Chapter Fourteen

Percy shows Kenny the meaning of why his powers were sealed.

Galaxy of Collection

      When the elevator fell close to the dark ground, antigravity lights ignited on the floor and it hoovered slowly to the dark ground. The walls again shifted and opened up to an immeasurable miles of open sky with innumerable clouds slowly floating around in a starry night. Percy stepped out and walked over the clouds as if there was a glass floor separating his feet from the clouds. Shooting stars flickered above Kenny’s head as he stepped out thunderstruck and in awe. Jupiter and Saturn orbited close to them, taking up most of the horizon to the west. A few dozen galaxies sparkled far in the universe that was sprinkled with nebulas and stars.

      The further they walked from the elevator, the more the clouds swirled playfully in their steps. Percy looked back and would smile at Kenny’s enthusiastic wonder.

      “I see why you come here to release energy.”

      “All it does is creates a new nebula in the sky but as awesome as this all is, it’s just a highly advanced program I coded and empowered to materialize anything I put into the code. I chose the universe as the ultimate mascot for unlimited abilities.”

      Kenny nodded and tried to touch a shooting star that shot by him. It seemed that they were walking for miles but the divine atmosphere around them kept the attention of the youngest. There was a slight breeze as Percy came to a halt in the middle of a very bright sundog.

      “So this is all under your house?”

      “Yes, in a manner of speaking.” Within a pink cloud a small compartment opened by Percy’s feet and a thick shard with plasma filaments extending outwards electrified the cubby it was in, “I built my lab in the middle of the earth’s mantle and it keeps the whole estate running with the thermonuclear energy it creates. The protection barrier is also impenetrable with the addition of my electric power.”

      “You did all this?”

      “Yes, Kenny, and with the right training and education you can create just as much if not more!”

      Kenny then had a sudden frown and looked away from the rays of lights. Percy made a snap and a cloud whirled into a fluffy chair under Kenny and turned it to face him.

      “I can hear your thoughts in this area and don’t let it bother you too much. Now that you can see me, you have no reason to fear those villains again.”

      “Who are these villains? They brainwashed William!”

      “She used to be one of us but sold her soul for power.” A grim tone uttered from Percy, “It’s a shame because she used to be so beautiful. Valencia, the Holder of the Love Seed, now lusts for only power and you are the ultimate power to her. She would do anything, including seducing your old ex, to get to you.”

      Kenny sighed and rested his chin on his fist while Percy had conjured a translucent keyboard from the cottony clouds. He clicked a few glowing keys and a low pitch hum revved up causing five petal shaped stone hinges to enclose around them like a flower in reverse blossom. When it locked shut high above them like a humongous vase, the night light shining in, monitors of different sized staticed around them ending at a huge stone symbol of a laurel wreath.

      “As a reward for bringing education to the world, the Gods instilled me with a fragment of the Cauldron of Words that recorded every event in the life on the Divine planet. But here, it can bring up any memory that is imprinted on your brain. I call it The Collection of Thoughts. I believe you had a question about how your power got bound. Shall we take a look?”

      Kenny nodded his head but was staring up at the screens now showing every natural disaster in recorded history. He was eyeing a volcano erupting when Percy pressed a few keys and the screens went black.

      “Then let’s go to the day of your birth in Nineteen Seventy Eight, Kenny, and it will explain everything, I hope.”

      “So we’re just going to watch it on the multiscreen?”

      Percy scoffed and whisked the keyboard away in a dusty trail of clouds.

      “Even better. We are going to live it in God-view with the ability to see everything from above.”

      Kenny just shrugged and sighed.

      “Why not.”

      And without any more conversation, Percy clapped his hands and the same purple electric filaments reached out from the screens and touched each of them individually. As soon as it did, their bodies faded to a bright light and was sucked into the filaments as everything around Kenny’s face felt like it was being pushed into his skull and the pressure started to twist his body like a pretzel. Nausea was the only feeling he could feel before there seemed to be a pop and every pressure and negative feeling he had was released into oblivion.

      He was looking down onto the white sand isles of the Bermuda Islands and on the very southern edge stood two men, one a younger Percy in a three piece suit and the other was a debonair and suave gentlemen in a black leather jacket and torn jeans. His hair was short, black and combed back while a small black gemmed ring hung around his neck. The sky was clear and the sun was beaming down on the clear blue waters.

      Young Percy looked over at the gentlemen and gave a sweet smile that matched the twinkle in his eyes.

      “Jack, we are going to be late for Maude’s important meeting-”

      “So important that she couldn’t even tell us what it is?”

      “She has her reasons.”

      “And she is using my old tower as a rondevu point?”

      “Jack, what do you need it for anyways now that you’re living with me?”

      The gentlemen got quiet and smacked his lips softly.

      “Only for you will I let this go.”

      Percy smiled, brushed his longer hair back and whistled into the ocean. The waves gently receded and from the pearly sands of the ocean rose an alligator pulled boat. Jack lifted Percy over the side and levitated in himself.

      “Show off.”

