one who could possibly remove that weapon from that stone. What makes you think that I would ever do that for you?”
“You don't have a choice.”
“I do. You can torture me as much as you want, but I will never get it for you.”
Viper's smile grew wider. Patience didn't like it, but listened to what she had to say all the same. “I want you to talk to someone.”
She pulled out an old flip phone, and dialled a number before handing it to Patience.
“Hello,” said a voice, it was a man she didn’t recognise, though his voice was cold and cruel.
“Hi, this is Patience,” she said nervously, unsure as to the point of this. Her hand was starting to shake but she tried not to show it, she could feel Viper's eyes fixed on the back of her head. She didn't want to give away any signs as to how she was feeling.
“Ah yes, I was told you might be calling. I am sat here with your parents, as it happens. Would you like to speak to them?”
When Patience didn't reply, he must have handed it over because a familiar voice was transmitted through the speakers of the phone. “Patience, is that you?”
“Mum?” she said, trying not to sob out loud as she attempted to keep her voice under control, “are you hurt? Are you okay?”
“What? Of course I am, why would I be hurt?. We were just having a lovely chat, and cup of tea with your teacher from school, Mr Dread. He's very pleased with your progress, in fact he even used the word perfect at one point.” Really? Mr Dread, and her parents didn’t even question the slightly strange name. It was fairly obviously a sign of danger.
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath, “I have to go now, bye.” She hung up.
Patience knew the deal, she didn't need Viper to spell it out for her to know what was going on. This was blackmail. Her parents were sat at home, none the wiser. But if Patience didn't get them the Lamina, then Dread was sat back at her house ready to kill both of her parents. How could she possibly refuse?
“Fine,” she mumbled.
“What was that?”
“I said.... I'll fetch your damn weapon.” She lowered her head and skulked over to the stone. She refused to look in Grim's direction, too ashamed of what his facial expressions might say. They might be mad, or worse, disappointed. But as Viper had said previously, she didn't have a choice. There was no way she could allow her parents to have that fate. She would let the world end a thousand times before she let her parents get put into any danger. Family first, world second.
Her hand hovered above the hilt, she hesitated, but the feeling of Jack breathing on the back of her neck forced her to carry on. It seemed like everyone in the room had begun to hold their breath as her fingers wrapped around the hilt. As soon as she touched it, she felt a cold sensation run across her entire body, before it came loose and tore away from the stone.
Finally, she could get a proper look at the blade. It was short, no bigger than a dagger. Not straight either, all of its edges were jagged, and pointy. It was certainly not a thing of beauty, in fact it was exceedingly ugly.
She felt arms grab her from behind, she tried to struggle but the Lamina was torn from her grasp. Jack stepped back, though Grim had rushed forward to help. His hands curled into fists which flew forwards.
Jack jumped, bounced off the rocky walls and slapped his heel across Grim's cheek. He landed, dropped down low and swept his legs across to cause Grim to trip up and land on his face. Jack handed the weapon to Viper.
“We will keep our word and leave your parents out of it,” said Viper, “and we will even extend the courtesy of allowing your pitiful little lives to continue, for now. We'll be seeing you.” They turned and left, leaving Patience and Grim alone in that Labyrinth, in the bottom of the Schism Complex.
Viper was now in possession of the Lamina, the most powerful weapon on the planet. And within no time Mr Big, her boss, would have it. Who knows what kind of terror they could commit with that kind of power?
“I'm sorry,” cried Patience, rolling Grim over onto his back, his eyes were open and he was still alert,
“I'm sorry I got it for them.”
“It's alright,” he replied, “you had too, they were threatening your family. But hey, an Old One, how about that?”
“I know, it's weird.” She sat down against the wall, and helped him to get beside her. “How did they know we were down here? We didn't tell anyone.”
“Apart from the Luminary, it must be an insider. A mole....”
Patience frowned. “You don't think it could be the Luminary, do you? He already has such power.”
Grim shook his head. “Nah, I don't think so. He doesn't really have the capacity for evil. Although, I think I know who does.”
