PART 10 – Separation

            The few soldiers Jordan didn’t land killing blows on crawled around on the floor, crying, moaning, or just being silent.  Jordan created a sea of blood that coated the floor of the main entrance, he had killed every body.  All the soldiers in the room, the receptionists, even if it was accidental, and now even Jackson had died by Jordan’s hand.  Jordan looked down at Jackson; he had made a mess of him.  His body was cut and bruised, Jackson’s right arm had been cut off, his mask caved into his face, and the killing blow was a stab directly through the chest that Jordan could see the floor through.  Jackson might have been a challenge if Jordan hadn’t cut his arm off with his crush, Jackson didn’t see that coming.  Jordan wiped a single bead of sweat off of his forehead and balanced his gut-covered sword on his shoulder and began walking towards the desk.  Then Fhal emerged from the right hallway carrying a drink and a plate of food.  He was whistling his typical freaky tune.  He stopped whistling when he saw Jordan and the room full of dead EDGE employees, but he didn’t stop smiling.  “Well you made a mess didn’t you.  I’m Dr. Fhal Rufflesia, and I’m absolutely honored to meet you.”

            Mia approached the guards that were cowering in the corner of the room, the metals walls, floor, and ceiling, were twisting to Mia’s will, and she was angry.  “You sick people, you had better pray that the hell I’m about to send you to welcomes you.”  Luna, Anri, and Clarissa searched through the warden’s desk as Mia had her way with the defenseless guards.  Clarissa got close enough to whisper to Luna.  “So why are we letting these two help us?  If I remember, we were just fighting them a few days back and they killed your sister.” She said.  Luna looked at Anri, who was oblivious to them and was examining a rapier that one of the soldiers Mia killed had.  “Because, her body guard that controls salt is very powerful, he could get us out of here, and the two of us couldn’t and we don’t even know where Clay is.  For the time being we need them, but once we’re out of here.  They are our enemies once again.”  Luna found a folder and tossed it to Anri, who barely caught it.  “Is this evidence?” Anri asked.  “Yes it is, show that to your father, that’ll put EDGE away for good.”  Luna informed.  “Thank you…  And next time don’t throw things at a princess, we’re supposed to be treated properly.” Anri raised her chin very smugly and was shortly after slapped by Luna.  “Hey!  How dare you!” Anri yelled.  “You need to wake up!  We’re not in your palace!  Take a look at reality!” Luna screamed in her face.  The two of them started fighting shortly after.  Clarissa watched the two immature girls fight and Mia walked up next to her.  “The guards are dead.” She informed Clarissa.  “Okay, thanks.”  Anri and Luna stopped fighting several minutes later.  “Are you two ready to go yet?  We should work our way to the exit.” Mia said.  “Yeah, I’m all set, we can leave.” Anri panted.

            “We can’t just leave her?  That’s inhumane,” A voice said.  “You have no choice, you did your job, I’m ordering all EDGE doctors and nurses to leave this wing of the complex, there are elementalists running all over this place.” Another voice said.  “Okay…  I understand, everybody out.”

            Sola couldn’t open her eyes all of the way, but she could hear just fine, people were leaving the room.  At one point she realized that she was alone.  She tried to speak but nothing happen.  She sat up, she could tell that she was in a bed, and she couldn’t feel any of the wounds that Mia had inflicted.  She also knew that she wasn’t dead.  She made an attempt to stand and found out she could, her vision was slowly starting to come back.  She tried to speak again and it worked.  “Clay…  anyone…  Luna?” She could barely see a doorway so she went through it only to be tackled to the floor.  “Oh!  I’m sorry are you okay?  I didn’t see you!” Someone asked.  “Yeah, I’m fine just get off of me!” Sola pushed the person off of her angrily.  “Don’t strain yourself like that!  You might reopen your wounds.” The person said helping Sola to her feet.  “Who are you?  I can’t really see anything.”  The person started helping Sola move down the hall.  “My name is Dr. Jonathan Rivers, I’ll help get you out of here.”

