Chapter 35

A Surprise For San

Gentry fired his hands with the speed of a gatling gun. Ty met every blow, his sword a blur of light in his hand. His speed was a perfect match for the puppet—and then some. Time around Gentry slowed for Ty, revealing an opening in his onslaught. He jabbed and aimed for the mechanical heart. Darkness blossomed out of it and pushed against the tip of Ty's sword, moving Gentry back and out of range.

Ty swung a colorful slash as he retreated. The puppet's hand, layered in a glove of darkness, snatched it out of the air and deflected the blast. Ty kept up the pressure, volleys of light hammering Gentry, his hands leaving trails of darkness in the air as he tossed each aside.

Ty stopped and dropped the sword down in front of him and took a breath, letting the power surge through his blade. He lifted it over his shoulder and slashed, the biggest light show yet exploding from his blade. He saw Gentry's chest overflow with darkness before the energy obscured the puppet from view.

Exactly what he wanted.

He used the large attack as a cover up for his next two swings; one slash downward, one up. Nowhere near the strength of the first one, but they flew ahead quickly and all the same, invisible behind their bigger brother.

Not content with only one sneak attack, Ty used his enhanced abilities to launch himself into the air—up and over Gentry. The puppet didn't see him as he directed all of his concentration at the energy slamming against his hands. Had that been all of Ty's attack, he would have taken care of it as easily as the others. He didn't see the two blasts still on their way, nor the boy who landed behind him.

The two slashes connected with the colors already in Gentry’s hands, the lights breaking free of their more solid form and exploding against the unsuspecting puppet. He left the ground and spun right past Ty who grinned as he swatted Gentry out of the air.

Ty jumped after him, bringing his sword around and jamming the broad side against his neck. They crashed into a wall and Ty pressed harder, pinning Gentry to it. He fought against the boy's hold but it was no use—Ty's strength had surpassed his own.

The puppet and the boy stared at one another, their faces mere inches apart. Somewhere in those empty eyes hid his friend's familiar spark of life. He just needed to set it free.

Ty bent his leg back and the heart picked up on his intentions, the darkness inside forming a protective layer around the machine. Even with his new strength, his efforts couldn't break through it.

With one attack at least.

Ty threw kick after kick into the device, the wall behind Gentry shaking and cracking from the force of his blows. And still the darkness protection held.

“Ty.” One word, barely louder than a whisper stopped his onslaught.

A tiny fleck of light peered out from the depths of Gentry's dead eyes. His mouth didn't move, but hung open barely more than a sliver. The light flickered, his painted mouth squirming, but the puppet fought against the evil beating in his chest.

Ty grinned. “I knew you were still in there.”

“R-run... leave... me.”

“Are you kidding me? No. I did that last time, and look what happened to you! You're going through that door with me.”

Ty resumed kicking with renewed gusto. “I'll have this thing off of you in no time.”

“Get away... can't hold...”

The darkness lashed out in a wave, ramming into Ty's chest, icy cold and full of malice. He was hurled through the air as Gentry dislodged himself from the wall and gave chase after him.

For the first few seconds of flight, Ty wondered one thing: how angry would San be when he found out that even with his evil machine he still could not control Gentry? Only one way to find out.

Without so much as a glance below him, Ty flipped backward, dodging an unseen swipe from Gentry, and landed on top of the puppet's head—sword first. Ty waved at his mind-controlled friend with his free hand before he pushed off with both his sword's power and his feet as hard as he could.

Gentry plummeted to the ground like a rock while Ty rose through the air like a rocket. Destination: San. His face was blank as Ty approached but, to his delight, the new guards were paralyzed by fear.

Ty slashed his sword in front of him, accompanied by a mental push that canceled his flight and brought him to a safe and perfect landing on the edge of the wall.

The guards unfroze and pointed their spears at Ty's chest. He couldn't help but notice that they held their weapons by the very end of the handle, to put as much distance between them as possible.

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“And what,” San said in a bored tone, “do you think you are doing?”

“Oh, I just thought I'd say hi. And there's something I wanted to—”

The guards saw something over Ty's shoulder and jumped back as far as they could. Ty tilted his head to the side just in time to see what it was and act instinctively. He twisted his left hand behind him and caught Gentry by the head, his grip fast and firm. The puppet's hands left their sockets and wrapped themselves around Ty's neck.

A triumphant grin stretched across San's face.

Unnoticeable to San, the corners of Ty's mouth raised slightly as well.

#

“I think—and I would believe you'd agree—that you have been caught, little mouse.”

The guards laughed and came closer again, their weapons back at Ty's chest and a look on their face like they were the ones with their hands around his throat.

Ty struggled against Gentry's grip to get enough freedom to open his mouth and speak.

“Loosen your hold,” San said. “The boy wants to beg for his life.”

A good deal of pressure left his throat. Ty took a deep breath then said, “Not quite. I've got a surprise for you, though. Gentry, if you would?”

