Chronicles of Araxx - Forever Broken

Mason was driving the van, and Billy was in the front with him, but Tanya and Thompson sat in the back with everyone else. The back of the van was large, but with six of them, it was a bit of a squeeze.

Adz looked down at the red-head they’d spent so long looking for. They finally found her, and now she was with them, safe. A thought crossed his mind, one he was sure was on Jay’s lips too. “Hey, Thompson, why did Mason say we needed to get her in here before she woke up? The sedative should have her out for hours, right?”

“It should,” Thompson answered. “The problem is, we don’t know what she is,” he said bluntly. When Adz and Jay stared at him blankly, Thompson explained, “We know she definitely isn’t human, but we don’t know what she is.” He paused as he looked to Tanya.

“We might as well tell them, they’re going to find out anyway,” she said.

“Kane needs her for something. We don’t know what that is yet, but he needs her,” Thompson looked down at his feet. “We all saw what she did when she bumped into that werewolf initially and had to get away from him. Simons showed us the footage when we were on our way here. We needed to know who we were looking for, and the powers she possesses. It’s our job to keep her safe.”

“That’s right. This is more dangerous than you can handle, boys.” Tanya said.

“But we...” Adz started to protest.

“No buts. We can’t risk you on a mission like this again. And we’re not taking no for an answer.” Adz was disappointed. He, Jay and Gray had worked hard, putting their lives at risk, and they were being taken off the job because they weren’t experienced enough. He was going to prove he could do this.

A few minutes of silence passed while Adz looked to his brother. It looked like the chains around his wrists were uncomfortable.

“What about Gray?” Jay asked out of the blue, taking everyone by surprise.

“The warlock? What about him?” Tanya asked.

“Why is he not sedated?”

“Hey!” Gray protested.

“Not that I want you to be,” Jay explained. “It’s just, if you think he’s a danger, hence the chains, why is he still awake?”

“Good question, to be fair.” Gray shrugged. He’d been thinking the same thing.

“He doesn’t need to be,” Mason said from the front seat.

“So you don’t think he’s dangerous?” Adz was relieved. His brother would be okay, and they didn’t think he was the same as all other warlocks.

“On the contrary, we think he is very dangerous, but he doesn’t need to be sedated,” Mason said. He peeked into the rear view mirror and saw blank expressions on everyone’s faces, Thompson and Tanya included. “The chains restrict abilities. He can’t use those flames of his while he’s wearing them.”

“Oh.” Adz sighed.

It didn’t feel like they were driving for long before Mason pulled into a driveway.

They had been in London, and the Araxx Institute was in northern Scotland. There was no way they were there already.

Adz thought to question it, but there wasn’t much point.

Jay, on the other hand, spoke out as the others unfastened their seat belts. “What are we stopping for? Aren’t we going to the Institute?”

Mason opened the side door to reveal a runway. “It made more sense to take a plane back up to the north. It wouldn’t take nearly as long, and without knowing how long the girl would stay unconscious for, it was the safest option,” he explained.

It was a private jet. Adz had seen it before on the runway at the Institute. It was all-black at the moment but changed colour to match the colour of the sky it was flying in. It was designed to be stealthy.

Adz had flown only once, years ago. It was on the day Simons took him into the Institute, and it had been one of the best days of his life.

Jay, however, had never flown, and the thought of it made him feel unwell.

Gray was indifferent to it. He’d never before been on a plane, but the thought of flying thousands of feet in the air didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Thompson checked Gray’s restraints were secure before he stepped onto the aircraft, then followed him onto the plane.

Adz and Jay took hold of Lee to carry her onto the plane.

She moaned in her sleep as they moved her.

“Looks like she’s coming out of it,” Jay warned as they placed her in one of the seats.

Her eyes fluttered, but Mason leant over and dosed her with another needle full of the sleeping drug.

It was dark outside, and Adz was feeling sleepy himself. He didn’t realise how quickly it got dark. It was only 5 pm, but the sky outside was already darkening. Being late spring the sun should be going down much later, yet it was almost dark out. It had been happening more frequently since Kane escaped from them, and Adz couldn’t help but wonder whether the two things were linked.

The lights on the plane went out, and everyone settled into their seats.

In the dark of the plane, Adz was left to think. It was silent aside from the low hum of the engines flying them home.

He couldn’t get rid of the sight of anguish on the girl’s face when the boy she called Vaughan, was killed. He couldn’t have been important to her. She’d only been free for a short while, and there’s no way she knew anyone on the outside before she got away from Kane, so why did it seem to hurt her so much when Vaughan died?

It was the words she spoke which hurt him the most: You were there. You could have done something. Those words echoed through his mind repeatedly. Could he have done something? It all seemed to happen so fast. He didn’t know if there was anything he could have done, but his drone caught every second of the action. Adz made a mental note to check the footage when he was home.

Adz hadn’t realised how tired he was until he closed his eyes to rest them.

It felt as if he just blinked this eyes when the plane slowed, the lights turned on, and it started to descend onto the runway at the Institute.

The lights on the ground were the first thing which came into view, then Adz saw the masses of people on the runway. There must have been two dozen of them.

Mason was the first to get up from his seat after the plane landed. He, along with Tanya, took Lee, who was still out like a light.

Thompson and Billy took Gray, while Adz and Jay were allowed to leave the plane on their own accord.

As he stepped from the plane, the first person Adz clapped his eyes on, was Simons. He was standing at the forefront of the group, arms folded against his chest.

Roughly a dozen Araxx came forward to apprehend Gray, and they were not as careful with him.

“Ouch, watch it,” Gray snapped as one of the younger Araxx pulled on his arm.

“Shut it, Warlock,” he sneered as he pulled Gray again.

Adz was grouchy after the plane ride and wasn’t in a good mood. He stepped forward to his brother’s aid. “Just watch who you’re pulling around, Ryan.” He pointed at the guy.

“Oh, shut up, teacher’s pet.”

“What did you call me?” Adz snapped.

“The only reason you’re not in chains now is because the boss loves you so much,” Ryan sneered. “I bet you’re a warlock too.”

“Cool it, the both of you,” Simons commanded. He looked to Lee, who was coming out of her sleep state. “This is not the time to argue. Everyone inside.” He turned to Mason and Tanya. “Take the girl to the medical wing, and you two...” He looked at Adz and Jay. “Come with me.”