RB Chapter 183 Lightning Summoner

Cleo's hands were clenched while she stood there beholding the scene being shown on the large screen. A multitude...a tsunami of emotions were raging in her mind. Worry, surprise and many others.

The boy had done something almost impossible to pull off in reality, only possible in theory. And his weird transformation which made him appear as if he were a partial beast was also something which she didn't know that he had had.

'Is he okay?' The worry was at the forefront of her thoughts. The worry didn't stem from the fact that she had grown fond of the boy, instead, it stemmed from pity. She had read the file on what the boy had passed through and it hadn't been good. She...also didn't know why she sympathized with him.

The green vines which had been lively a moment ago had been charred, turning into a black monolithic structure. As if the energy had been syphoned away, the lightning in the clouds was no longer visible. It was as if all the potential charge had been included into that lightning strike. Even the previously heavy rain had slowed down to a drizzle, with said clouds showing signs of dispersing.

It didn't take long for the monolith to start being obscured by the water vapor from the droplets of rain that made contact with the hot charcoal-turned vines. Though the vines hadn't turned into ash, the remaining carbonised form had retained some of the heat and was burning, producing carbon dioxide in large volume. The vapor and the the toxic gas obscured the monolithic structure after some time as it increasingly became thicker with time.

The obscured view served to jolt Cleo from her thoughts. Her gaze shifted towards the citylords and biologists in the room. The biologists were discussing up a storm, their discussions having shifted from that non-sentient plant life form, to Eric. Speculations about the organism DNA he had merged with were flying from their lips and they were also speculating the possible stimulus that would have made it possible for him to achieve such a form.

With the little that she heard, they had first pointed out that it must have been his SYMOR, only to abandon that later, as no one had so far managed to create something capable of such a drastic transformation. As they continued their discussions, their excitement caused spittle to fly out of their mouths. Their voices were even gradually increasing in volume as they started arguing, each wanting the others to acknowledge their theories.

Cleo turned her gaze towards the citylords who were much more tame in comparison. They were deep in contemplation as they stared at the screen. There were many interesting emotional expressions playing on the screens that were their faces. Cleo could see envy, jealousy, worry, excitement and many others. They tried to be subtle about expressing them, but with her many years of being in a high position, she had managed to pick up a trick or two in deciphering them.

'Some are worried that the spectrum warriors might take over their positions. What a bunch of idiots.' She dismissed them.

"What do you think of 'the legend of Lightning?'" One of the citylords, someone Cleo recognised as one of the few who had been showing the expression of excitement asked, attracting the attention of everyone except the biologists who were still caught in an intense argument.

"What are you talking about?" One of the city lords feigned incomprehension.

"Are you that stupid? I am suggesting the legendary name that should be given to that youth." The fellow who had spoken first insulted, causing the other to pop a vessel.

"That is too bland. Something more epic is needed." Someone else interjected before the atmosphere could worsen.

"Legend of the thunder god? Thunder striker?"

"Good suggestions, but he controls lightning and electricity." Someone shot down another's suggestions.

"Legend of the lightning strike."

"..."

It seemed like the suggestion was a good one as everyone took that chance to ruminate on it. Even Cleo herself felt that the suggestion was noteworthy.

"Let's go with something else...what about 'legend of the lightning summoner?'" Cleo queried.

"We should put up a ranking to display whichever spectrum warrior performs a very epic feat. He will be the first, the lightning summoner." Cleo's eyes glinted with excitement as she imagined the reception by the masses.

"If we create that ranking, then we will have to provide proof. Would it be okay to have such a video exposed?" A city lord brought up some concerns.

"There won't be anything wrong with it. We will cut out the rest of the footage, leaving behind the moment if the strike, and the aftermath of it. Notify the drone team to pull the drone back a bit further, so that the video shows the actual destruction caused." Cleo ordered her secretary who was standing next to her.

"...also patch me through to Mugumivu and that city lord in Kampala. We need to have a chat." She ordered.

-----

A few minutes later, on a screen which had risen out of Cleo's desk, two people had appeared. There was a demarcation running vertically down the screen, separating it into two halves. One half of the screen had an elder within it. He was impeccably dressed in a black suit and his hair had been combed backwards to perfection. The screen only showed half his body, but Cleo had no doubt that he was the same up to the soles of his feet.

Cleo remembered him during the formation of the federation. He had been one of the few who had kept his marbles during that meeting. She instinctively felt that the man was very difficult to handle. He was someone who appeared to have the magnanimity for patience, but when a chance presented itself, he would strike with a zeal.

