Marcus, Tom, and Numan emerged into Malachar's facility.

 

The green light of the portal flickered and died behind them. Marcus turned and acknowledged Numan's arrival with a smiling nod. Despite everything, his cousin had made it through.

 

The facility was darker than Marcus remembered. Dimmer. The great machines that once hummed with power stood silent. Scientists in worn robes looked up from scattered workstations, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion.

 

"Intruders!" One of them shouted. "Guards! Guards!"

 

Two enhanced soldiers burst through a side door. Their bodies were massive, muscles corded with unnatural power. Their eyes glowed with that familiar corrupted light.

 

Tom moved before Marcus could even react.

 

His giant cousin charged forward like a battering ram. His hands transmuted mid-stride into gleaming metal fists. The first enhanced swung at him but Tom ducked beneath it, drove his fist into the soldier's gut, lifted him clean off the ground, and hurled him into the second attacker. Both crashed into the far wall with a sound like thunder.

 

They didn't get back up.

 

Marcus was still clumsily trying to remove his weapon from its bag when Tom dusted off his hands.

 

"What were they?" Numan asked, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes were wide. His face pale.

 

Then his gaze fell on Marcus's bag.

 

"Marcus... did you bring an AK-47 here?"

 

"It is necessary." Marcus said while looking around the facility. It was different from before. Empty. Most scientists were gone. Only a skeleton crew remained.

 

"Where is everyone?" Tom asked.

 

One of the scientists approached cautiously. She was the one who had warned them about the guards. Her face was gaunt. Exhausted. She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.

 

"When you wounded Malachar," she said quietly, "he pulled everyone to his army. All the enhanced. All the mages. Scientists like us were also sent to the frontlines as healers."

 

Marcus's blood ran cold. "Where is the frontline?"

 

"Drakmoor."

 

His heart sank. Sara. Palwin. Everyone he knew.

 

He picked up one of the bags and handed it to the scientist. Heavy items that wouldn't help in a fight. Especially Tyler's gift, the Technology Seed. It was too heavy to take to war.

 

"Keep this safe." He said. "If we win I will come back to collect it. If we lose... well, it will be a gift to Malachar then."

 

He turned back to the scientist. "There was another friend of us captured here. Where is he?"

 

The woman's face fell. "The young gentleman you mean?"

 

"Yeah. Aldric."

 

"He was held captive here. Malachar tortured him to get information but eventually he was..." She stopped. Her eyes dropped to the floor.

 

"What?" Marcus asked.

 

"He was given to the Puppeteer." She bowed her head.

 

"What is that?"

 

"He has similar powers to Malachar but more personal. He can control individuals completely from long distances. Use them as spies."

 

"Damn it." Marcus cursed. "But that means Aldric must be in the city."

 

Tom came to their side, a smile breaking across his face. "It was hard but I finally reached Palwin."

 

Relief flooded through Marcus. The mental connection between the cousins still worked. That meant portals were possible.

 

"Numan come here." Marcus called. "We are heading into a war. You can stay if you want."

 

"Here?" Numan looked around at the dim facility, the unconscious guards, the frightened scientists. "No. I am coming as well."

 

A black portal rippled open near Tom. An arm reached through and pulled his giant cousin into the darkness.

 

Numan walked behind without hesitation.

 

Marcus grabbed the mind-freeing machines bag and his brand new rifle. He took one last look at the facility where this had all begun. Where Malachar had pushed him through a portal thinking he would die.

 

He leapt after them.

 

He emerged on Drakmoor's wall.

 

It was hell.

 

Nearly a million people fought outside the walls. Bodies clashed against bodies in an endless sea of violence. Steel rang against steel. Magic crackled through the air. War beasts roared. Siege engines groaned.

 

It was like something from the movies. But the movies never captured the smell. Blood and smoke and death. The movies never captured the sound. Screams of the dying. The wet crunch of bones. The roar of flames.

 

Marcus nearly fell to his knees.

 

He was face to face with Sara, Palwin, and... Aldric?

 

"Aldric you're okay?" Marcus was puzzled.

 

But with a sudden movement Aldric pushed Tom aside and captured Palwin in a swift motion. A knife appeared at her throat.

 

"What the hell is going on?" Marcus asked. Behind them explosions, both manmade and magical, continued to rock the battlefield.

 

"Marcus he is not Aldric." Sara called out. "Palwin suspected a shape shifter or Malachar's influence. We don't know."

 

"Shut it, all of you!" Fake Aldric threatened. "I will kill her if you come close."

 

"Palwin no. Let her go!" Tom cried. His face twisted with anguish.

 

"Tom..." Palwin's voice was small. Scared.

 

Marcus raised his rifle but he couldn't risk it. Not with Palwin.

 

"What do you want?" Marcus asked.

 

"I don't know how you two are alive but my master will take care of bugs like you. I want to know what Sara and that bitch advisor Korra planned in secret."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sara said.

 

But Aldric moved the knife closer. A thin line of red appeared on Palwin's throat. Captain Harwick and some archers had noticed the commotion and started encircling them.

 

"Marcus you're back..." Harwick looked at Palwin and fake Aldric. "What the hell is going on there?"

 

"Shut up and get back or I will..." He swung the knife at the soldiers encircling them. "Last chance. Tell me what you planned. There is something, I know it." He pressed the knife deeper. More blood spurted out.

 

Sara was crying now. "Please stop. I'll tell you. We found a tunnel opening on the north side of the mountain." She pointed above Malachar's commanding team orchestrating the battle.

 

"Continue..." He pressed on.

 

While their exchange was going on Marcus had an idea. It might not work if the Puppeteer's power was much different than Malachar's mind control. But if Aldric was manipulated by the Puppeteer...

 

To hell with it.

 

Marcus removed one mind-freeing machine and activated it. The metal sphere hummed to life.

 

Suddenly Aldric's eyes rolled back. He collapsed to the floor, knocked out cold.

 

"What happened?" Sara rushed to Palwin.

 

Marcus was panting, afraid this would end badly. "I think his mind was controlled from elsewhere."

 

"By Malachar?" Sara asked.

 

"No, they mentioned someone else. The Puppeteer. He was the ears and eyes of that man. Unlike Malachar's victims, Aldric wasn't a mindless zombie. He was spying on us."

 

"No." Sara's face went white. "They learned about the tunnel." She rushed to Captain Harwick. "Captain! Send your fastest man to Aluro Starweaver! They need to explode our secret weapon before they get away!"

 

Captain Harwick looked confused. Marcus felt the same. "What secret weapon?"

 

"Tell them they learned. Tell them to activate now. I will explain later." Sara was begging.

 

Time was running out.

 

The real battle was about to begin.