Nothing happened. Maybe he should have stopped to consider that Gentry did not act on cue.

San smirked. “Boy, what did I tell you? Gentry is—”

The hands released Ty's neck and darted toward the sides of San's head. He leaned back in surprise, his good cheer gone as the tips of Gentry's fingers dug into the door behind him.

“Is what?” Ty cocked his head to the side and rubbed his newly freed neck, the smirk on his face, now. “Not completely under your control? Yeah, I noticed that.”

“How...” San's side of the face said as the Puppet Master's leapt to life again, screeching, “That's it! That's what happened before! The painted mouth, painted mouth!”

Gentry's hands reeled back into his arms and with a violent yank he ripped the door from what remained of the broken chair arms. San ducked and slipped underneath it in one smooth movement. He tried to grab the door frame as it passed, but Ty fired off a blast of energy that forced San to retreat farther.

The door kept going and Ty held onto the corner of it, allowing it to carry him and Gentry over the edge of the wall. Ty sent a taunting salute San's way before disappearing from view.

The door spun out of control on the descent, but his increased powers kept his head steady. He saw San lean over the edge above them, his side of the face contorted in fury while the Puppet Master continued to shout.

“ENOUGH!” San roared, slapping away the Puppet Master's hand that had been yanking at his eye socket. The screams stopped and San resumed control over his body. “Gentry, I command you—kill the boy.”

The pressure around Ty's throat returned with a vengeance. The force was so great his neck would break before he ran out of air. Ty dug around inside his pocket for the key; if he went through the door now all his current problems could be solved. Unfortunately, between the spinning and the strangling, his work was cut out for him.

With air running low (and his neck quickly approaching its snapping point) Ty switched strategies to a much simpler one: charge, aim, and fire. Gentry's hands left him, he took a huge gasp of air, and proceeded to crash into the ground. The door completed one last revolution before landing upright, centimeters away from crushing Ty's skull.

Gentry lay several yards away, his body convulsing in unnatural spasms. He was fighting for control, or at least to buy Ty a little time. Best not to waste it.

Ty went for the key again, but two uninvited guests interrupted him. The two guards dropped down on either side of them, both looking more surprised at their own bravery than Ty did.

They stabbed at him with their spears, and Ty dodged with one step away from the door. One of the spears continued on into a creature's knee, red stuffing spilling from the wound and forcing him to the ground. The other creature looked on in horror at what he had done. He didn't see Ty slip behind him so that he could whack the weak point on the back of his neck.

Guards taken care of, Ty started to throw a few taunting words San's way, but his foe's voice filled the colosseum. “Friends! The show is over. Rip the boy to shreds!”

Cheers erupted, the stands shaking and junk food filling the air, tossed aside in favor of weapons. The plush creatures swarmed over the walls like drunken ants, falling to the ground and fighting amongst themselves in their hurry to be the first to maim and kill Ty.

They made it very hard to continue feeling sorry for them.

Ty went for the key again and Gentry struck, his two fists pounding into his gut and knocking him against the door. The puppet reeled Ty in and jumped up for a headbutt. He angled himself back, wedged his feet under Gentry's chin, and pressed against the mechanisms in the puppet's arms.

They were at an impasse, Ty in a handstand and Gentry off the ground a few feet, his arms still desperately trying to capture their prey. Ty's sword lay flat along the ground underneath him. It gave him an idea.

He charged up a mental push, the sword rocking from the power he invoked—or, from the pounding feet of thousands of plush creatures that grew closer by the second.

He let the stored up energy free, and the two of them shot into the air, right as the creatures met in the center. Those nearest the front lines crashed into one another and more than a few limbs were lost in the ensuing chaos.

Gentry's ropes loosened enough for Ty to flip around, his sword raised behind his back. Darkness leapt out of the machine as Ty brought his sword down, light and dark colliding. Ty's weapon cut deep into the depths, but still couldn't make it to the machine before the shadows billowed together and pushed Gentry out of range.

Unfortunately, the creatures awaited him in that direction. Gentry vanished under piles of fighting plush. That should keep him occupied for a few seconds.

Ty swiped in an upward arc and sent himself back toward the door. Gentry would follow him and, as long as he got the door open in time, it would be a simple task to take the puppet through—whether Gentry liked it or not.

This time, Ty didn't even get his hand in his pocket before he was interrupted. San himself joined the fray, dropping down in front of the door, the red stuff dripping from his mouth.

“Come on, boy. Let's see what you've got.”

The sword sensed that their enemy's demise drew near, vibrating in his hand and radiating with energy and color.

San resorted to his usual battle stance: back bent slightly, hands raised at his sides.

Pure white light bloomed from the blade, devouring the colors with an intensity that blinded even Ty. But he could still see San as he closed the distance between them, weapon aimed for his enemy's neck.