By Aladdin
Edited by Christopher Leeson
The Wounded World
Originally written 2006
Revised and posted Mar. 21, 2019
Additional revision, Apr. 21, 2019
Additional revision, Apr. 21, 2019
Chapter 7
THE KILLING MACHINE
When a sinister person means to be
your enemy,
They always start by trying to become your friend.
They always start by trying to become your friend.
William Blake
“It sure seemed like you were dead,”
the teenager insisted.
“If you say so,” I said. “What happened next?”
“Gus wanted my blood. What he could do was incredible; he turned your house into a holodeck full of monsters and warriors.”
As Lauren continued her report, it became clear that these magical constructs had been imagined to kill a schoolgirl, not a powerful ultra, and Lauren quickly “zapped” them out of existence. The victory had given the girl confidence, but was taken aback when a ghostly image appeared. Lauren had found herself looking at a phantom of Eden Blake. This insubstantial Eden began speaking in a small voice, as if from far away. She outed herself as the secret identity of Mantra and appealed to the sixteen-year-old to save her.
“If you say so,” I said. “What happened next?”
“Gus wanted my blood. What he could do was incredible; he turned your house into a holodeck full of monsters and warriors.”
As Lauren continued her report, it became clear that these magical constructs had been imagined to kill a schoolgirl, not a powerful ultra, and Lauren quickly “zapped” them out of existence. The victory had given the girl confidence, but was taken aback when a ghostly image appeared. Lauren had found herself looking at a phantom of Eden Blake. This insubstantial Eden began speaking in a small voice, as if from far away. She outed herself as the secret identity of Mantra and appealed to the sixteen-year-old to save her.
“To do that, you need more magic
than you have,” the specter said. “Find it before it's too late.”
Before the babysitter could ask how on earth she was supposed to
pull off such a feat, Gus injected himself into the arena, his face a
distorted mask of hate and fury. The boy launched a rage-driven
attack that the girl barely managed to fend off, until one of her
power-bolts blasted into shards the plastic joystick that he had been
using like a magic wand. Startled, the boy vanished.
Now that the fight was ended, the vista around her faded and Lauren found herself back inside the Blake household. Mantra's “dead body” and Evie were gone, and so was Gus. Not knowing what else to do, Lauren dashed outside to see if she could spot them. But she'd no sooner gotten out the door when a police squad started to bawl at her, demanding that she drop her sword. In the teen's startlement, she hesitated a moment and the panicky police started shooting. Somehow, without any conscious thought, the girl ghosted, becoming like a living hologram which allowed bullets to pass through her harmlessly. That was a defensive measure that I had used many times myself.
When the rioting officers rushed her, a surge of power flashed out from her body and tossed them away like leaves on the wind. Fortunately, weren't smashed to death against the trees and walls; instead it looked like they were floating. They kicked and beat their arms against the air, but they were helpless. “That's how Mantra flies” the newly-empowered ultra thought. Immediately wanted to get into the fun herself and so sprang up into the air. Yet she found herself little better off than the police squad. Fortunately, being a Mantra groupie, she'd read the fan articles and interviews. Mantra's power came from levitation and she created direct flight by creating and controlling brisk wind. “Wind! Come!” she yelled mentally. In a blink, Lauren found herself sailing through the moonlight like a paper airplane. Flight was exhilarating, but also disconcerting. As soon as the girl started thinking about how to land, she dropped precipitously into a park, her forward momentum throwing her into a bumpy roll across the grass.
With even more bruises than before, the young ultra limped to boulder and sat down to get her breath. She needed magic, she knew, but where did one find magic on such short notice? As Lauren concentrated, a tingle spread over her skin and a tart odor drifted to her nostrils. On top of that, she saw that the turf was faintly blinking, as if she were sitting under a string of Christmas lights. A glance upward beheld sky in chaos. The full moon was beaming brightly and the sky was somehow glowing violet. More amazingly, dazzling green zig-zags were hanging under the stars, resembling forked lightning. Whatever it was, it certainly was not a normal phenomenon. The more she stared, the stronger grew the tingle and the smell! Instinct told her that the forked lightning was magical in nature and she might make use of it somehow if she could find where it was striking the ground.
Now that the fight was ended, the vista around her faded and Lauren found herself back inside the Blake household. Mantra's “dead body” and Evie were gone, and so was Gus. Not knowing what else to do, Lauren dashed outside to see if she could spot them. But she'd no sooner gotten out the door when a police squad started to bawl at her, demanding that she drop her sword. In the teen's startlement, she hesitated a moment and the panicky police started shooting. Somehow, without any conscious thought, the girl ghosted, becoming like a living hologram which allowed bullets to pass through her harmlessly. That was a defensive measure that I had used many times myself.
When the rioting officers rushed her, a surge of power flashed out from her body and tossed them away like leaves on the wind. Fortunately, weren't smashed to death against the trees and walls; instead it looked like they were floating. They kicked and beat their arms against the air, but they were helpless. “That's how Mantra flies” the newly-empowered ultra thought. Immediately wanted to get into the fun herself and so sprang up into the air. Yet she found herself little better off than the police squad. Fortunately, being a Mantra groupie, she'd read the fan articles and interviews. Mantra's power came from levitation and she created direct flight by creating and controlling brisk wind. “Wind! Come!” she yelled mentally. In a blink, Lauren found herself sailing through the moonlight like a paper airplane. Flight was exhilarating, but also disconcerting. As soon as the girl started thinking about how to land, she dropped precipitously into a park, her forward momentum throwing her into a bumpy roll across the grass.
With even more bruises than before, the young ultra limped to boulder and sat down to get her breath. She needed magic, she knew, but where did one find magic on such short notice? As Lauren concentrated, a tingle spread over her skin and a tart odor drifted to her nostrils. On top of that, she saw that the turf was faintly blinking, as if she were sitting under a string of Christmas lights. A glance upward beheld sky in chaos. The full moon was beaming brightly and the sky was somehow glowing violet. More amazingly, dazzling green zig-zags were hanging under the stars, resembling forked lightning. Whatever it was, it certainly was not a normal phenomenon. The more she stared, the stronger grew the tingle and the smell! Instinct told her that the forked lightning was magical in nature and she might make use of it somehow if she could find where it was striking the ground.
