Chap 129: Take Care of Cupcake

Since Miko and Tee were still talking, two-way communication remained active. Every conscious ear picked up Zod’s short, shrill cry.

Miko pressed her telecom to her right ear. “Zod, what is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Tee and Saeda froze, waiting for his response.

Zod reached Kie’s lifeless body hovering in space. It looked like a headless mannequin dressed in Kie’s mission attire. His trembling hands reached for Kie’s right arm, but felt no pulse before he pulled him closer. His eyes blinked nonstop at the clean cut above the stub left of Kie’s neck.

“Kie is decapitated,” he shrieked. The high pitch of his voice carried a hint of disbelief, as if it were a question. He wasn’t reckless enough to touch the gash, looking away instead.

Those words left the others in stunned silence, but only Tee kept turning it over in her mind. Warning signs began exploding in Zod, Miko, and Saeda’s awareness, pulling their focus elsewhere.

“We need to get out of here,” Saeda said, staring at the more defined red cloud surrounding them. It wasn’t advancing from one side anymore—it seemed to close in from all directions. The pain in her leg flared at the thought of more agony to come. She pressed her trembling lips together.

“I don’t understand,” Miko said, looking around frantically. “Why is the cloud moving slower than before? It should’ve reached us already.” She shut her eyes and opened her palms to push against the incoming red cloud of annihilation. Nothing came. The tight pinches on her forehead forced her eyes open.

Unknown to the guardians, the environment beneath them was reforming. Since the Sealed Bond had been deactivated rather than reset, the surrounding gases had almost fully returned and were being absorbed by the Omega matter, slowing it down.

Lilith, however, persisted in controlling the matter to annihilate the four Sentinels. She had already enclosed them in a ball, preventing escape. All that remained was to fill the interior and obliterate everything inside.

Zod slung Kie’s right arm over his shoulder and blasted forward with one hand. Progress was slow, and the danger signs flashing all over his body made it difficult to concentrate on holding Kie.

Miko and Saeda began blasting energy from their palms. The move made the danger hit home—they weren’t just scared. They were seeing how close they were to annihilation. Their speed increased, aided by the returning air.

“Hey!” Zod yelled.

Miko and Saeda immediately stopped blasting to avoid overshooting him. Kie’s headless body made their hearts jump.

“Where’s the head?” Miko moaned, tears welling. “You should have gotten the head!”

“T-There was no head,” Zod snapped, his eyes glowing red. “Besides, it’ll grow back.”

“Ahem!” Saeda cleared her throat loudly. “Are we teleporting or what?”

Tee brought her telecom closer to her ears, waiting for the moment she’d been holding her breath for. Hovering in the deep blues with no life in sight for miles was unnerving. Even worse, a small part of her still questioned whether Sade had trapped her in some prison dimension. She held the ringed fragment tightly in her other hand, ready to bite down on the teleportation button.

Saeda, Miko, and Zod became painfully aware of the shrinking space around them. When needles seemed to stab at their skin, Saeda’s eyes flashed with blue light. A blue energy sphere appeared around them, catching Zod and Miko’s eyes in surprise. Any smiles they had vanished instantly as holes began tearing through the sphere.

“Let’s teleport already!” Saeda yelled.

Tee took that as her cue and bit down on her telecom to activate teleportation. Zod had to press his telecom with his teeth while holding Kie. Miko also bit her telecom, using her free hand to grab Kie’s.

Saeda didn’t think about the energy sphere dropping while she was frozen. Heck, she didn’t even know how she did it!

Tee hovered far away in the deep blue void while her other teammates huddled together inside the enclosing nebula. They froze like glowing blue statues as long-distance teleportation activated. It worked thanks to the Ultramana energy they all radiated. Even the unconscious Kie added to the pool. But it wasn’t a quick victory for them.

Saeda’s energy sphere was devoured while she and her teammates remained frozen. It took two minutes for them to fade from their surroundings, but by then the red death cloud had already consumed large portions of their bodies.

The Lieutenant and the Commander waited with deep furrows in their brows, eyes fixed on the five teenagers slowly appearing inside the mission base. Medical staff crowded around them, while hacking experts ran their scans.

The Commander questioned whether punishing cadets for using long-distance teleportation was rational. They relied on it too heavily, and he had intended to drill that lesson into their heads during training.

But he dismissed the thought after seeing the shrunken, bloodied bodies on the pristine white floors. His eyes twitched when he realized only his unruly cadet had returned intact—with the fragment. Why was that? His brows knitted.

Tee collapsed onto her knees, coughing up blood onto the white-lit floor. Breathing was easier there, but the bright light forced her eyes shut. When the large ring was pulled from her tight grasp, she forced her eyes open. Craned neck straining, she watched the fragment glide away, surrounded by glowing symbols. The soreness from her burst veins made her glance back down, gritting her teeth against the pain.

The fragment wasn’t alive, and it was only about the size of a palm. That allowed the Lieutenant and three other Primus workers to teleport it to the elders in an instant.

The labored breathing and short moans slowly melted the rage building in Tee’s head. She pushed herself up from the ground and caught a glimpse of her teammates between the Primus workers. Seeing them lifted away on levitating stretchers wrenched her heart.

