’m starting to get the hang of this. I just have to visualize it!

For a few minutes he nurses his ankle, then sets off. He makes his way back up the path that lead him to the NGP base. Just retracing the way he came should be easy, but he finds it’s not. The darkness brought on by the forest is thick. The thick canopy shields him from the bright night. Yet in contrast, deeper in, the forest is different. It has grown a personality of its own. It's alive, moving, and most importantly glowing. Various plants and insects have evolved to emit bioluminescent colors. Many of the grasses appear to be made more out of electronic LEDs rather than something organic. Their strobing designs have a mesmerizing effect that makes it hard for Cole to navigate.

He trudges forward through the bioluminescent curiosities. He thinks he’s on the path he is supposed to be on, although too disorienting to tell. The realization that he might be getting lost sinks in. He has an idea to make a fire instantly shooting it down by the fact it will attract something. Pushing through the vegetation is becoming tiresome. The constant fear that the next branch might try to attack him slows his speed to a crawl. On top of that the feeling that he is being followed has been lingering for minutes. With sweat beading on his face Cole decides to take a break at the base of a large tree.

I need to get a grip. I can do this. I just need to focus.

He sits with his legs crossed, now ready to think. Holding his hands like a bowl he envisions a swirling ball of air.

How would that feel?

Soon a slow breeze cools the air around him. It gently licks the sweat on his skin. The cooling air starts to become uncomfortably cold. As soon as Cole realizes this the breeze stops. A new found hope energizes his core. He picks up a leaf from the ground just staring at it.

Now I just need to focus again. Just like how I jumped over the fence. If I can jump over the fence on command then why can’t I make more wind blades too?

With his thoughts focused, he closes his eyes imagining what a blade feels like. The sharp edge of a razor blade. The splitting effect on whatever it touches. A blade so small that it’s able to separate tiny particles, leaf particles. He slides his finger gently up and down the leaf. It shivers in reaction but no cut. After several attempts, still no luck. Discouraged yet still full of vigor, he closes his eyes to focus again.

What am I missing? I’m visualizing it just like I did when I jumped over the fence. Cutting a leaf should be a simple task… When using a blade it can’t cut anything without force. How do I put more force into something that I still don’t know how to control? Intent? Can it really be that simple? Just, willpower?

Cole motions with his finger one last time. A very tangible presence makes itself known to him. Even with his eyes closed, it’s as if he can see the air concentrating into a small blade. He can feel it as an extension of himself. He wills it through the leaf. He craves seeing the leaf split. He knows even before opening his eyes that he succeeded. It felt natural to him. He opens his eyes to see his fingers holding onto the stem of half a leaf. An overwhelming smile comes over his face. He stands up looking at the path before him. It's still covered in thick glowing vegetation that he doesn’t dare touch.

He slowly lifts his right hand before calling, “Now!”

He throws his hand down with a karate chop. A rush of air slices through the path ten feet in front of him. The vines and any vegetation cleanly removed out of the way. The bushes rumble from small critters scattering. Admiring his handiwork, he pushes forward through the jungle. Each time he reaches a point where the path might be too difficult he just releases another wind blade.

I think I could get used to this!

Having fun with this new found ability he slices everything in sight. He runs through the forest untouched. Utilizing his newfound incredible speed he abruptly stumbles into an open area where the path opens up. The sky now visible, he stops for a moment in awe of the combination of the glowing forest, moon, and galaxy.

He soaks in his surroundings still not exactly sure where he is. This land at night just looks different. A few hundred yards away the silhouette of buildings crest the moon filled sky.

This is it. I have to be getting close to where the drones are now.

Walking quietly down the road he keeps his ears open for any movement. He approaches the town cautiously. He has a fleeting memory of when he pierced the drone causing black crystals to fall out onto the ground. He follows the memory to where the drone was slain. Finally he finds it dead on the ground. A rotting corpse split from the torso up through its head. Cole pulls his shirt up over his nose to cover up the extra horrid stench. He bends over examining the body.

Yep it's for sure dead.

His focus turns to where the crystals fell. He feels around the body on his hands and knees. The blackness of the rocks mask their location. Every time he thinks he finds a crystal it turns out just to be a regular old rock. He gathers handfuls of dirt holding it up to the moonlight filled sky. Once held up into the light, they shimmer revealing their presence. Meticulously he sifts through the dirt until he has gathered a dozen small black crystals. He puts the crystals in his pants pocket.

Is this enough to please Death? Hmmm maybe I should gather more before I head back.

He navigates to another felled drone. This one missing its head, but not cut in the torso.

I’m going to have to open it up.

He shoots a powerful wind blade completely slicing the body in half. Black blood splashes all over Cole.

Uuhhhgg! Maybe with a little less power next time.

He collects a couple small handfuls of crystals, again placing them in his pockets. Again he moves to the next body. This time his wind blade technique cleanly slices the stomach open with a surgeon's touch. He reaches in with his hand pulling out another handful of crystals. It’s much easier to gather the crystals this way rather than combing through the dirt. His hands are covered in black muck. He tries to stuff his pockets but they are becoming uncomfortably full. Instead he decides to make a pile. He continues to move to all the felled bodies collecting their crystals and adding them to the pile.

