All the white winged stallions came to the front of their stalls, kicking their doors and calling to her. Although they were all identical, there was one particular stallion Emily recognized immediately. Once again she climbed from her wheelchair.
‘Careful, Emily,’ Agent PS warned. ‘These experiments are our big failure. We can’t seem to create calm Pegasi.’
Emily cringed at the name. ‘They are not Pegasi!’ she shot. ‘There was only one Pegasus. These are just winged horses.’
Agent PS straightened his back. The dark expression on his face said more than his words. ‘If you insist. They are all dangerous monsters. The only reason we’ve kept them alive is for you.’
Emily ignored the warning and hopped over to a stall. ‘Hi, Tornado,’ she called softly as she stroked his soft muzzle.
Tornado Warning neighed with excitement and looked at her with his big brown eyes. Emily looked deep into those eyes, but could find no trace of Pegasus. It was true, Tornado was just a beautiful winged stallion who looked like Pegasus, but was nothing like him.
‘Pegs is dead,’ she softly whispered as she laid her head against his warm face. ‘But I won’t let them hurt you.’ She looked down at all the other stalls. ‘Any of you. I’m here, you’re safe now.’
As Emily hopped from stall to stall, each white winged stallion came forward to greet her with no aggression. They knew who she was, and wanted to be with her.
Finally she returned to Tornado just as one of the scientists ran into the area. He approached Agent PS and Agent R and handed over several sheets of paper. Soon all eyes turned to Emily.
The expression on Agent PS’s face darkened further. ‘Do you want to know what these are? They are the results of your blood tests. And you know what? They say you don’t exist! You have no blood cells, no DNA and no matter! They say you are made up of nothing!’ Agent PS crumpled the pages and threw them away. He stormed over to her. ‘OK, the game’s over. Who the hell are you? And what did you do with the real Emily Jacobs?’
34
Thousands of Olympians of all shapes and sizes gathered to watch their leader’s departure. There was no joy in their faces and their heads hung low. It had been aeons since the Big Three had turned the Solar Stream on a living world. But this time it was especially painful. They were about to destroy the Flame of Olympus’s home world.
Vesta stood at the front of the crowd, weeping softly. Venus and Cupid were beside her. Cupid’s wings drooped as he dropped his head in sorrow. Several Nirads in the crowds raised their heads and howled mournfully.
Paelen ran with Emily’s father up to Jupiter’s chariot. ‘Please, Jupiter,’ Steve begged. ‘You can’t do this!’
The leader of Olympus’s expression was as dark and thundery as the lightning bolts he carried. ‘I can and I must. The humans must be punished for what they have done to us.’
Jupiter’s large golden chariot was being drawn by six fiery, winged stallions. They pawed the ground, causing flames to rise up, and chewed at their bits, anxious to get moving.
Beside Jupiter’s chariot stood Pluto’s own black chariot, made entirely of the bones of the most valiant stallions fallen in battle. Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades, was beside the leader of the night-world. The chariot was being drawn by a set of six black, skeletal stallions. The stallions had not seen the light of an Olympian day for so long that Pluto had to tie dark rags over the empty eye sockets to calm them.
On the other side of Jupiter waited Neptune, clutching his war trident. His eyes were the colour of a stormy sea. Beneath him, his chariot was made of coral, large colourful seashells and beautiful pearls. It was floating on top of a contained pool of water while six large, fish-tailed, sea-stallions waited and whinnied, preparing to move.
Behind the Big Three, four other chariots filled with the best Olympian fighters waited to follow their leader into battle. Vulcan was riding with Hercules and was carrying his most powerful shields and weapons.
Diana approached Steve as he continued to plead with Jupiter. She was wearing full battle armour and carrying a spear and shield. Her long dark hair was tied tightly back and her expression was grim.
‘Steve, stop,’ she said. ‘Father is correct. We tried to give Emily a chance to save your world, but she has failed. Now Earth must face the consequences of their actions. I have sent Apollo to New York to fetch your sister. Maureen will be saved from destruction and given a new home here in Olympus. But there is nothing that can be done for the others. Please ride with me in my chariot.’
