His head started to pound. The force built behind his eyes until he thought his skull might crack. He pushed deeper, forcing himself along the broken connection, and tasted copper. Blood.
"Flash." Easy's voice pierced through the static in his head. "Your nose is bleeding, brother."
He opened his eyes, wiping the blood with the back of his hand. His teammates were staring at him, concern etched in every face.
"The connection is fucked," he said, his voice rough. "The Guardian...he's fighting something. I can feel him struggling, but I can't reach him."
Normally, the being was incredibly responsive, but Brawler had been right. Something was terribly wrong, and it all centered around the fact that their tridents were fractured. It terrified him what this meant.
Had they lost Lechuza? Was the war over before it even began?
Was she dead?
He hadn't been able to breathe since he woke up with the horrible pain and dread. If something had happened to her, if that's why the Guardian wasn't responding, he should feel it. Shouldn't he? The key should know if the lock was broken.
But all he got was static and the echo of ancient fear.
"We move anyway," Tex said, his voice edging through Flash's spiraling thoughts. "Those kids are in immediate danger. Whatever's happening with the Guardian, we deal with it after we secure Fly and North."
Flash nodded, forcing himself to focus. "You're right. But, LT..." He met Tex's eyes. "This feels like the beginning of something really bad."
"Then we'd better make sure we're ready for it," Tex replied. "We're going to California."
Flash's head recoiled as if he'd been struck. The tension behind his eyes spiked, and his knees buckled. He hit the floor hard, his vision whiting out as the connection suddenly blazed to life.
Flash.
His name resonated like a sacred prayer through fractured space, holding command, like Tex easily held leadership within his team, but heavier, massive, and Flash had to breathe through the sense of connection, the bond that was forming between them.
The Guardian's voice was barely a whisper, but it traveled through Flash like silver twisting through silence, a presence flooding his mind, threads of exhaustion and pain woven through every word. Static crackled around the edges, and Flash could feel the entity's struggle like a physical weight pushing down on his chest.
"Guardian?" Flash gasped, pressing his palms to his temples. "What happened? The tridents, they're?—"
Broken. My fault.The voice fractured, came back together.Chaos...tricked me. He attacked and pushed the Veil out. A trap. I tried to stop it and caught them instead. Two minds. Young. Strong. The backlash...
"Fly and North," Flash said, understanding flooding through him. "You conscripted them by accident."
The vow is in jeopardy. They are caught between realms. Now...A pause filled with what sounded like distant screaming.Assassins. He sent assassins. They know the boys are vulnera?—
The connection wavered, static drowning out words.
"Guardian! Stay with me. How can we help you?"
We will prevail.The voice hardened with ancient determination.As we always have. No matter what it takes.The Keepers are with me. But you must get to them now! They are dying, Flash. The unsanctioned transformation is tearing them apart.
"How? We're three thousand miles away."
Slip Corridor. No time to explain, and this is unprecedented for me to do this without training you all first, but there is no time! You are military men. Hold fast to your convictions! I can pull you through the buffer between realms. But listen carefully. You have fifteen minutes of your real time. Whoever travels with you must be touching you. Use your energy to bind them. Hold them tight.Desperation bled through the connection.You are the only one who can keep them from spiraling out of the stream. Your connection to your brothers...it's everything!
His teammates moved closer, Easy's hand on his shoulder, the others forming a protective circle around him.
I have to go. The rifts are spreading. Save them, Flash. One of them cannot fall.
“What? Who?”
He gasped. Someone shouted in the background.Aurelion, we have to contain them…we need the Shadowguard!
They are in peril. We will have to hold on as we have always done!He gasped again, his voice fading.Forgive me. Save them, or all of this will be for nothing.