There is no way I’m going to be able to carry all these crystals back in my pants pockets. There has to be something for me to use in the buildings. If I just don't make any sound then I should be able to go undetected.

After some thought he decides to head into the ghost town to search for a bag. No movement. No sign of any dones anywhere.

Maybe this is my lucky day?

He enters into the nearest building undetected. It's what's left of an old gas station. Everything has already been scavenged except for a large variety of peculiar wood carvings. Carvings of bears, eagles, and anything else you could think of. Each of them ranging in different sizes and techniques. Cole picks up a small bear statue looking at it. On the bottom a note reads ‘Fair trade’.

This is odd.

Besides these randomly placed carvings the entire store is empty shelves. Cole goes behind the counter. On the floor he finds a briefcase.

“This will do.” he says aloud to himself.

Pops of cracking joints sound from behind him. A shelf rack falls with a loud clanking sound. Without looking Cole jumps forward over the counter. He turns to see two drones with their eyes glowing white in the center. Their faces are void of emotion, but their mouths are hissing. They climb over the counter grabbing at Cole. He darts out of the building without a second glance. The drones clear the doorway allowing Cole to use his newly mastered slashing motion to take them out. Horizontally they are split clean through. One dead on impact, the other determined to charge forward despite being cut in half. It claws forward using only its arms. Cole wastes no time putting it out of its misery by slicing off its head. The white glow in its eyes fades as it loses consciousness. Despite taking out the two drones so quickly, five more charge forward from Cole’s surroundings. He dispatches with them just as quickly with two well placed wind blades. Again, before he realizes he is surrounded by thirty more drones.

“They are coming out of nowhere! How did this happen!?”

Cole fights back with his wind blades, but the hoard keeps growing exponentially. Panic overtakes him, with it Cole’s peripheral vision fades. He is back in his dream world. It's different this time though. Everything is blurred. No, not blurred, he’s spinning. He’s spinning at such an incredible speed that everything appears to be blurred.

“Good now release it!” calls out his teacher.

Cole releases one big wind blade in three sixty. All the drones within ten feet fall to the ground with their heads decapitated. He comes to, enthralled with his new ability. He looks down to see he is levitating a few inches off the ground, his toes pointing towards the ground.

Cole yells out, “Haha! Take that!”, then falls to his knees losing concentration.

The remaining drones trip over the bodies of their comrades. They flail as they claw their way towards Cole.

A spin blade attack would not be effective now.

Twenty more drones add to the hoard.

I can do this. I just have to do the concussion attack and focus the pressure.

Without being worried that he could hurt someone he intensifies the pressure. The enemies in the area screech a horrible sound. The drone assault stops as they clasp their heads writhing in agony. Cole stands up yelling, lifting his hands in the air. The concussion released is so powerful that the immediate drones rip to pieces. Limbs go flying in all directions. Everything else is knocked to the ground. With the remaining drones still dazed Cole turns to a more offensive attack. Again he builds the pressure under his feet, then lunges forward. The added pressure pushes his body to tremendous speeds. He pounces to the drones slicing off their heads as he flies past them. Within a moment every attacker had been slain. Cole collapses hunched over, panting and fatigued.

So this power can take a toll on me.

He catches his breath, kicks a drone, then starts yelling. His voice echoing for miles.

“Yaaa! Yo, you don’t wanna mess with me! I’m the boss around here yo! I have super powers you got nothin on me! Who else wants some of this?!”

Silence...

“Ya that’s what I thought.”

He continues with his task of slicing open the drones and pulling out crystals. Periodically he mutters words like, “I showed you.” or “Who’s da boss around here?” and “That's right I am. Don’t even think about messing with me.”

After hours he finally finishes this daunting task. His body covered in black blood grosses him out. A large pile of crystals lay in the center of town. At least three briefcases full. There is no way he can take back all of them in one trip. He decides he’s going to have to come back to get the rest of it. With the briefcase filled he sets back for the New Generation Pirates base. Daylight is starting to emerge from behind the mountains.

Man this is going to be a long day.

He heads back through the path he cut in the forest. Still dark in the brush, he splashes into a small stream after slipping in mud. Cole can’t help but break into laughter. Relief coming to him now that he is able to wash the black soaking his body. The steady sound of the stream is comforting. He opens the briefcase, slowly submerging it in the water. Meticulously he washes the stones until they shine. They give off a strange energy that he is unfamiliar with. Perhaps even a foreboding feeling. Finally small beams of light make their way through the leaves. He sits just letting the sound roll over him. This is the first time he’s felt some comfort since he arrived in this crazy place. Suddenly a strange sound pierces the silence.

“Waahhh!”

“What is that?”, Cole asks himself. Again the sound.

“Waaaaa!”

“What in the world? Is that a baby crying?”

He follows the sound through the forest. The closer he gets the more he thinks it's a poor lost baby crying.

It definitely sounds like a baby crying, but why would it be out here in the forest? This doesn’t make any sense.

He comes into a clearing where the light is able to fully illuminate the area. A large rock sits in the middle. On the rock a small baby lies bundled in some sort of cloth. Cole looks around but there’s nobody in sight.

He calls out, “Hellooo!”