The other half of the screen had a burly man in his 20s, his hair in a crew cut style. He was young, but he had a certain air of solemnity to him. He gave the impression of a stable pillar capable of holding up the heavens even if they collapsed.

The elderly man was called elder Muti if her memory was right and the young man was Mugumivu, the newly promoted executive of the Black Diamond Group.

'I should probably change that title to branch manager in the future. Executive sounds like he has more authority than he actually has...' She made a mental note to do that.

"I suppose the both of you have seen the video, am I right?" Cleo asked.

"Yes...I never would have thought that our Kampala city has managed to produce a spectrum warrior!" The elder commented. Even though a domain wasn't visible in the video, no one here was incompetent. They all knew that a scene like that could have only been pulled off by a spectrum warrior.

"What are you instructions, president?" Mugumivu directly asked. He had already known about that matter. Cleo observed the elder lifting an eyebrow at Mugumivu's question.

'He must have figured out that Mugumivu knew about it way before this incident.' 

"All the people there must be rescued. You must make haste, send a helicopter if you must." Cleo ordered in a solemn tone.

"If I may, Chairman. We are in a very tight situation where there are limited resources, not to mention vehicles. The front line has become more brutal, the beasts are relentless. I don't think I have the manpower to spare a few helicopters, not to mention medics." Elder Muti declined with a solemn face. 

'Heh! You want them, especially the boy to die?' Cleo felt anger bubbling up from somewhere. Though she had to keep a stoic face. The other city lords who were with her here were also listening in on the conversation. Just from the statement alone, they had managed to pick out that the man might not be on good terms with the brat who had smote down with lightning. They had figured it out that simply because no one in their right mind wouldn't be happy to gain such a powerful ally.

"Elder Muti, it will be in your best interest to cease the theatrics. I would have asked the youth beside you, but all the power has been placed in your hands. This is an order that you can't refuse. Every spectrum warrior is a boon for our federation." Cleo dismissed the elder.

"Mugumivu, I need you to try and contact all the people at the site. You need to find out their physical state." Cleo ordered.

"I have been trying but it has been failing. The lightning charge in the air must be stopping the communication waves from passing through." Mugumivu reported. There was no way he would have already tried it. His beloved was there. If it wasn't because he had duties, he would have gone there himself.

"Keep trying. I wonder why that is though, the drones are working very fine." Cleo said while switching her gaze to the screen, only for it to become black.

"Hmmmm!? What happened?" She demanded the staff who were seating a bit further away.

"Something interfered with the signal." Someone reported while typing on their console.

"Find a way to get the feed back." Cleo said before once again shifting her attention back to the two onscreen.

"Elder, if by some chance the boy and the others die, there will be consequences...and I am not making this threat as the chairman of the federation but as the president of the Black Diamond group." Cleo threatened before unilaterally cutting off the video feed.

"Was that wise, chairman Cleo?" One of the city lords asked. He used a time laced with amusement. This appeared to be an opportunity for those who would want to have her power stripped.

"It doesn't matter. Even if you manage to take away my position in the federation, I will still have a very big speaking right as the leader of one of the top four conglomerates." Cleo said nonchalantly causing all those that were harboring hostile intent to give up. For a minute there, they had forgotten that this woman wielded power far surpassing that of the average citylord. Antagonising her might lead to a decrease of resources heading toward their cities.

-----

"It looks like there won't be any chance of you taking action." Elder Muti tiredly told the potbellied man. He was back in the office, having taken another break. The first thing he had done was heed that woman's orders and then he had summoned the other man with haste.

"Surely there must be away to stage an accident, right?" The potbellied man asked. He was sweating profusely. The elder even had a nagging feeling that the man was bout to fall to his knees and beg.

"That woman made it very clear that nothing must happen to them. The boy was very injured. If he dies, even if it isn't my fault, the woman will make sure that I pay, so I have sent the best medical team to handle the situation. Do you not understand even the simplest things? I am not going to be dragged under by you." The elder's gaze became piercing when he said that.

"We had already planned the ambush! Do you expect us to just call it off?" The man shouted.

"You should simply know your place. You are very lucky that she didn't demand a scape goat. If she had, I would have chosen someone from your faction to take the fall." The elder continued causing the man's face to pale by several degrees.

His attempt at curbing his sweat glands had failed, and now his shirt beneath that expensive suit was drenched. The heat from the man's body was even spreading the stench of the sweat towards the elder's nose. He wrinkled his brows in annoyance.

"Bunyogovu, escort our dear friend outside!" The elder ordered the woman who had been standing behind him.