      Jack smirked as the boat became a huge air bubble with seats and the alligator pulled them under the sea and coasted in the blue waters. They enjoyed the schools of rainbow fish they passed through and a great white that passed beneath. Suddenly the boat resurfaced in the middle of the open ocean as the alligator detached and swam away, leaving them stranded with no sight of land anywhere.

      Thunder clapped around the lone boat and a large dark funnel cloud swarmed above them, tossing the seas back and forth. Percy clutched the side of his seat as Jack held on to him, screaming for joy at the turbulent ride. Lightning crashed down in the dozens from the depths of the sky and opened the waters up under them. As the funnel cloud touched the joining water, and lightning crashed down again, everything abruptly feel silent and still. They were floating in shallow sunny water toward a gigantic over water trench and an electric triangle between it, welcoming them into the triangular strait that ended on a rocky bank.

      The bubble popped and Jack screamed for more as he helped a frantic Percy to his feet. He laughed at the sudden annoyed reaction Percy was throwing out but they were quickly met by a tall dark skinned woman, dressed in a white lace gown with a diamond pendant on her breast, and black hair to the ground. A lock of her hair was pink while it flowed in the breeze.

      “Valencia, I see you made it.” Percy bowed and kissed the back of her hand, “I always hate the Bermuda Entrance. It makes me want to puke.”

      Valencia chuckled and pulled him into a hug. But Jack just brushed right past the two and up the rocky coast.

      “What’s wrong with him?”

      “I still have yet to figure that out. Ever since the mention of the Chaos Host coming to life, he’s been a little off.”

      “Interesting…”

      The two walked up the same trail Jack stormed down and came to a cylinder of blue and green light that overlooked the electric triangle. It had black iron walls and white smoke emitted from the top. Jack was the first to enter and was greeted by a warm motherly voice.

      “You look very healthy, John Deerfield, but I fear something troubles you.”

      Jack noticed Percy and Valencia enter and carelessly waved the woman off.

      “Don’t worry too much about it, Maude, nothing I can’t handle.”

      Maude was a short woman with flowing silver hair and a dress made from twigs and vines. Doves flew in and out of her mangled hair while butterflies landed on her headband of flowers. She sat on a hallow log with an oak cane that housed a green gem as the handle. She gave Jack a funny look and shrugged it off.

      “Percival, I am glad you could come.”

      “Of course,” He kissed her cheek, “Where Jack goes, I go.”

      “How lovely,” Valencia beamed but Jack mimicked throwing up. Maude struck her cane down twice and an emerald fire erupted from the floor.

      “Straight to business I see.” Jack remarked sarcastically.

      “Funny,” Maude facetiously replied, “But with the Chaos Seed Holder close to being birth into the world, we have to come to an agreement that nothing like the fate of the Heavens will meet our world.”

      Valencia was the only one to agree.

      “You guys can’t be serious at not agreeing with what Maude is saying! This power could destroy us all! But maybe some of us rather be selfish.”

      “Don’t preach to me, Valencia.” Jack barked, “I can make my own decisions and I have no idea why this power is seen as such a threat. It hasn’t even been born yet to defend itself.”

      “Jack’s right,” Percy added, “Why not give the Host a chance to see what it can actually do with its gift. Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the foretelling of the birth of the Chaos Seed say that this ongoing spiritual battle will finally end?”

      “Exactly why we CAN’T allow that power to reach that moment!” Maude stood and paced around the fire, “The curse of Chaos is a double edged sword, don’t you see? If you use any type of Chaos’s power, the Host’s life will end and so will everything else.”

      Silence fell over the cavernous room and a couple of sighs were the only thing heard over the crackles of the fire. But before anyone could say anything, a dove fluttered into the room, injured and weak. It fell right into Maude’s hands as it chirped away while she fished out a sharp pin from her hair and stuck a pink flower for its nectar. Once the dove finished chirping, she placed the sparkling nectar on its beak and wounds making them heal instantly. Valencia was shrugging toward the guys.

      “I’m afraid I don’t speak bird.” Jack said, stoically, to which Valencia smacked her lips.

      “The Great Demons have arrived!” Maude interjected, “In the valleys of the Himalayas. I was afraid this might happen. Damn.”

      “Alright! A fight! Whoohoo!” Jack screamed as he vanished in a bold of black energy. Percy shook his head in disbelief as he waved to the women.

      “She you on the battle front!” And he disappeared in a pixelated flash of blue energy and reappeared beside Jack, who was staring off hungrily into the dark mountainous horizon where an indistinctive rumble was heard. A pink heart shaped cloud evaporated away to form Valencia while a twist of roots and wood broke off and materialized into Maude, with her cane at her side.

      Jack reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out a small oval box that ejected rapidly into the black bladed blue crystallized staff. Percy had two sets of silver guns in each hand that he pulled out from behind him under his vest. A puff of white cloud formed a golden brass scepter with many jewels and gems around the heart shaped topper.

      The reverberations became deeper and a glow of fire could be seen against the mountainside.

      “So I can seal them with one clear shot but I would need everyone’s power to help keep them sealed.” Percy informed to the group, eyeing the barrel of his guns.