Patience's eyes widened in realisation.
22
BOSS KILLING
Magnum
Magnum sat in the oval chair, his eyes looking up at the Luminary, who’s long, stupid beard hung low from his chin as he paced up and down, complaining as usual.
“Why haven't they called yet?” he said, “I swear to God, the only thing I ever get from Grim and that girl is a headache. Soon I'm going to start balding, that would be a sight.”
Magnum replied bluntly. “Indeed.” He wanted to intervene, but it was rude to break someone off mid stream.
“Once they get back I am going to fire the both of them, though that won't be the best idea if they have the most powerful weapon ever created in their possession. No. We take it off them first, and then I fire them. But they know too much, maybe I need to just make them disappear.” He was still pacing, jeez, for an old man he certainly had some stamina. “And then there is this Mr Big, what a stupid name anyway, but he still poses a problem. Even if he doesn't have the Lamina, he will want it back, and they could be a threat. I mean, they broke in and out of The Vault for God's sake, they have power even without that damned weapon.”
Okay, this had gone on long enough. It was starting to get ridiculous. The guy was getting old, the job was too stressful for him. Now that he thought about it, he was doing the guy a service by ending his life.
“In my day, we would have dealt with all this differently,” he said, “we would have taken a direct approach, rather than this softly-softly skipping around the real issue nonsense we have to do now. It's ridiculous. Why is it so hard to just find his location? And....”
The Luminary frowned. “By God, Magnum, what have you got there?” The Lamina lay stretched out across Magnum's knee, his fingers were wrapped around it and he could feel the energy spreading through him. It felt so good.
Magnum stood up, far taller than the Luminary. He was just a roach to be squashed. “Oh, Mr Vale, I've been bossed around by you enough for a lifetime.”
“Put it down. I command you to put that away, otherwise I will have to put you under arrest. Do you hear me?” Magnum didn't move, neither did his grip on the dagger loosen. Although, his mouth did twist into a sly smile.
“I don't take orders from you anymore,” he said.
“What are you talking about? Everyone takes orders from me, I am the Luminary.”
“Not for much longer.” He took a step closer and the Luminary called for help. Of course. It came within seconds. Two blatta, the strongest soldiers on the planet. Trained since birth to have all emotions and feeling stripped out of them, brutally efficient in all types of combat, the most deadly killers. He had to admit, even he admired their marvel, but that wouldn't stop him crushing them like the lab rats they are.
He raised the Lamina towards them, feeling the energy pulsing within. His mind pictured the following events, and they just seemed to happen. A beam of purple shadow erupted from the blade with a blinding flash of light. Magnum wasn't sure if they even had time to give surprised looks, their visors covered it well enough, but it mattered not.
The first blatta was hit directly in the chest. He was thrown backwards, hitting the wall behind him before falling apar
t into a cloud of smoke. A red glow followed the veins along the blade as though it was filling up with blood. Now Magnum felt even more powerful. The Luminary gave a shrill shriek of horror at the sight, hiding behind the desk in terror.
The second blatta had made it up the steps towards him. It raised its gigantic great sword above its head, one downward strike with that would cut Magnum clean in two. But it was never given the chance.
The Lamina exuded another flash of light, and the blatta crumpled into a heap on the floor, his body dissolving into the air.
Magnum kicked away the smoke before gripping the Luminary by the scruff of his neck and tossing him against his desk. He looked straight into his eyes. He was going to enjoy this. Oh yes. It was the moment he had been waiting for.
“You're Mr Big?” the Luminary managed to say, though he looked like he was about to throw up. He was rather green.
Magnum smiled. “Yes, finally you managed to get something right,” he said, “I am Mr Big. How does it feel to know that I was always this close to you? I was here all this time, and you never even suspected.”
“I've got to admit, it doesn't feel great.”
“Of course not. Hey, I don't blame you, you were distracted. Grim on the other hand - at times I thought he suspected, but I got away with it. And now I am in possession of the Lamina.”
The Luminary coughed up blood, better than puke at least. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“You were my friend, at least I thought you were. Why