Chapter 25

  Bright white lights, bouncing around in a box, shit, I'm strapped into a bed, my eyes are bandaged... ripping through the right arm bandage... arm free... I rip the bandage off my eyes... Charlie and what looks like medics.

  “Stop, Arthur. We're helping. What can you tell me about Lucy and Edmund? Where did they take them?”

  One of the men speaks in Japanese, Charlie responds in a harsh tone, grabbing the man by the shoulder. I feel so damn cold. There is some sort of compression pad around my waste. They inject something in my abdominal, I don't even feel it, just a warmth.

  “Charlie, 3 of the 4, they got me in my sleep. No idea where Lucy and Edmund are.”

  Charlie takes his hands off the medic, calmer now he says something to the medic and bows, the medic nods his head. Looking around it looks like we're on a drone. They hold a flat scanner over my abdomen, there is a flash. They turn to look at a monitor that shows an ex-ray of my abdomen. They look at each other in shock, then look at me. They shake their heads and take another scan.

  It is then I notice Shimura there, standing back. His look at me is cold, controlled anger. He speaks harshly to the medics, they bow and continue their work.

  Shimura speaks ,”If we don't hand you the 5th, Jax and myself don't surrender by 12 noon they'll kill Lucy and Edmund. I trusted you with my family. Now they're hostages.”

  No, I am not taking this anymore, everyone telling me what to do, saying what I do isn't good enough. I think of speaking back in anger. But I don't.

  “Tell me, if you were there, could you have stopped 3 of them? You are much stronger then I. Expecting me to defeat 3 of them when one of them can easily defeat me is not right.”

  He sneers, looking off to the side.

  “Shimura, he's right. Mate, we need to focus on saving 'dem. Look, look at de x-ray. Wid his healing, he just took what should have been a mortal wound, it's almost healed with 'ur meds.”

  “It's still not a sure thing.” Shimura says.

  Charlie grabs Shimura by the coat ,”You convince him! You save Lucy and Edmund! This is all on you to convince de 5th, all you, not on Arthur. You expected too much of him! The fact you expected him to protect them against 3 Yakuza is a disgrace.”

  “Don't speak to me of disgrace. You pulled them into this.”

  “Edmund wouldn't exist if not for me. He's your family, he's your blood. You bloody convince him to give the Gift to Arthur! We're down to 2 of your 4 against 6 of them.”

  “There is 5 of them. The Shadow now leads them.” Shimura says.

  “How do you know that?” Charlie says.

  “The Shadow has contacted our 5th requesting a meeting; he said he's the new 5th for the Yakuza. Also, I know for a fact he killed the former 5th.”

  “How do you know?” Charlie asks.

  “I know.” He says.

  Charlie lets go of Shimura. The rest of the flight is quiet, I am no longer cold, the pain is barely there. They scan my abdomen again, then remove the sleeve around me and the restraints. I sit on the side of the gurney, the medics look at each other with a shocked look on their faces.

  I can feel Carl, I feel him from last night. Stinger has all the power, but Carl is giving me a fighting chance. It's all so clear. Why not just kill me? My gut screams Carl is the only reason they didn't kill me.

  The drone we're flying in starts to descend.

  Shimura, Jax and I are waiting in a room whose style is very different from what I have ever seen. There is a beauty in the simplicity, the elegant table with ornate carvings in the legs that is only about 2 feet high, we sit on cushions, it's a comfortable feeling for me, all the time we spent on the streets, sitting on the ground feels like I'm more connected.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  There is two large windows with scenes of gardens. But they are large monitors, with my hearing I can hear the hum of the screen, see the subtle swaying of the monitor.

  The staff all have a face covering with a single blue lense, Shimura explained it only shows heat signature so they can't see the 5th.

  I put the translator ear piece in, “Have either of you seen the 5th?” I ask.

  “No one has. He has a mask like the workers here, he used a voice scrambler when he gave me the Gift.” Shimura says.

  The doors slide open, a large man dressed the same as Shimura enters wearing a mask. Shimura and Jax look at each other with a look of confusion.

  “Everyone stand, today we break tradition as things are dire.”

  We all stand, Shimura looks at the man.

  “So you intend on coming, Father?”

  The man removes his mask.