Half of Miko’s head was gone, along with one eye, exposing parts of her brain. Like Zod and Saeda, she fidgeted all over. It seemed Zod was missing limbs too, though she only saw his chin. Saeda’s right shoulder was gone, white specks from her joint exposed. Her eyes widened when she thought she saw Kie without a head. No way! Her stomach grumbled, and she leaned forward to vomit onto the floor.

The Commander’s formal voice made her ears twitch. “Cadet, that’s the second time you’ve barfed since you arrived here. For your sake, I hope it’s only due to your battered condition—”

“Tee, you need medical help,” interrupted the Lieutenant softly. She stopped beside Tee and placed a hand on her blood-soaked shoulder. “And reveal to your teammates your secret. This is getting out of hand.”

The Lieutenant’s words pricked at Tee’s heart. It reminded her that only three people present were fully clueless about what she truly was—and she needed to keep it that way. She wiped the smear from her mouth but kept her hand there, swallowing the acidic bile.

Once the slimy lump slid down her throat, she closed her eyes for a moment. Three deep breaths through her nostrils dried the water behind her eyelids. The shivering stopped, and she opened her eyes.

She knew well the soft stamps of the medical workers. The green-clothed legs moving around her belonged to Vergants. The levitating stretcher gliding beside her made her lips twitch. She didn’t want to climb on it, but the pain left her no choice.

Meanwhile, Lilith glided through the red vortex Riven had made. The darkness around her rivaled the void, broken only by streaks of splitting light above. Her dark smoke form swirled like a mini-tornado before fading into her slender form, clad in a fitting black dress.

Sade told Lilith through his telepathic link that he sensed no dark energy from the vessel. Furthermore, her Ultramana side had disrupted him, as he pointed to his face.

Neither Riven nor Lilith could see his expression, hidden behind the grey curtains of his hair. His words contradicted his actions.

Lilith spoke in a firm voice as she approached Sade. “It is all in line. The vessel possesses both light and dark, which makes her the key. The dark energy signature alone proves her dark side. It is necessary for her to harness both to fulfill her destiny.”

She gracefully brushed Sade’s shoulder, transferring some of her power, then stepped away into the deepening darkness.

Riven knew Sade was going to use that power on his appearance first. It suggested Sade keep the deformed face—it looked better that way.

Sade brushed aside the strands of his hair to reveal his pale face. His black-filled eyes popped against his skin as he opened them. He addressed the four-eyed poultry, mocking that at least he could do something about his form.

Riven spread its wings to appear larger, chiding Sade for not trying hard enough to help it.

Sade stood and reassured Riven that it was a hopeless case. It needed to accept itself and move on—find a hen and enjoy the short time it had left. The end had never been closer, and he could taste it. He licked his lips with his black tongue.

Riven created a vortex to pursue Legion. Legion had ventured into the modern world to feed, as Vergant villages were too difficult. Unlike Sade, Legion considered Lilith’s power a cheat. After all, it was the screams of pain that truly fueled his souls. The underground districts were perfect.

Tee was the first to awaken in the infirmary. She waited an hour, but none of her comrades stirred. Her grumbling stomach forced her toward the kitchen in search of food. With each bite of bacon and cheesy goodness, she swallowed, her mind fixed on her teammates. 

She covered the tray with a cloche and followed her gut back to the infirmary. She nudged the large door and squeezed her foreseeing vision through the crack. Her chest filled with strength seeing everyone except Kie awake.

She pushed the door open and walked in. “Guess who brought you brunch in bed?” she called aloud, her voice echoing against the walls.

Zod, Miko, and Saeda sat upright on their beds and turned toward her.

“You made us brunch?” Zod asked, jaw dropping.

Tee, with half-opened eyes, replied from near him, “No. It’s leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.”

Zod slumped his shoulders. “Oh.”

“How thoughtful of you, Tee.” Miko examined her as she approached with the tray and cloche. “Where are the plates and utensils to eat with?”

Tee stopped and lifted the cloche. The steam had long dissipated, leaving nothing rising to block her face as expected. She gasped, “…What?”

Saeda rolled her eyes and swung her legs to one side of the bed. “You really are thoughtful, Tee—too thoughtful.”

Kie lay asleep on the far bed. Tee walked toward the others, offering them the items on the tray. Zod was the first to take one.

Ten minutes after talking about the previous hell, Saeda grew weak and asked for a popover. Being the nice friend she was, Tee resisted the urge to toss one at her and walked over instead.

“You’re too kind,” Saeda said in a monotone. She took one of the two remaining popovers, inspected it, and then nibbled a small bite.

“Anything for a friend.” Tee sat at the end of Saeda’s bed and faced Zod and Miko. “Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. After I touched Sade's face with my glowing hand, I got trapped in a vortex.”

Miko’s jaw dropped. “Really? How did you escape?”

Tee swallowed. “I’m still trying to figure that part out. I’m not even sure how long I was there. But the important thing is, I landed a blow on a Harbinger—and even got a fragment—me, all by myself.”

“Don’t forget Kie,” Miko blurted. “I think he may have done something to Legion too.”