The baby just cries harder. He picks up the baby to comfort it, but what he finds is something else entirely. In his hands is actually just some assorted fruit bundled up in a dirty rag.

“What? What’s going on? Where’s the baby? I know I heard it crying.”

He sets the fruit down back on the rock. A large crow jumps out from behind the rock. It caws at him with the very sound he was looking for.

Cole speaks to the bird, “Oh it was just you I was looking for. That’s a strange caw you have there.”

The bird caws again but much louder this time. Another crow descends from the trees. It lands next to the other bird on the rock. It stares at Cole tilting its head sideways as if it was trying to figure him out.

“And now you have another friend. Well no worries, you guys can have the fruit.”

Cole turns to leave, then both the birds start squawking ferociously. Many return calls answer from the trees. He looks up to see the branches littered with crows.

Dozens of crows fly in, joining them in their calls. The large crow on the rock makes a loud commanding call. All the birds go quiet in response. The rest of the perched birds take flight. They dive pecking at Cole’s eyes. He swipes his arms back and forth trying to fight them off. They are relentless, pecking anything they can. They peck at his hands and arms, blood flowing from their bites. Cole counters by releasing a barrage of wind blades. Their agile maneuverability makes them a tough target.

Cole tries to use his concussion attack, but the quick attacks don’t give him time to concentrate. With his arms flailing he takes off running through the forest. As if things couldn’t get any worse a powerful howl reverberates through the forest. The crows immediately disperse in fear. Cole continues running for thirty seconds before realizing the onslaught from the crows stopped. He stops, looking up, now just a few birds remain in sight.

This can’t be anything good.

Another boisterous howl.

“I see. Something bigger and stronger is on its way!”

His stomach becomes uneasy remembering that howl all too well. It belonged to the large purple haired wolf. More howls ring through the forest from the pack. The calls become closer and more frequent as they dial in. He doesn’t dare stick around to find out what they are capable of. He sprints back to the base with pure speed. He stumbles onto the original path to the base. With adrenaline pumping he sprints with all his power. In moments he arrives at the NGP gates. He pauses for a second staring at the gate in shock.

I’m here already?!

Cole looks back at the path. Sure enough he traveled the long distance that Rush ran when he was showing off his power.

I must have been moving as fast as Rush!

He watches in case the wolves decide to leave the forest, though nothing emerges. They must know not to leave the forest. Cole rattles the gates causing a sleeping ogre to fall off his chair.

“Huh? What who's there?”

“It's me Cole, the new guy. Let me in or the wolves will get me!”

“What? When did they let you out?”

“Come on man I don’t have time for this. Let me in!”

Another ogre approaches. He speaks, “Well if it isn’t the little spy! What are you doing outside of the gates so early?! The sun just came out. Who let you out?”

Cole doesn’t speak but instead aims the briefcase towards the gate. The ogres stand back wearily.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Hey what is that?”

Cole opens the briefcase exposing the black crystals. The ogres let out an audible gasp.

“Where did you get that many crystals?! Did you steal them?”

Cole replies without emotion, “Are you going to let me in?”

“There’s something fishy going on here. You just showed up yesterday and now here you sit outside the gates with a briefcase full of crystals! Not just that but black crystals!”

“Yes, and they are for Master Death. Am I going to have to explain to him why you wouldn’t let me give him these crystals?”

The ogre speaking stumbles as if he was hit by a physical blow. He motions to his partner then says, “Send word for Lord Death. I’m sure he wants to have a word with this charming young man.”

The ogre nods then charges off with his feet drumming the ground loudly. The guard continues, “I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into, tough guy. Don’t come in here all hot and mighty like you own the place.” He slides the gate open for Cole slowly.

“Let me give you some advice. A friend never made may never remember you, but an enemy will surely never forget you.”

Cole passes through the gate flipping a crystal to the ogre like a coin. From the expression of the ogre this seemed to do the trick. Cole walks into the foyer where a crowd of Ultras have gathered. Many of them awoken from the commotion. They stand in silence forming a semicircle as Cole approaches. He stops in the middle staring them down. He looks back and forth at the crowd. Finally he spies a hand painted sign dangling above with the word ‘Shop’ over a small shack. Cole walks through the crowd to the owner preparing for the day. He is a strange looking human wearing a metallic suit. Only his face can only be seen through the glass of the helmet. The rest is covered by thick armor.

Cole asks him, “Are you human?”

“Naw I’m just allergic to radiation. I’m wearing this suit aren't I? Don’t ask stupid questions.”

“Uh sorry, do you work here?”

“What did I just say? Yes, I'm the owner of this shop. Now I don’t want any trouble. You draw too much attention to yourself.”

“No, I won’t cause you any trouble. I just want two hefty bags.”

“Yea I got what you're looking for.”

The man reaches behind the counter and pulls out two canvas bags.

“I handmade these myself. They are durable enough to be reused.”

Cole exclaims, “Yes those will work!”

“Now hold on a minute here.” says the trader while holding the bags behind him. “These bags ain’t free. You just got here. What could you possibly offer as trade?”

“Well I had a pair of boots, but they got stolen out of my room last night...”

“Hehe, sounds like you are just a greenie, but that ain’t my problem. Nothing to trade, no bags!”