            “Well anyway, what are you doing here?” Fhal asked pushing a corpse off the reception desk and sitting in its place.  “I’m here looking for a woman named Clarissa.”  Fhal ran his gloved finger through the blood on the desk and then licked it off his finger.  “Clarissa you say…  I know her.” Fhal picked up his plate of food and began eating.  Jordan got a fresh grip on his sword.  “Take me to see her, it’s my destiny to kill her.” Fhal chuckled.  “Destiny, don’t start with me about that topic.  But yes I know Clarissa well at this point; she’s my favorite new subject.” Jordan drove his sword into the ground as an attempt to scare Fhal.  “What did you do to her, you better have not killed her!” Jordan screamed.  “I’m not telling…  But I can tell you that she has one of the best chests on a woman I’ve ever seen.” Fhal knew he had hit a nerve in Jordan.  Jordan screamed and charged at Fhal.  Fhal smiled and threw his plate like a Frisbee at Jordan, who had no choice but to dodge it.  Fhal went into action and caught Jordan off guard and jabbed him in several pressure points locking up his left arm.  Jordan swung at Fhal using only his right hand.  “Impressive, able to swing a sword like that with only one hand.  You must be strong.” Fhal jumped back to a safe distance.  “How can you move that fast?  I’ve never seen that before.” Jordan asked making an attempt to move his paralyzed left arm, which he still couldn’t.  “I’m not surprised that you don’t recognize my name, EDGE has kept me hidden for a while, but like I said…” Fhal paused.  “My name is Fhal Rufflesia, one of EDGE’s successfully designed elementalists.  I’m an elementalist of health.” Fhal began hysterically laughing, but Jordan’s face never changed.

            Jordan whipped his sword back and readied his crush, but then remembered that he couldn’t do it more than once or he’d pass out.  “I’ll tell you something else too, Mr. Jordan.” Fhal removed a scalpel from a kit in his back pocket and licked the blade.  “Clarissa has a very sexual scream, I like it, I wish I could hear it now.  But first you have to die, allow me to show you my weapon.”  Fhal made an incision along the back of his neck.  Jordan cringed at the sound of the flesh tearing, Fhal giggled while he did it.  He then reached behind his back and grabbed his now exposed spine and began to pull.  After an unbelievable moment, Fhal had removed his spine and the rest of his body collapsed onto the ground.  “Why did he do that?” Jordan asked himself, but then Fhal suddenly started to move again.  “It took a little longer to regrown my spine than last time.” He said standing up, each of his bones cracking back into place as he did.  “I’m able to regrown and regenerate at a decent rate, however, each of my regenerations must originate from me.  Therefore I use my own spine as a club.” Fhal told Jordan all the details; it was now evident that Jordan had to be careful while fighting Fhal.

            Donny, Veronika and Clay almost ran right into the battle but stopped themselves before they did.  “That’s the guy that fought me before, he’s a strong fighter, and who’s the doctor?” Donny whispered.  “That’s Dr. Fhal Rufflesia, and you can put me down now…” Veronika said annoyed.  “Oh sorry.” Donny put Veronika on the ground.  “Thank you…” Veronika said as she passed out making Donny catch her again.  Fhal and Jordan clashed weapons as Clay watched the epic battle.  “Do we wait until the two of them kill each other?” Clay asked.  “I don’t know, but this girl passed out, she’s alive but out of energy, I’ll need to carry her again, so I can’t fight.” Donny said when something caught his eye.  “Clay…  sweetie…” Sola’s voice murmured through the hall.  Clay turned around and saw Jonathan carrying Sola down the hall.  Sola broke free of Jonathan and staggered towards Clay only to collapse at his feet.  “Sola!  Your alive!” Clay said holding her unconscious body, tears coming to his eyes.  Jonathan saw Veronika unconscious on the floor.  “Is she okay?” He asked Donny.  Donny stood up and pointed his sword at Jonathan.  “You are wearing an EDGE uniform, why are you helping us?” He demanded an answer.  “My names Jonathan, after the war I was forced to work here…  I can tell you everything after.” Jonathan grabbed his stomach and fell to his knees.  “Are you alright, you don’t look too good Jonathan.” Donny was interrupted when Anri jumped on his back.  “Donny!  I’m so happy your okay!  I knew you’d find your way out!” Donny was surprised at first but then relieved.  He reached up and put his hand on the back of her crying head.  “I’m glad that your okay too, your father would have my head if anything happen to you…  Why are you crying milady.” Donny was now concerned.  Anri whispered in his ear.  “Because you’re my only friend.” She cried.  Luna and Clarissa ran by and stood with Clay as he looked over Sola.  Then Mia came in last and stood beside Donny and looked as Jonathan checked on Veronika, everyone was back together.  “So what’s our plan?” Mia asked getting a glimpse of Jordan and Fhal’s fight.  “Clarissa, isn’t that the guy who wants to kill you?” Mia asked.  Clarissa looked around the corner too.  Clarissa felt uneasy upon seeing Jordan, “I don’t even know who he is, but I really hope he kills Fhal.”  A red flash blinded the two of them, Jordan and Fhal’s fight was getting intense.