He looked at her incredulously. ‘You expect me to go with you and watch you destroy my world?’
Jupiter shook his head. ‘No, Steve. You are the Flame’s father. Emily will need you now more than ever. You must come with us to be there for her.’
That comment stopped Steve’s protest. Finally he walked back to Diana’s chariot and reluctantly climbed on with her.
‘And you, little thief,’ Jupiter said darkly to Paelen, ‘you and my nephew, Chrysaor, will lead us to where they are holding Joel. Then we will collect Emily, Pegasus and Alexis, and end this once and for all.’
Paelen and Chrysaor had also tried to plead with Jupiter, but had received a stark warning. The furious leader had threatened to feed them to Cerberus.
Paelen dropped his head and walked up to the winged boar. He climbed on his back. ‘Do you think he will ever forgive us?’
Chrysaor squealed softly.
Paelen agreed. ‘I do not think so either.’
Once everyone was gathered, Jupiter raised his fist in the air and thunder and lightning filled the skies.
‘To Earth!’ he commanded.
They emerged from the Solar Stream in the middle of the dark night. Beneath them, the colourful lights of Las Vegas were shining brightly. With Chrysaor and Paelen guiding them forward, they headed down.
As they descended, Paelen looked back. The Big Three lead the way. On the left was Pluto’s bone chariot with the skeletal stallions charging forward. Their haunting screams filled the air and struck a chill in Paelen’s heart. On the right was Neptune’s chariot with the sea-stallions rising on the crest of the huge wave of water Neptune had created around his chariot. Then in the very centre was Jupiter’s golden chariot with its flaming stallions filling the night sky with their blazing light. Together they were a terrifying sight.
Jupiter raised his lightning bolts and fired them in the air, announcing the Olympians’ arrival in the sky over Las Vegas. They continued down until they were just a few metres above traffic level. Car horns blared at the sight of the flying chariots tearing down the strip and people on the street panicked and ran for cover.
Jupiter threw back his head and roared in fury as he unleashed more lighting bolts at the unsuspecting city. They struck the tall casinos and exploded with the impact as fire and sparks rained down on the streets.
Neptune raised his trident and commanded the water hidden deep below the city to rise up and burst through the surface. Streams of fresh water shot high into the air.
Pluto released Cerberus. The three-headed dog sprang from the chariot and ran amok in the stopped traffic. His three heads caught hold of the bumper of an empty tourist bus and lifted it in the air. Cerberus then started to shake it like a dog would shake a toy.
Las Vegas was in an uproar with the arrival of the Olympians. But the chariots did not stop. They continued to follow Paelen through the city streets until they reached the police station and jail where Paelen had been held.
When Chrysaor landed on the top step outside the jail, Jupiter called his stallions to a halt. They hovered in the air several metres off the ground. The leader of Olympus raised a lightning bolt and fired at the police station.
‘Bring out Joel!’ he commanded as his booming voice filled the canyons of the city. ‘Now!’
The doors to the station burst open as armed police poured out. Paelen had seen this all before and ducked down into the protection of Chrysaor’s w
ings. Behind him, Jupiter continued to demand Joel’s release. But the police weren’t listening. They opened fire on the chariots. Unaffected by their bullets, Jupiter returned fire with his lightning bolts. Suddenly the ground beneath the police exploded as Neptune commanded water to come forth.
‘My brothers, stop!’ Pluto called.
When Jupiter and Neptune paused, Pluto bowed elegantly to them. ‘Please, allow me …’
The leader of the night-world stepped down from his skeletal chariot. He was dressed in his long and flowing black robes. He carried no weapon. He didn’t need one. Pluto was death.
With Diana and Hercules moving in behind him, Pluto walked slowly and calmly up the steps of the station. ‘Surrender now or you will be delivered to me,’ he called.
The nearest police officer raised his weapon and fired at Pluto. The bullets entered his robes, but had no effect. ‘Fool!’ Pluto said softly as he swept his hand in the air. An instant later, the officer collapsed dead to the ground.