“Hold on a second. I brought some black crystals for Death. I bet he would be happy if you gave him some. How many crystals would you need for two bags?”

“Hmm, yes black crystals are acceptable currency. These are really nice bags you see. Handcrafted! I could only part with them for five crystals... A piece.”

“Alright then ten crystals.”

Cole puts the briefcase on the counter. He opens the locks allowing the trader to see its contents. The trader gasps then whispers in a fury, “Hurry up and close that you fool!”

Cole quickly counts ten crystals, setting them on the counter. The trader continues, “You want to get yourself killed? No, me killed! You can’t go walking around with that. All sales are final!”

He quickly scoops up the crystals and hands Cole the bags.

“Haha! I can’t believe you had ten crystals! I should have asked for more!”

The crowd behind Cole starts in an outrage. Though he can only make out a few voices.

“He’s ripping you off!”

“He should be ashamed of himself!”

“Ten black crystals for two empty bags?! But they are empty!”

Cole is coming to the realization that he just hit the mother lode. Not only that, but he knows where to get more! He remains calm and plays stupid. He asks the man standing next to him, “Huh? Is ten too much?”

“Are you kidding me?! Ten black crystals for two empty bags! I mean ten crystals of any color are too much for that. You’ve been had kid.”

“What could that have gotten me?

“Oh you could probably get a nice room in the base for weeks, or anything you wanted really. There’s no way anyone around here would have paid that much.”

Blazer just now showing up to the party punches Cole dead on the arm.

“Oouch!”

“You dummy what are you doing?”

“Why did you hit me?”

“Eh come on that wasn’t a full punch. Besides, you're causing a ruckus! What the hell is going on?”

“Listen. I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?”

“Ah dude what did you get yourself into already?!”

“Come on, let's just get out of this area.”

Cole leads Blazer to his shack. Cole closes the door then runs to the window.

“It doesn’t look like anyone followed us.”

He opens the briefcase for Blazer to see.

“Holy shit! Where the hell did you find this!?”

“Shhhhh! Keep your voice down. I’m guessing that these gems are pretty valuable, but I don’t know why.”

“That’s because they have the ability to give power.”

“Give power?”

“Power is everything in this world. Without it you will die. It’s kinda complicated, so first tell me where the hell you got these!”

“Can I trust you?”

“Dude if you can’t trust me then I don’t know who you can trust.”

“Alright… So last night I wasn’t able to sleep. I went to the bathroom. When I was heading back someone snuck into my room and stole my boots.”

“What are you going to recount your whole night? Just hurry it up will ya! Where did you get this?!”

“I freaked out. I remembered Death asked me to prove myself and get him some black gems.”

“Really? Nobody goes out on their first night. You haven’t even figured out your power yet! What the hell were you thinking!?”

“I thought if I got some sooner than later then I might not get pushed around so easily. I went out alone just like he asked me.”

“And?”

Cole begins speaking very quickly as he remembers the night, “I went back to the town where you guys found me. I ran into some trouble. I thought if I was quiet then I would be fine. Boy was I wrong! I stumbled onto some drones, which alerted the others. Before I knew it I was surrounded by wave after wave of drones! The only thing I could find was this briefcase so this is all I could bring back.”

“Wait what?”

“Then on the way back I heard this baby crying. I went to find it, but it was a trick! I think I was tricked by a bunch of crows! I mean they made the sound and everything. They were way more intelligent than normal crows. I’m telling you man, they had a plan! It was a trap! They attacked me so I ran. Then they were gone because the wolves scared them away. I ran as fast as I could and must have outrun them. So long story short I’m completely sleep deprived, I got my bags, and I need to go back and get the rest before somebody else gets them.”

“Dude... So much of what you just said made no sense. No wait, what?! You’re going back?!”

“Well ya I need to get the rest right? I mean aren’t they valuable?”

“The rest?! You have so many already! How many drones did you take out?!”

“I’m not sure… All of them? I didn’t know where else to go. Like I said I went back to the town. Then they all attacked at the same time. They got out of control! Then the crows were crying like babies. After that I ran back to the base, ditching the wolves.”

“Ditching the wolves…? No wait back step. You took out the horde!? No way you took out the whole horde. We were planning a mission to take them all out. There’s no way you took them all out by yourself.”

“I’m not sure about a horde. All I know is that all the drones in that area came after me. By the time I was done nothing else was around.”

“Nah I don’t believe it. I’m going to get the rest of the crew. We’re going to take a little trip and see exactly what you’re talking about.”

Blazer leaves Cole to himself. At this point Cole’s adrenaline charge is tapering off. All the night’s strange happenings are taking its toll. The bed calls his name. Never mind the bed spring sticking up. He lays just for a moment to rest his eyes. Already in a dream state, once again the soft female voice speaks to him.

“Cole... Cole... Wake up Cole. It's time…”

Cole slowly awakes to Blazer nudging him. Cole whispers, “Oh, it was all just a dream. Such a nice feeling. I was having the craziest dream.”

“I bet you were!” says Blazer bursting into laughter.

Cole’s eyes spring open. Blazer’s smiling face is just a little too close allowing for his goatee to tickle his chin.

“Ahhhh!”