  “Yes.” He looks me over. “Lucy was right, you are a big boy.” He says with a smile. “It is simple; They have asked everyone in this room to surrender in exchange for freeing Lucy and Edmund. If we surrender, they will eliminate us. Goliath is the best chance to defeat the Shadow. Sit Goliath.”

  I sit at the table. They stay standing, the 5th places a device in front of me; I recognize it, it's the same one Underwood had offered before. I put the skullcap on. They put a pail beside me.

  “Please, use pail when sick. Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  He start the program, there is static at first then a recording;

  -Warning! Use of this module can lead to cranial hemorrhage, eternal and internal anal leakage, dizziness, upset stomach and itchy toe. Not recommended for use past February 29, 2040. K.L.P. Corp takes no responsibility for possible side effects.-

  Seems safe...

  There is a high pitch whining, getting louder and louder until it changes too an even tone.

  Then.

  Silence.

  I open my eyes. The two large monitors are a green flickering colour, my eyes observing them faster then they refresh. To my core I shake like an earthquake, then I see the gardens in the monitors. I reach for the bucket and am sick, my head screaming, a trickle of blood runs out of my nose.

  “Well, that feels like shit.” I say.

  “Are you ok to stand? We have only an hour to show you how it works before we need to meet up.” The 5th one says.

  “Lead on.” I say.

  He leads me out a sliding door into a room, there is a rack with a bunch of wooden swords.

  “Ok, first focus, pick a spot on the floor and stare at it. Feel the pressure in your forehead, feel your heart beat as it slows.”

  I focus on a spot, then my heartbeat. Nothing. I try to focus, to not think of this mess, to not think about whether or not I'll see Maria or Jennifer again, to not think I have less than an hour to sort this or I won't be able to protect them, that Stinger has proven he can kill me when and how he likes. It's hopeless, I come all this way, for what? To fail again? It's too much, it's all on me, I've proven I can't do it.

  “Perhaps watch Shimura and I spar.” He says.

  They each grab a wooden sword, turn to each other and bow. They become a blur, I try to see them but can't, it's not possible. They move in a blur again, I catch the odd still image of them. The stop.

  “Here, you try Goliath.” I take a sword and stand across from Shimura. He blurs, then hits me all over with the wooden sword, I try to hold mine up, but I can't defend against what I can't see. He stops.

  “You must focus.” Shimura says.

  The 5th one sighs. “He's not ready. Most take a day. I thought because of the genome fusion they did on him that he might get it sooner. We have an hour, Goliath, sit down and focus, try.”

  They head out of the room and leave me. Stinger understood it instantly. What is missing? Why can't I do this? It feels as though my mind is drifting, like I don't have purpose, yet I do, I must protect Maria and Jennifer. But I'm not thinking beyond what will happen, for good or bad in an hour. All I'm thinking of is the pressure.

  I think of the dream I had, being with Maria and Jennifer in Australia. But then I see it as just me, it flickers with and without them. It's more joyous with them, but without them it's still better then where I am now.

  Yes. I feel it deep in me. I need to follow what's deep in me. I pick up three wooden swords and toss them in the air. My eyes feel as though they push to the back of my skull; the swords are almost floating in the air. I get another sword, the other three barely moving as they fall. I hit the end of one; it goes up in the air, starting to spin. I hit the other two back up, juggling them. There is an almost hypnotic beauty to it.

  With or without me here these swords would likely be here, but they were once a tree, I feel that as I strike them, part of a larger tree. The other part of the tree was used to make chairs. The tree, its seeds were dropped from another tree, it dropped seeds then was struck with lightning. It feels like I can figure all that out just by running my hand over the wooden swords, like I;'ve had decades to ponder it.

  I'm dizzy, touching my chin there is a ton of blood from my nose to my mouth and chin. I can finally taste the blood, I haven't breathed yet, I haven't needed too. Almost blacking out I fall to my knees. The wooden swords clang to the ground.

  I stand and leave the room. They are seated at the table.

  “I think I get it. I saw the history of the tree that made the swords.”

  “On your first try?” Shimura says.

  They all look at each other.

  “Uh yeah.”

  “Only father has seen that state, twice, after all these years. We chose wisely by giving you the Gift. You stayed in a bit long though, you lost too much blood in your nose, the pressure can cause issues with your brain.”

  He stands and hands me a towel.

  “Come, we have an appointment, we don't have any more time for training, you'll have to figure that out on your own.”