‘Who is next?’ Pluto demanded as his eyes trailed over the police officers. ‘Who will take on Death?’ His eyes landed on a young policewoman. ‘Perhaps you, young woman? Are you ready to end your life early?’
The young policewoman cried in terror and threw down her weapon. She fell to her knees and begged for her life.
‘Granted,’ Pluto said as he breezed past, leaving her untouched.
The other police officers quickly threw down their weapons and fell to the ground.
Diana moved forward. She caught hold of the policewoman and hauled her to her feet. ‘Tell me – where is the boy, Joel? He has a silver arm and is a prisoner here.’
‘I swear I don’t know who you’re talking about,’ the policewoman wept. ‘Please, I’ve only just started working here today!’
Diana’s eyes scanned the other officers. ‘Who here knows Joel?’ she demanded. ‘Answer me now or you will know our wrath!’
‘He’s not here!’ A large police officer called. ‘They took him.’
Hercules trotted over to the man and lifted him high off the ground. ‘Who took him?’ he demanded. ‘Where is he?’
‘The CRU!’ the officer cried. ‘They came for him two days ago. He’s not here. The CRU have him!’
Hercules started to shake the man. ‘Are you certain? Where would they take him?’
‘That is enough, Hercules,’ Diana called. ‘Put him down.’
The hero of Olympus lowered the police officer to the ground. He loomed over the man, almost a foot taller, and his eyes blazed the same colour of Jupiter’s. ‘Where did they take him?’ he repeated.
‘I-I don’t know. Maybe Area 51.’
Paelen groaned at the mention of the CRU base in the desert. He looked back at Jupiter. ‘We know where that is. Chrysaor and I will take you there.’
‘Do it!’ Jupiter demanded.
As Diana, Hercules and Pluto returned to their chariots, the building beside them exploded in fire and flying debris. Above them came the heavy thudding sound of helicopters.
Paelen groaned a second time. ‘It is the military!’ he cried to Jupiter. ‘Those are the machines they use to attack us!’
A second rocket was fired at the Olympians. Jupiter raised his arm and the rocket shot away from the chariots and tore into the police station. It exploded on impact. All the windows were blown out as the building groaned under the pressure.
Jupiter looked up at the hovering helicopters and fired powerful lightning bolts at them. They burst into flame and crashed down to the street in a heap of burning metal.
‘Olympians,’ Jupiter called in fury, ‘let us show these people who we are!’
The leader of Olympus commanded his fiery stallions to lift them higher in the air. As they rose above the burning buildings, they saw the sky was filled with hundreds of military aircraft heading straight for them. Jets zoomed past and launched a barrage of rockets at them.
With little effort, Jupiter diverted them and they flew wildly into more buildings. ‘Father,’ Diana roared excitedly, ‘if they wish to fight, let us give them a fight!’
At Jupiter’s command, the Olympians launched themselves at the military. Jupiter ordered Paelen and Chrysaor to move away from the battle until it was over, as they had no weapons and no means of protecting themselves. Not waiting to be told twice, they flew away from the fighting and headed to the tall black building. Ducking and dodging between the buildings and helicopters that pursued them, they finally made it back to the relative safety of the roof of the black building. Standing together, they watched the fight raging in Las Vegas.
Not far from their roof, three military helicopters pursued Neptune’s chariot on his living wave of water. They fired their guns and launched their rockets at him. But Neptune fought back. He raised his trident in the air. Water spouts rose from the ground and knocked the rockets away. They flew straight at the city’s tallest golden tower. With the impact of multiple rockets, the tall tower shuddered. Finally, like a great monster defeated in battle, it tipped over and crashed violently to the ground.
‘Chrysaor, look,’ Paelen said in hushed shock as he pointed further up the strip. Helicopters and jets were firing at Jupiter’s chariot and the one containing Diana and Emily’s father. But the weapons did not strike their mark. They were deflected by the Olympians’ powers and crashed into the big black pyramid. The light at its top went out, the windows exploded and the building burst into flame.
‘The military are destroying their own city in the hopes of stopping us. Can they not see the damage they are doing to their people? The lives they are wrecking? They cannot defeat Jupiter – why are they even trying?’