Cole’s involuntary convulsions cause him to fall out of bed. Laughter fills the room. Cole quickly jumps to his feet. To his surprise the band had already gathered in his room. The same five men that brought him here.

Cole questions, “How long was I out?”

Still trying to contain his laughter Blazer replies, “Only about fifteen minutes. Ready to go?”

“Really?! I’m so tired! Ya let's go. Hold on, I'm taking this with me.”

Cole grabs his briefcase and two bags from under the bed. Thunder questions him in his low voice, “Why are you bringing that stuff?”

Holding it close to him Cole glances at Toxic, then replies, “I don’t dare leave it here. It definitely would get stolen.”

Blazer interjects while walking out the door, “I’ll explain on the way.”

News has quickly spread about the commotion around this newcomer. The whole encampment stands gathered outside. They watch the group of men pass them by. An Ultra resident calls out, “Hey what's going on?”

“Don’t worry we will get this sorted out soon enough.” replies Blazer.

The men approach the main gates. A large ogre guard nods while pulling the chain to open the gate.

“Will you be gone long Blazer?” questions the ogre guard.

“Nah, we should be back within a few hours. We just have to check something out.”

“Watch out for that one. He’s up to something.” replies the ogre pointing to Cole with his long fingernail.

A few minutes later Cole feels the group is far enough away from the base. He questions Blazer, “Hey when we get the rest, should we stash some of it? You know insurance for later?”

“No way! That would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. Too many people know about the crystals now. The best thing to do at this point is to give Death all of them. If he found out you were hiding any, and believe me he would, he would probably punish you.”

Kid, eavesdropping questions, “What are you guys talking about?”

Blazer stops calling to the group, “Alright listen up boys. It seems Cole went on a little adventure last night.”

He points at the briefcase, “Go ahead, show em.”

Cole pauses for a moment trying to predict what will happen next. He unlocks the briefcase showing them the crystals. Together the men let out an audible gasp. If Toxic’s mask wasn’t in the way Cole was positive his mouth was hanging open. Kid grabs a crystal holding it up to the sun. It illuminates slightly like a dark piece of glass.

“Are these even real?!” asks Kid.

“Yes they are real.” replies Cole taking the crystal and locking it back in the case.

Blazer continues speaking, “Cole here says that he took out the drone hive. He claims that’s where he got these crystals. We’re heading back to the abandoned town to see if he really did take them all out.”

“And to get the rest of the crystals.” says Cole.

Toxic yells angrily with his distorted voice, “There are more crystals than this!?”

A boisterous howl calls from the forest.

“Oh ya, did I mention that I had to run from the purple wolves too?”

Blazer motions to the team to move forward while talking low to Cole, “That isn’t something we're scared of.”

As the men continue through the forest they notice the normal chaotic sounds of animal life are absent. Cole assumes the animals must realize the hunters are on their way. Again more howls reverberate through the forest.

Cole calls out nervously, “They are surrounding us!”

Blazer replies with remarkable calm, “If you took out the drone hive, then these guys shouldn’t scare you.”

Cole is able to see at least twenty wolves moving in. Slowly they surround them using the brush as cover. The forest has turned to a deafening silence. The men stand steadfast, except for Cole who is panicked, and confused why the men are so confident.

The leader of the pack approaches leaving the brush allowing him to be fully exposed. Once again Cole is able to see this huge creature. Although this time it isn’t away in the distance. This time, it's up close and personal. The wolf has to be twenty times bigger than a regular wolf. Its paws look like they belong to a lion, with wicked sharp black claws. Its extraordinary jaw muscles appear to be overly powerful. In fact all the muscles of the creature look to be a result of abusing steroids. It has a long purple coat of hair, except for the white stripe running down the middle. A fluffy mane covers its neck. Blazer steps forward taking a stance in front of the men. The wolf howls a long deafening roar.

The pack replies signaling the attack. The leader charges down the trail towards Blazer. The men take a few steps back. The wolf lunges in the air with its mouth wide open exposing its white teeth. With a lightning fast move Blazer pulls out his string weapons. He swings them causing them to turn red hot. With a flash of color they effortlessly slice the beast's head off. With a thud the limp body lands next to him. The head rolls on the ground stopping at Cole’s feet with its large tongue hanging out of its mouth. All at once the rest of the wolves scatter. Blazer walks over to the decapitated head, picks it up, then holds it in front of Cole’s face. He speaks to Cole, “You see it’s simple. You take out the head, and the rest of the body stops working. You take out the leader and the rest of the pack runs away.”

“It’s that easy?” questions Cole.

“They will get a new leader soon enough. Once they do they might come back. Just remember that trick, and remind me to stop here on the way back. This guy will make a nice fur coat for the winter.”

The rest of the trip through the forest is uneventful. No plants trying to eat them, no killer crows setting traps. The forest seems to have been put in check for the moment. Soon they arrive at the abandoned town without harassment. Rush once again loses his patients and darts ahead of the group with the red glow of his tracer following behind. A few seconds later his voice is heard yelling.

“No way! What the hell! This is crazy! It’s all over the place!”

Another few seconds later Rush shows up with a dust storm trailing behind him. He stops sticking his face directly in front of Cole. He questions slowly, almost in a whisper, “What, the hell, did you do?”