      “Wait. No fighting then?” Jack pouted.

      “Well, if it really means that much to you than go ahead and stall them until I get the tracker beam going.”

      Jack cheered and shot violently into a bolt of black energy. Percy grunted and placed on a red single framed visor around his ear. He saw his partner fighting with great skill against seven differently and perfectly skilled demons, dodging each of their slashes and retaliating with tricks of his own. Percy slammed the two guns together and watched it robotically form into a huge barrel cannon with switches and buttons galore that revved a purple glow.

      “He gets too much enjoyment out of this if you ask me,” Maude protested, “I will join my powers from the other side of the ridges in order to keep any of them from escaping into the caves.”

      In a burst of light she became a flock of doves that trailed over to the spot she said she would be. Percy and Valencia stood, watching Jack taunt and mock the demons around him.

      “Valencia, make sure these hell bound demons can’t see what’s about to hit them. I mean, it’s seven of them right? So let’s make this count on the first go.” Percy looked into the target scope to map each demons position. He cranked up the energy by flipping a few red switches and typing on the screen beside the barrel while Valencia walked to the edge of the mountains and circled her scepter over her head. It gave off a wave of pure white fog as the purple beam gathered greater strength.

      “C’mon, Jack, move it.” Percy muttered as he watched his partner attack two demons at once and block three others with a black shockwave. A few multi-headed demons tried to climb up the side of the mountains but a sudden river of lava held them back. That’s when Percy saw Jack look back, as if he knew he was watching, and gave a quick thumbs up. A button was pushed, the gigantic purple beam blasted into the air with a white funnel cloud snaked around it and as it came crashing down in seven separate rays, green leaves orbited along with the funnel and met with a crack of black shockwaves. Three in total.

      When the attack was complete, they all met Jack in the valley and saw each demon encased in a plasma-stoned coffin. Maude slammed her cane down once and the earth opened up and swallowed the coffins before closing up again. They appeared together back at the triangular meeting point, huddled around the emerald fire again. This time, a faint scream of a woman in labor emitted from the flames.

      “Okay, so we are all on one accord to seal the Host’s power?” Maude extended her cane into the flame as Valencia followed suit with her scepter.

      “Now that that is over!” Jack reluctantly added his staff and he motioned for Percy to do the same. With a huff, he added the barrel of the gun to the tip of the flame that immediately began dancing in extraordinary energy and light before melding together into a thin bronze disc. Maude went to grab the disc but Percy swiped it first.

      “Allow me to instill the newborn with its new curse.”

      “Percy!” Maude and Valencia exclaimed but Percy had already vanished from their sights. And when he appeared in the hospital room that Kenny was being born in, he had removed his pocket watch, twisted the side and waited as time around him slowed to a complete halt. The only sound was a laughing baby in the distance.

      He spotted baby Kenny in a room full of doctors with two men waiting outside the room. As he approached the baby and looked him in his eyes, another laugh floated through Percy’s ears.

      “You are such a happy baby boy.” He muttered, picking Kenny up from his mother’s arms and placing the disc in the air, “Oh, hell, you know what?”

      Percy broke the disc in half with his index finger and thumb and in the dusty fragments of it he blew a red cloudy gas. The reddish bronze fragments landed around the baby in a sandy barrier.

      “You deserve a chance to show yourself and what you’re made of. Don’t worry, you have two guardian angels until that time comes.”

      And with a gentle place back into his mother’s arms, baby Kenny sneezed and time resumed back to normal, with Percy vanished from sight. But before anything else transpired, a snap was felt and it ejected Percy and Kenny back into reality as the walls opened up like a flower blossoming. The latter vomited and was handed a wet wipe by the former but noticed the vomit being swallowed up in a cloud.

      “Everything was…planned?”

      “I’m afraid so.” Percy helped Kenny to his feet, “Let’s head back up top where I’m sure you would like to converse with your loved ones and get something on your stomach. Never let them go, Kenny. Your loved ones. They are the foundation of all your gifts.”

      They walked back through the fields of bright clouds toward the elevator that Kenny could make out with strain.

      “Why did you choose Christian for my guardian?”

      The random question took Percy aback and he scoffed at his stumble.

      “Are you not satisfied with his work as your protector? You are free to release him from his duties if-”

      “It’s not that but…” Kenny’s voice trailed off.

      “Then I would let things be for now. I don’t think you would like all the truths at once. At least not when it comes to your Protector.”

      “So how am I to feel safe if you guys are keeping things from me?”

      “Because your reasoning is only emotional and, indeed, if there was anything that would warrant your wellbeing in jeopardy than you would be the first to know about these things. But Christian is nothing more than a hard working loyal agent to have working for you rather than against.”

      Kenny sighed.

      “And this Valencia chick? How’d she turn black?”

      They had arrived at the entrance to the elevator and were entering when Percy replied that the subject would be another matter they would shelve till another day. Kenny shrugged and reluctantly agreed as the walls shifted and closed in around them while hoovering a few feet above the ground until shooting up into the darkness.