CHAPTER 16

THE BETRAYAL

Hikaru struggled, but made it on his feet wobbling, while Amber raised up also, trying her absolute best to guide him back down.

“You shouldn’t stand,” she said assertively.

“Will you chill,” Hikaru demanded, wiggling his way free from her grasp. He walked forward and placed a hand on Kamari’s shoulder, making sure that he couldn’t be hallucinating. “You’re really alive… I’m not complaining… but how… I mean…”

Kamari brushed Hikaru’s arm away. “There’s no time for getting sentimental, now turn around and face the task at hand.”

Hikaru turned his head and found Wah approaching, her eyes wildly stalking them all.

“You should listen well,” she voiced wickedly, narrowing her eyes while coming at a stand still. Wah turned her attention toward Kamari, staring relentlessly. “I’m curious to know who you are.”

“Your dreaded nightmare,” Kamari sneered.

Wah’s eyes shined in disagreement. “I beg to differ,” she responded calmly. “While you and the white hakq wonder have been fighting one another, I’ve been conserving energy.” Her stone faced appearance transformed into a premeditated homicidal smirk. “I’ll admit it, you boys are indeed the strongest fighters discounting Elitist, but unfortunately, luck is an enormous factor in our everyday lives.Thanks to fortune, I have three misfits lined up— one who’s injured, one who’s exhausted, and another useless.”

Asani gazed onward from a distance, back peddling slowly as trouble unfolded. As he sought out stealthily escaping, a trembling hand gripped his shoulder tightly. He peered around, swiftly spotting Nanu’s scorched face and burned clothing.

“Now now, you couldn’t possibly be thinking about bailing out on your young friends,” Nanu whispered malevolently. “Now proceed forward, or your life ends here.”

Wah glanced right, taking notice as Asani approached with her red fleshed partner behind him. Both stopped once reaching the others, then Nanu shoved Asani into their assembled hostage lineup near Kamari.

“It looks like you’ve been lying in the sun for far too long.” Wah scoffed at her ally.

Nanu ground his teeth together while turning his malicious sights at Kamari. “That bastard, he’ll pay for causing me pain!”

“Calm down, all will come against him in due time, but first, lets pose a few questions.” Wah stated.

Kamari laughed briefly. “You won’t get any information here.”

“Well now, how will we get that kid’s mouth singing wide open,” Wah retorted sarcastically.

“Wait wait, we could torture him like I wanted in the first place,” Nanu suggested vindictively, his shady grin stretching out from ear to ear.

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“Oh please,” Hikaru blurted out. “Don’t you dare try and intimidate us with your silly bluffs. It’s four against two, besides, your partner looks like he’s been trapped in an easy bake oven for hours.”

Nanu and Wah laughed briefly…

“So you’re the teamwork beats all type,” Nanu mocked. “Well, I know exactly how we’ll tear down your hopes. Asani, if you pledge allegiance with us, we’ll never hunt you down again.”

Hikaru peered around Kamari, witnessing Asani’s face glinting with confusion.

“Come on, you know you’ll die if you side with these kids,” Nanu provoked. “Both boys are out of power, that girl’s a waste of space, plus, your own abilities will only further increase mine.”

Asani glanced toward Kamari and the others as all eyes set upon him. He looked closely at Amber, who once bravely stood forth and protected him against Nanu before, her innocent expression gleaming with trust.

“You of all should know that we could destroy you four combined,” Nanu continued. “The only reason I’m allowing this agreement is so I can see their baby faces crushed with hopelessness.”

Nanu reached out his hand, then Asani smirked and grasped it, their shake signifying an agreement. Amber’s features twisted up in a half rage. “You back stabbing, double timing traitor!” she yelled. “How could you turn your back on us!”

“I’m sorry Amber, but you don’t survive in the dreamstorm as long as I have without betraying someone,” Asani laughed.

“Don’t dwell on it,” Kamari said, displaying a smirk of his own. “I’ve found many ways in pushing myself far beyond any limitations. He turned, confronting Amber. “Both of you run for cover.”

“But—”

“No buts Amber,” Hikaru uttered.

He grabbed hold of her arm and began running, overbearingly forcing Amber to race alongside with him.

“They’re getting away,” Wah said calmly, watching as they made it toward the end of barren land then sprinted through forest greenery.

Nanu glanced at Kamari, instantly recalling how easily his powers were thwarted earlier. He conveyed through telepathy. (Wah, your techniques are better equipped for handling his. Just make sure that you stay ghosted until he strains himself.)

With that advice, Nanu raced off, and Wah phased out. Kamari quickly flexed hakq beyond his natural stopping point, pushing out tremendous amounts of power that heated up in the form of blue flames. Asani backed away several feet just before the fierce hakq ignited with more ferocity. Kamari allowed radiant flames to shoot outward in a straight line across the ground, curving this blast as it reached Asani and formed a circle of furious flames that surrounded him. The inferno shot up explosively, reaching as high as Asani’s neck, forcing him to cover his face with both arms, away from blazingly intensified heat. Wah stood her ground inside depths of scorching temperatures, laughing aloud with excitement, her body appearing as ghostly as ever.

“Your power is fantastic!” she hollered out. “I’ll almost hate destroying you!”

Kamari stared at Wah harshly, bluish flame's reflection off his eyes tripling the ferociousness of his gaze.

“Oh my, that’s a scary look,” Asani taunted.

“Quiet, you worthless traitor.” Kamari said in a low tone. He magnified fire around Asani, causing hakq to flare up higher.

Asani stepped back, disabled from seeing across enormously radiant blue energy levels. “You’re pretty confident for a dead man!” he yelled out.

Kamari spotted positive and negative charges forming within the circle of fire, and quickly reacted by changing his structural creation. He mimicked Wah’s energy, then ghost out. Jagged stems of static electricity wildly flashed outward with amplified sounds of multiple loud cracks ripping through winds from every direction. A light mist sprinkled down from blackened clouds above the subtropic forest, conducting electric currents further outward. After building up a strong flow of static beneath himself, Asani levitated above blue infernos that refused yielding against drizzling rain. He peered below, witnessing Wah staring in disbelief, not at himself, but at Kamari, who’d completely fluxed out of danger’s way.

“Well, you’re just full of surprises,” Asani uttered from midair.

“And you ain't seen nothing yet,” Kamari replied.

“Then show me!”