Cole counters defensively, “They attacked me first! It was self defense!”

Blazer can’t contain himself, now he has to ask, “What?! What did you see?”

Rush sighs staring at the ground. He searches for the words to describe what he saw, “Ummm, well, you will see for yourself.”

The rest of the group picks up their speed now driven by pure curiosity. One by one they taper off coming to the realization of the events that took place there last night. Some decapitated heads, a hand here, a leg there. Black blood absolutely splashed everywhere. Just a pure and bloody massacre. The men are blown away with amazement. Destruction of this magnitude could have only been done by a powerful Ultrasapien, who had the ability to handle multiple enemies coming from every direction. Cole leads Blazer to the pile of crystals.

“Good it looks like they’re all here.”

He begins filling his bags while asking Blazer, “Hey! You gonna help with this?”

Blazer replies with a look of disgust, “Eh, no way, gross! They’re all covered in black blood.”

“Fine, I'll do it myself.”

Cole empties his briefcase into one of the bags. He meticulously collects all the crystals until both bags are evenly full. During this time the rest of the men wander in a state of shock. They spread out calling into the empty buildings but nothing replies back. Not wanting to be proven wrong they continue until the whole town has been deemed ‘clear’. Cole lifts his bags up onto his shoulders as the men confront him. Blazer speaks first scratching his head, “It looks like at one point you were having a ball just chopping off heads? And why are there so many body parts flung all over? What’s the matter with you?”

Kid chimes in next, “Ya man. You are one sick mofo. I mean really, what happened? Who are you really?”

“What do you mean?” questions Cole.

Kid articulates every word slowly as if this would allow him to get a real answer, “You just woke up. There is no way you just snuck out past the guards, then came directly here to the drone hive, and slaughtered them all. So for real, what happened last night?”

“Like I told Blazer, Death asked me to retrieve some crystals as part of some mission. He said I had to do it alone. This was the only place I knew to find some. I thought I could get lucky and harvest some of the already dead ones. Then they heard the commotion and came after me.”

“Ok but that doesn’t explain how, this, happened.” Kid sways his arms around as if to point out the surroundings for the first time. Cole smiles, “Oh, that. On the way up here I started to figure out my power.”

“Ohhh so just on your way to take out the drone hive you learned how to harness your Ultra power? Is that what you're trying to tell me?”

“Ya! I really think I figured it out.”

“I don’t think you understand. Ultras don’t just figure out their power that quickly. I mean maybe they have a glimpse of it, but nothing of this scale. Especially someone who has awoken this late.”

“What do you mean?

Kid stops for a moment to gather himself, “This might be confusing seeing how you are still learning this world… Hmm... I guess now’s as good a time as any. How much do you remember about your dream?”

“My dream? That weird dream before waking up here?”

“No, I mean your life aspirations. Yes of course that one!”

“Hmm, not too much. There was a hooded man. Then another person, or maybe that was me…? Eh, lots of colors…?”

“See! That’s what I’m saying! Every Ultra has a dream, ok. They are all different, tailored to each Ultra. So here’s the leading theory. Think of what I’m trying to say in relation to a dream. When waking up from a deep sleep it's hard to remember your dreams right?”

“Ya.” says Cole with a confused look.

“Your power is connected to your dream. When Ultras wake up later like you have, they gain more raw power. That power lies dormant while they soak, or marinate in their dreams. This allows them to tap into their hidden powers. Those who woke up early have an easier time remembering their dream, but also don’t have as much time gaining their hidden power. Since they can remember their dreams they know how to use their techniques. The longer an Ultra sleeps the harder it is to know their power. See what I’m sayin?”

“So you’re saying since I’ve woken up later than everyone else I shouldn't know how to control my power yet?”

“Yes! At least not at this level. I mean you massacred those drones! What you’re telling us doesn’t make sense! Not until you’ve had the proper training.”

“But I can prove it now.”

“No you can’t! Stop lying to us! You would need months of guided training with Ktroll before you could even hope to harness your power.”

Cole wants to ask about this Ktroll character, instead he decides to diffuse the conversation by showing what he can do. He readies himself looking over at one of the buildings. He calls loudly with a booming voice to all the men, “This is what I call a wind blade!”

He concentrates all his power wanting to impress them. He sends a powerful wind blade at the base of a building. It slices clean through the wall of the first floor. The building groans adjusting to the missing support. The men cheer with their arms in the air as if their favorite player just made a goal.

“No way!”

“Did you see that!?”

The base of the building continues to crumble until reaching a tipping point. It comes crashing down loudly. Dust quickly envelops the air rushing towards the men. They take cover using their shirts to cover their faces. Toxic alone stands uncaringly protected by his full body suit.

Cole calls out, “I got this!”

He pushes his hands forward against an invisible wall. The dust cloud gathers around a large dome force field. With his hands still extended Cole looks back saying, “See I told ya I figured it out.”

They stand up realizing they are protected by this invisible force. Blazer declares, “It's a wind type power! I thought it was telekinesis for some reason.”

Kid questions, “And you can’t remember your dream?”

“Nope. Not really.” replies Cole with a smirk.

