ASBO-Boy - The Battle of Dyfatty, Part Five

No sooner had Helix and Vue clasped hands the walls began to tremble. "Was that you?" Vue whispered. Helix shook his head and flicked the switch on the communicator built into his skin-suit. It was still spitting static.

"I can't jump through," Vue stammered, looking around with fear in his eyes, his infinite freedom curtailed by confusion and claustrophobia. "There's too much stone."

Helix nodded. If the others had got word to Euryale, then he would be here by now and in force. With trepidation Helix led Vue and the terrorist stragglers back towards the surface. They had heard everything in the bowels of the facility, how Euryale had manufactured the Elementals and the city. What had happened since the inception of the project? What part had the Walls to play in the Pantheon heresy? Helix felt his muscles bunching under his skin. Conspiracy theories bounced around his head and he fought to keep them in check.

"When did the Walls go up?" he demanded of the terrorists. They were older, they would have seen them being built.

"Two-thousand and one, two?" They guessed. Details would be sketchy. Records would have been doctored, the authorities controlled perception of time and date. "Not long after the millenium."

"Why were they built?" Helix demanded.

"To combat social problems – ASBOs, youth out of control. There were riots. The city turned into a warzone before the Walls." The leader muttered, his words rang in a new light thanks to the proposal video. It was clear to Helix that the gross manipulation of the public went far beyond the Pantheon serum – what else had they put into the water? Hormones? Chemicals? Had they been systematically paving their way towards this outcome? Complete control of information and necessities. The scale of the thing was staggering and Helix still couldn't quite reconcile the truth, his conjecture and the growing sense of betrayal festering within him. He wanted answers and he wanted retribution.

"What do you want to do? We can't confront Dr Euryale about this, he'd have us silenced." Vue muttered.

"Can't we?" Helix spat, "I will have answers. Even if it means tearing them from his throat." Vue visibly recolied from Helix. They'd never quite been friends and it had always puzzled Helix. When he'd been younger he'd had lots of friends. They'd played football together – even then he was the leader of the pack. But then Dr Euryale took him away and unlocked his abilities. Since then people had never quite seen eye to eye with him. He scared people.

They didn't have time argue. Footfalls were approaching, heavy splintered footfalls pounding down the long corridor that connected led to the surface. It was Core.

"What have you done?" She demanded, diving into Vue's arms. Helix was relieved to hear wonder, as opposed to accusation in her voice. "Dr Euryale has closed down the sector – the army's been brought in. the whole area is surrounded by helicopters and gunships."

"We found something. " Vue muttered, "Incriminating evidence."

"You found your answers then?" Core asked. "I hope it was worth it."

"It was." Helix replied.

"They've taken Physic and Seraph into custody." Core continued, "I managed to get away. They wont ask questions. Euryale stepped off his helicopter with others…"

"Others? Like us you mean?" Helix asked.

"Yes – how did you know?"

"Euryale's turned the city into a breeding ground." Helix muttered, his voice drawn with weariness. "We didn't evolve."

Core nodded, taking the heresy in her stride. The word fitted to Helix. It resonated with the immenisty of the betrayal; it was, after all a betrayal of their beliefs, and for want of a better word, their religion.

"We have to spread the word." Vue said, "We have to win."

Core nodded, squeezing him tighter to her. "I will destroy this place." She said. "And I'll meet you up at the surface when it's done." Vue went to object but she stopped him with a quick kiss. Helix looked away. They never showed their affection blatantly in public. But this was different, he thought.

Releasing Vue, Core turned her attention to Helix who she hugged tightly. With their last moment of intimacy shared Core departed without another word. Vue stood watching her walk away.

"Come on," Helix said, continuing up the corridor, then the stairs until they were standing in the ante-room of the basement. The dust of the atomic particles left by the doors twinkled on the ground. "Heresy," he muttered under his breath. He had the need of a symbol, something tangible he could take away from the catacombs, something he hadn't had before. With a gesture he unleashed his power, drawing the atoms of metal from the floor to form in the air. Energy pulsated around the room as a shape began to appear in the maelstrom. Long, thin and sharp, a simple sword emerged. Helix held it for a moment and waved his hand along the length of the blade, sharpening the edge down to the width of a molecule.

Sharper than anything in existence, Helix mused that he'd created a weapon that could cut through lies.