Paelen couldn’t understand any of it. Not everyone in this city was bad, and yet they were being destroyed. Perhaps in the past he might not have cared. But after growing to know and love Emily and Joel, he had learned how good humans could be. Watching this destruction only made it sadder.
Chrysaor squealed in horrified agreement as they stood together watching the destruction of Las Vegas.
35
Emily sat alone in her room. She was reeling from what the doctors and scientists said. After the strange blood results, Emily had allowed them to examine her fully. Not only was she not human any more, she wasn’t really ‘alive’. It was true that she had blood. It was red and it was wet. But it didn’t have any cells in it. And although she had internal organs and a beating heart, they were not necessary to her survival.
‘What am I?’ she said aloud. ‘Pegasus, what happened to me in the Temple of the Flame?’
Emily heard the sounds of a scuffle outside her door. She hopped over just as it was opened by a Nirad. Out in the corridor, A-Two and A-Three were lifting several unconscious human soldiers off the floor. They carried them into her room and deposited them on the bed.
‘What happened?’ she asked as the Nirads bound the soldiers.
‘Prince – frightened – trouble – go!’
‘Prince Tobin is in trouble?’
A-Two nodded. ‘Come.’ Without asking, he scooped her up in two of his arms and carried her into the corridor.
Emily pushed aside her concerns for herself. At the moment her only thought was for Prince Tobin. As they entered the stairwell and started down, she tried to ask the Nirads what was happening, but their single-word answers puzzled her.
After several flights, the three Nirads stopped. A-Two dropped Emily. He and the others collapsed to the floor clutching their heads.
‘Hurt – prince!’ A-Two cried. ‘Pain!’
Fear coursed through her. ‘They’re hurting Tobin?’
A-Two nodded and howled in agony.
‘Please, I know you’re hurting. But you must take me to him. I can help!’
Black tears of suffering were streaming down the Nirads’ faces as A-Two picked up Emily again. Other collapsed Nirads were howling in the stairwell.
‘Come with us,’ Emily ordered. ‘We will free Tobin!’
A-Two roared at the others. They staggered to their feet and started to follow.
The growing group continued down deeper than Emily thought possible. She realized Agent PS had been very selective in his ‘tour’ of the CRU facility. He’d claimed it only went down a few levels. He’d lied.
At the very bottom, Emily heard growls and roars filling the corridor. She recognized Tirk’s voice. But worse than that, she heard Prince Tobin screaming in agony.
The closer they were to the screaming, the harder it became for her Nirad escorts to move.
A-Two collapsed to the floor. ‘Pain!’
Emily crawled from his arms. ‘I’ll stop your pain. Wait here.’
Without her leg brace, walking was difficult and running impossible. But then her mind went back to the scientist’s horrible words. She wasn’t human. She wasn’t even alive. Emily pulled up her trouser leg past her knee and looked at her damaged leg. It had been hurt in her first encounter with the Nirads. But as she studied the deep scars and ruined muscles, Emily wondered if the scars were only there because she thought they should be.
Emily concentrated harder than she ever had in her life. ‘Your leg is whole,’ she ordered. ‘There is no damage. It is perfect!’
The screaming of her friends threatened to distract her. But Emily closed her eyes to force it away and concentrate. ‘You leg is whole!’ she commanded. ‘There is no damage.’
She opened her eyes and slowly looked down. Her bare leg was healed. No more scars and no more damage. She lifted her foot and flexed her muscles. They worked perfectly. Part of her celebrated her success. But deep down, in the darkest recesses of her mind, a part of her cried in despair. It was true. Emily Jacobs was gone. And if she wasn’t human or Olympian, what was she?
With two good working legs, Emily ran forward. She pushed through a set of double doors and entered a room of horrors.
The walls were lined with large steel cages holding what looked like failed clone experiments. She saw a Diana with four Nirad arms and no legs. There were Nirads with grotesque Cupid wings. Some of the creatures had two heads and were lying on the floors of their cages in misery. Others were beyond rational description. From her place at the door, Emily could feel their pain coming at her in waves.