With the dust now settling they make their way back through the forest. Their conversation continually loops on how surprised they are, how crazy that Cole actually did what he said he did, and how quickly he gained control of his power. Each time they get back to talk of Cole’s power Rush has to comment, “How cool it was that the building fell down.”

This continues until once again Cole finds the stream. He lets the water wash the blood off the crystals. The trail is much easier to travel with the light of the day. They pass the defeated purple wolf where Blazer declares, “You guys go on ahead. I want to take this lovely coat with me.”

The rest of the group continues with their journey back to the base. Two ogres stand at the gate. They pull the chains opening the gate for the men. Another ogre sitting on a chair speaks to Cole as he passes, “Back so soon young one?”

Cole replies, “Yes and I would like to speak with Death now. Do you know where he is?”

The ogre lets out one hearty laugh before saying, “He’s waiting for you along with everyone else.” He points to the center of the encampment with his large finger.

Along with everyone else?

Cole pushes forward through a few different sections. It seems civilization has devolved to an earlier form. He spies Ultras making clothes and blankets. A blacksmith is hammering away making tools. A small market has accumulated for trading. With each pass of these sections the people’s eyes lock onto him, then they stop what they're doing and follow him to the center of town. The crowd quickly gathers now that he’s back. Death stands patiently in the center of the crowd. He approaches Cole speaking slow and lightheartedly, “My my haven’t we been causing a ruckus. Everyone seems to be intrigued by you. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Presenting the bags Cole kneels with his head lowered.

“What’s this?” questions Death.

“This is what you asked for. Is it not?”

Death looks into the bags.

“This can’t be...”

Death gets on his knees sticking his face into a bag. He giggles a little bit then snorts. A smile covers his face from ear to ear as his head rises. He grabs a handful letting the gems sift through his fingers. The crowd gasps in reaction. Whispered murmurs fill the area.

“Where did you get these Cole?” questions Death with some force.

“I took them from the stomachs of the drones. Just like you asked me to.”

Death raises to his feet, “Honestly I didn’t think that you would go for the mission so quickly. The drone hive you say, and are they all dead?”

“Yes sir, I’m pretty sure.”

“But didn’t I say that part of this task was to do it on your own? Who helped you?”

“No one sir.”

Disgust comes to Death’s face. His pearly white teeth flash beneath his lips.

“Liar! Where is Blazer? I wish to speak with him!”

Kid pushes his way into the center of the crowd. He quickly conveys some much needed information, “He’s on his way. He wanted to take the fur coat off of a wolf we found in the forest.”

Still full of vigor, Death points to Thunder, “Does this youngling speak the truth?”

Thunder dry swallows then nods. Death continues to stare at him silently demanding more. Thunder answers, “Yes he does. Apparently some strange events occurred last night.”

Death continues to probe, calling out, “And did any of you help him?!”

“No none of us. He did this on his own. It seems, he has awoken his power.” says Thunder.

Death looks at Cole, then back at the crystals. Again he runs his fingers through them. His disgusted face melts. He looks up at Cole, “You can use your power on command now?”

Cole raises to his feet staring Death in the eyes. With confidence he replies, “Yes sir.”

“Splendid! Nobody has brought me this many crystals before!”

“Just happy to be of service.”

“What do the rest of you do all day!? He just got here last night and is already showing more loyalty than the rest of you.”

Cole, unnerved by this comment, tries to compensate, “It's not like that. I just got lucky is all.”

“Oh and you're humble too! I know what you're thinking. You don’t want everyone to be jealous.” Death pulls Cole’s head to his chest then whispers, “If anyone tries to mess with you, just let me know.”

Cole continues in his endeavor, “Please this is too much.”

Death is overjoyed causing him to burst into a laughing fit and making his voice raspy, “Too much?! This is spectacular! Cole! Do you remember what I told you about your mission?”

“That I had to do it alone.”

“Yes! I also said if you did well I would even grant you great power!”

Death’s face once more flips on a dime. It becomes sinister with his eyebrows bowed.

“Now before I give you this power... I have to verify that you indeed completed this mission as I asked. Bring Justice at once!”

The crowd reacts violently, flailing their arms in the air as they cheer.

“Justice! Justice! Justice! Justice!!”

The crowd divides creating a path. Justice walks gently, led by two men. They march forward in a way that only royalty would do. Her hands resting flat on theirs as they guide her. Cole’s vision becomes shrouded in mist. The men, the crowd, the small huts, everything fades away except for her. Her impossibly black hair and white cross necklace holds him. The sunlight hits the cross amplifying it, allowing it to glow. Every movement she makes is in slow motion. For what felt like an eternity she removes her black blindfold and gloves. Finally her dark brown eyes are freed. Her black eyebrows and mascara once again adding to the sensation. Not even Death's raspy voice could release Cole of this world.

“I need you to do another reading with our youngling Cole here.”

“Again? I just did one last night.” she questions.

“Yes he is making some allegations that he took out the drone hive last night. He even claims that he gathered all these crystals by himself. So you can understand why I need this verified.”

The mist thickens around Cole. He’s anxious remembering the last reading. The mist becomes thicker and thicker, eventually consuming all he can see. Justice’s hand penetrates through the cloud clasping his hand. She whispers in his ear, “Don’t worry if you're not lying you have nothing to fear.”