“Yeah,” Zod said. “The way he attacked Legion was wicked. Man, he needs to tell me how he does it. Thinking about my dad makes me angry, but it’s still not enough.”

Tee shoved the last popover into her mouth, chewing slowly as she thought. Indeed, it seemed Kie had a father. So he was born from humans, after all.

She turned to look at him, but his flawless face stole her attention.

Blinking several times at Kie’s unblemished face, her lips fell into an ugly frown. “No way,” she muttered, her voice low, almost like a dead man on his last breath.

It was true—their scars faded more with each waking from deep sleep. But she had never expected to see Kie like that.

Zod didn’t hear her and shifted his attention to Saeda. “Guess who sparked another useful ability?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Saeda, you need to show me how you created that energy sphere.”

Saeda looked away, hoping her curly hair hid her face. Both Miko and Zod noticed her cheeks puff up with a smile.

Tee tore her gaze from Kie. “Really? What color was the sphere?”

“What an odd question.” Zod swung his leg to the side of the bed and fixed his eyes on Tee. “First you bring us leftovers in bed, and now this question?” He rubbed his chin. “Are you really Tee, or a spy?”

“It was blue,” Miko said with a grin as she rose to her feet.

Tee wanted to crush the metal tray into a stick but remembered she wasn’t alone. Screw learning to create her dark energy force shield—or sphere, whatever. She needed abilities that looked like her teammates.

The more you fought the virus, the stronger it got—that dark thought ran through her mind. She blinked, everything blurry, then snapped back into sharp focus.

“Kie is taking a while to wake up,” Miko said.

Zod stood. “Yeah. Let’s not wait around any longer. He’ll probably have another strategy session to plan how we take down the Harbingers.” He walked off, tugging at the fabric from his butt cheeks. “I swear, if I see that axe from Legion again, I’m going to shove it somewhere unpleasant.”

“Lay off the imagery,” Saeda said, looking as if she’d just seen the Commander nude.

Zod glanced back at Tee. Her eyes were locked on Kie like she planned to devour him. Shaking his head, he called over his shoulder, “Tee, be careful. Hormones can make us do crazy things.”

A shiver ran down Tee’s spine at his words, and she looked away from Kie’s clean face. What exactly was Zod implying?

“We can leave. Tee will take care of her cupcake. See what I did there? Tee and cupcake?” Saeda said with a mocking grin.

Miko covered her mouth, then in a split second, rushed out from between the beds to follow the others. Her shoulders bounced up and down as she moved.

The others left the infirmary, but Tee stayed behind for Kie. She thought it would be sweet for him to wake up and see her there.

She approached him. His hair was dry from the chemical wash—his lips too. They reminded her of their first date, when he pursed them before pulling them apart. Her lips twitched, aching to stretch into a smile. She brushed his hair, but in an instant, her eyes caught his large forehead.

“Wow.”

She blinked repeatedly at the expanse above his brows. Her own brows knitted—there had never been a scar there. Mr. Big Bad was just self-conscious. But seriously, his forehead was massive.

Kie chuckled at the gentle brush across his forehead. He remembered his mother playing with his hair to wake him. He’d always stifled his laughter, pretending to be fast asleep, then sprung his eyes open to scare her.

The flash of his mother’s lifeless hand leaving his grip wiped the smile from his face.

His mother was dead.

Tee’s ears twitched at Kie’s chuckle. His eyelids cracked open, and when he saw her, it wasn’t his mother—but someone beautiful. Tee.

“Cooper.” Her voice echoed off the walls before she realized the wide smile on her face.

The shimmer in his eyes made her chest tighten.

He leaned up, noticing they were alone in the infirmary, and smirked as he swung his legs off the bed. “How the tables have turned.”

She held her arms out. “Come on, Kie. I’ll carry you to your room.”

Kie looked at her with a serious, condemning expression, brows knitted. Her lips burst into laughter.

“You carrying me in your arms—never happening.”

Since their previous mission had taken up the day, they had missed training and now had the day to themselves. They recalled the events of that mission, and Kie gagged at hearing that he had been headless. But it wasn’t as shocking as the fact that his face had completely cleared of scars. 

Kie didn’t mind anyone glimpsing him when they thought he wasn’t looking—especially Tee. Being alive again after decapitation reminded him why she was the one for him. They had both survived deathly situations more than once, coming out unscathed. They were both deathless, and he had no problem letting her into his heart.

Tee remembered the moment during the mission when Kie had mentioned his dad before bursting into raging Ultramana prowess. While washing dishes together seemed like the perfect moment to ask him about it.

“You mentioned your dad earlier on our mission, but you got so mad afterward… want to talk about it?”

Silence. He kept scrubbing the dishes, letting out a deep growl.

“It’s okay,” she added. “I just don’t know my real parents, and I get excited hearing other people talk about theirs. Since we’re a couple and all, I thought we might want to share these things.”

Kie sighed. “I’m not ready.”

His hands froze mid-scrub, and he sobbed as memories he didn’t want flooded back. Why did things have to be that way?

“Take your time,” she said, patting his closer shoulder. “You don’t have to talk now. Forget I said anything.”