            “Ow, you know that’s happen so much, I’m actually starting to get used to the pain.” Fhal said placing his spine on the ground and then picking up his severed arm.  Jordan was on the other side of the room panting with several new cuts on his chest.  “Your fond of cutting off arms, huh? Just look at poor Jackson.  I never thought his insides would look like that.”  Fhal lifted his arm up to the stump that it used to be part of, the tendons, muscles, bone, and flesh that had been destroyed reappeared slowly making his arm whole again.  “You are some sort of monster.”  Jordan said.  “I wish!  I don’t even know my call yet.  Imagine how much worse I can get?” Fhal flexed his reattached arm.  “Do you already know your crush, unfortunately I already used mine for the day.”  Fhal chuckled.  “I don’t really care to use mine so much.  But I guess I’ll show you.”  Fhal raised his spine into the air and all the corpses in the room began to stir.  “It isn’t fully developed yet, but I can reanimate the dead, I…  Can zombify the dead.”  The corpses began crying as if they were still alive and still suffering, Jordan was horrified.  He always made sure his kills were quick and painless; he didn’t like the thought of suffering.  While Jordan was distracted by the three reanimated corpses and was relieved to see most of them remained dead, Fhal attacked charging forward.  Rage filled Jordan as he turned around with lightning reflexes and grabbed Fhal by the neck and squeezed as hard as he could.  “How dare you make these people suffer their own death twice, your not a monster, you’re a disgrace.”  Fhal was appalled.  “Your arm…  I paralyzed it…  How can you move it?!” Fhal barked.  “I’m an elementalist of energy, I’m using that energy to move my arm, that’s also how I’m able to carry such a heavy sword with one hand.” Jordan smiled, happy to know that Fhal was now at his mercy.

            Everyone ran up the stairs, they had snuck past Jordan and Fhal as they talked.  “Good thinking Clarissa, those pillars provided perfect cover.” Clay said carrying Sola up the stairs.  Jonathan helped Donny get Veronika on his back before he too climbed the stairs.  Jonathan stayed at the bottom of the stairs while everyone else climbed up and out, Jonathan felt like he had to watch this fight; he wanted to see Fhal die.  “Come on kid, you’ve got him.”

            Fhal panicked and stabbed his spine into Jordan’s shoulder who was unfazed by it.  “That won’t stop me from ending your life, you’re pathetic.” Jordan drove his sword through Fhal’s stomach and pinned him to one of the pillars.  “You can’t beat me, I’ll just regenerate!” Fhal laughed trying to free himself.  “You can’t regenerate if nothing is left!” Jordan gabbed his sword with both hands and smiled as he spoke.  “Call: Vaporize!” Fhal’s eyes widened.  “You can’t know your call!  You can’t!” A second later Fhal began screaming and then burst into a red mist that settled into a pool on the ground.  “That was close.” Jordan panted pulling his sword out of the pillar; there was no sign of Fhal, even his clothes vaporized into a mist.  Shortly after Jordan fell to his knees and dropped his sword.  “My call, that took so much energy…”

            Jonathan smiled and began climbing up the stairs.  But a voice prevented him from going any further.  “Jonathan…” He looked back down the stairs.  “Nahdinae…?”  He walked back down the stairs and crouched near her body, she was still alive but just barely.  “I was…  Hoping I’d see you…” She forced out.  “No Nahdinae, don’t speak.  Just rest I’ll get you out of here.”  Nahdinae smiled.  “Your…  Always thinking of everyone…  Else…  I’m all set right here…” Nahdinae closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  “Nahdinae…”  Jonathan grabbed her hand and held her in his arms.  “No please…  Just listen Jonathan…  I’ve always thought about you…  And a future of us…  Together…  Our kids would look just like you…  They would have been so cute…” Nahdinae laughed, but her laugh turned into a disturbing cough.  “Please stop talking Nahdinae, your killing yourself!” Jonathan was crying at the sight of his best friend dying, he though she had escaped like all women and doctors of EDGE were supposed to do in this situation.  “I already know I’m going to die…  I just don’t want to…  Die without telling you…  That I wish we…  Met a different way so I…  Could have fallen in…  Love with you properly…” Nahdinae smiled at Jonathan and rested her head against his chest before she finally passed on.  Jonathan pressed his forehead up against hers and he cried like he had never cried before.  Jonathan had loved her, and he did want children with her, and he did wish they met a different way.  But as much as Jonathan loved Nahdinae there was a growing spot in his heart for Veronika.  But he had lost the girl he loved and now he was also being forced to share a body with a monster.