In a rush the mist blows away. Now they stand alone holding hands in the night before. The two stand watching as Cole’s memories play out before them. They are back in his shed. Cole watches guardedly as Toxic robs his room of his boots.

“That’s not very nice of him. I’m going to have to have a session with him when I’m done with you.” comments Justice.

The rest of the images fly by in fast forward. Justice becoming a witness to every detail from the night. Cole jumping over the fence, heading through the forest, and learning about his power. Next arriving at the abandoned town and collecting crystals. The drones attack, then strangely the images slow back down. Cole goes into his trance right before learning his mass decapitation spin blade attack. Enthralled by this, Justice probes Cole, “What was that?! Where were you just now? I heard voices, who was talking to you?”

“I wish I could tell you. I didn’t have any control over it. I could only describe it as, well, a fleeting memory of a dream.”

Justice pushes her power harder, focusing on that instant. Her vision soon becomes engulfed by strange white flames forcing her away. She gets nothing, as Cole knows nothing. She is forced to move forward with her examination.

“How is it possible that I can’t get a proper reading from you?...”

“You are getting a proper reading. You know everything I know.”

The memories accelerate back into fast forward. Cole eliminates the drones, then collects black crystals.

“Ew gross!” she comments cringing.

Finally the killer crows, and his dashing escape from the wolves. Justice grins slightly amused, “You fell for the tricks of the crows.”

Cole questions, “Ya, what the hell was that all about?!”

“You will find that many of the animals have evolved like the Ultrasapiens. The crows especially are intelligent tricksters. You have to watch out for them.” Her tone turns back to serious, “Once again I can’t get a perfect reading out of you. However, I sense greatness in you. After two readings I’m sure that you are worthy of this.” She points to the white cross necklace hanging around her neck. “I only give this to people who are worthy, and only those who are worthy, can see the cross. Don’t go talking to others about the necklace just yet. Come talk with me first. Also, I have someone I think you should meet. Someone I think can help you.”

With her last words the trance lifts. Cole’s vision comes back to reality. Suddenly after the reading, Cole is able to see a few scattered people in the crowd with bright white crosses dangling from their necks. Among them, Rush, Kid Cannon, and Blazer, who just joined the crowd carrying his new wolf pelt. In a burst of sparkles the white cross necklace materializes around his neck. He looks up to see Justice smiling. She whispers, “I can see you now.” then puts on her gloves and blindfold.

She announces loud enough for everyone to hear, “Yes! He’s telling the truth!”

Death’s eyes become big. He places his hand on Cole’s shoulder then speaks aloud, “He is?! How splendidly powerful you must be. I’m happy to have you part of us! Based on how many crystals you brought me, I’m going to grant you six power crystals! Come by my office later to choose them.” The crowd erupts with energy.

“Power crystals?” questions Cole.

“Yes and I’m also going to give you a rank in the New Generation Pirates! You will be like Blazer and the rest of his men here! Keep in mind that it’s the lowest rank, but it’s a rank nevertheless.”

The crowd gasps again, including Kid, Toxic, Rush, Thunder, and Blazer. Death continues with his speech, “With this title you have the right to a room in the base. Ohhh you have made me so happy! And as a special gift to you, tonight, I grant the company of a woman!”

The group goes wild seeing a celebrity appear before their eyes. Everyone pushes to get a close look at him, human and Ultra alike. They yell questions at him like paparazzi. Cole’s head starts spinning. Justice calls out vigorously, “Quiet!”

Everyone shuts up instantly, aiming their attention at her. She continues to speak loud enough for everyone to hear, “Toxic, are you going to give back his boots?”

“What boots? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he murmurs.

Cole rebuttals, “Hey man, I saw you go into my room last night. You took my boots.”

Kid Cannon calls out while dancing and shooting his pistols in the air, “Looks like we got ourselves a thief aaaand a liar!”

Toxic continues to argue, “You’re wrong! I didn’t do anything.”

“Let me do a reading then.” counters Justice holding out her hand.

“No no no need for that.”

Death now intrigued by this spectacle speaks with authority, “You Toxic, of all Ultras, know my rules. Time to be judged.”

Everyone near toxic steps back, leaving him standing alone. Seemingly already entering the trance, Toxic is unable to move. Justice removes her blindfold gazing into his protective suit. Toxic falls into excruciating pain as he falls to his knees, unable to move screaming, “Noo! Nooo! I’m sorry!! I won’t do it again!”

The paparazzi-like crowd is fully loving this display. Through the screams Death announces, “This is what happens to insubordinates! With this recent news I demote Toxic, and promote Cole! Men search his room for the boots, then deliver them to Cole’s room.”

Death motions one of the humans by his side. Suspiciously he whispers to them for a moment. They nod leaving in a hurry.

“Blazer, take Cole to his new room. I’m sure he’s tired.” orders Death.

Blazer having just arrived is still caught in a state of shock. He looks to Cole with a face that protrudes bewilderment. He grabs Cole by the arm pulling him through the crowd. His new wolf pelt neatly slung over his shoulder. Cole resits for a moment feeling responsible for the screams coming from Toxic. With an especially high note of terror released from the suited man, Cole finally succumbs to Blazer’s will.