22. Joseph vs. Smoke Specter

Joseph and Uri trailed closely behind Krista, who was in goat form, the young girl leading them swiftly through back alleys to avoid detection.

"Kitty. Glasses," she spoke through huffs, "it's right around this corner."

And it was. Joseph and Uri stopped as one of the large Nodes that powered the Juggernaut came into view, then stepped stealthily behind the corner. It wasn't what the three had expected (though they expected the same thing mostly). The Node was a domed building made of white stone, its green roof obviously made of some sort of glass, with a long, wiry metal rod extending from the top, shooting high into the air, almost as if to reach the clouds. From the top of the building, a crimson banner hung.

"A banner? So that building..." Uri started, noticing how heavily guarded it was.

Joseph leaned against the brick wall, pulling his black pistols from their holsters on his waist.

"Is the Node." He said, finishing the younger boy's sentence. "And we just gotta destroy that crystal to stop the Adonai's weapon?"

"Right!" Krista said, steam seeping from her body as she morphed back into her human form. "All we have to do is shatter that crystal!"

We just need a way to get in there..." Uri held his finger to his chin ponderously.

Joseph smirked and pointed to the pistol at Krista's side. "Easy. You guys distract them with that, and I'll sneak in with my cat form."

Uri nodded. "Makes sense."

Krista smiled. "Easy-peasy!"

"Yep!" Joseph shrugged, his white cat ears perking up. "Always keep things simple. That's just how I roll."

Krista handed Uri her shotgun. "Let's make a scene! Fire this into the air and they'll come after us for sure."

"What then?" Uri gulped, taking the gun into his hands.

Krista smiled, "I turn into a goat, you hop on, and we run!"

Uri jumped out from around the corner, Krista's shotgun pointed forward.

"Down with the Adonai!" Uri exclaimed, shooting the gun into the air.

The sound of the blast resounded throughout the street. Soldiers screamed as they ran in confusion from the gunshot.

"Hey! You!" a gilded soldier called out, drawing his rifle. "Drop the weapon!"

Uri stuck out his tongue, "Make me!" He tuned to the goat. "Run?"

"Meh," she bleated.

"Get back here!" the guard shouted, followed by rounds of gunfire.

"Good job, Glasses!" Krista sang as she burst down the alley.

Joseph had easily slipped into the building as a cat, his small, lithe form dismissed as insignificant by the guards outside.

Inside the Node, it was a vast, empty room, with only a long rod extending from the floor and up through the green glass dome.

There it is...Joseph thought as he stepped into the room and morphed back into his humanoid form. He looked around the room.

Odd, he thought. The space was empty.

Joseph looked at the rod in the center. There, at its base, was a small apparatus, a clear and luciferous stone placed inside.

"There's my crystal." He smiled. "But this is too easy—"

Suddenly, his ears twitched, his catlike reflexes detecting something behind him. Joseph leapt backward, barely evading a giant ball of smoke. The smoke bomb hit the floor and hissed as it exploded at his feet.

"Knew it!" he exclaimed as he flipped backward, guns spinning into his hands.

"Of course..." a high-pitched voice snickered in the fog.

"It was too easy," Joseph said, smirking. "So let's just cut to the chase! Go ahead and monologue or whatever!"

"Me?" the voice cackled. "I'm Smoke Specter, and I'm about to kill you!"

Suddenly a blast of red smoke filled the room. In an instant, Joseph felt it. It was as if a fire had filled his lungs.

"What is it?" the Smoke Specter laughed as Joseph began to heave and retch. "What happened to your vigor from before?"

This guy... Joseph thought as he held his breath. His eyes began to burn as they filled with tears. Has some sort of smoke magic...?

"You can't see me..." the voice faded. "...but I can see you!"

Joseph jolted as a he felt a blade graze his shoulder.

"You're lucky you have beast blood," the Smoke Specter said. "Anyone else wouldn't have moved so quickly." He laughed. "I won't miss next time."

Drat! Joseph thought as the open wound began to sting as the smoke began to seep into it. I can't see this bastard to shoot him...

"What's wrong, cat?!" the mysterious man exclaimed. "Your eyes burning yet?"

Joseph felt the need for air rise swiftly within him. He opened his eyes despite the searing pain.

Outside! He thought frantically. I've got to get outside! He stopped and thought. Then, he felt it. The wind! Follow the flow of gas to the outside!

"Hey!" the voice called out as Joseph began to sprint toward the door. "What're you?!"

Joseph burst outside, his lungs filling with air that felt more like fire as it entered his body. He opened his eyes and screamed in agony as he fell to his knees.

"There's another!" someone said. A soldier who was guarding outside pointed his rifle at Joseph, motioning for other soldiers to do so as well.

"Dammit!" Joseph shrieked, wiping his eyes to try to clear them. He looked up, his sight slightly returning.

"Fire!" a soldier exclaimed.

Joseph could see the barrel of the gun come into focus.

Dammit! Not now! Not here! I still have to—

Red smoke filled the area in a whoosh of wind.

Breathe! Joseph thought as he closed his eyes and took in a breath of clean air in time.

Screams and wails filled the air as the soldiers coughed and gagged on the fumes.

"How dare you!" the voice of Smoke Specter echoed on the pavement. "Stupid soldiers! How dare you try to kill my mark!"

Joseph could feel the air thin as the fog lifted. He opened his eyes. There, before him, stood the Smoke Specter.

"So you finally reveal yourself, you coward," the cat-boy said through a hoarse and fiery throat.

His opponent was a tall, wiry man in red camouflage. Joseph could see his age by the wrinkles and laugh lines upon his face and his bald head.

"You may have left the building, cat," the Smoke Specter smiled, showing his yellow teeth, "but you will die here nonetheless."

The screams of the soldiers began to quiet. Joseph looked around. On the ground, the men had dropped their weapons, their skin turning a vile bluish-purple color.

"You bastard," Joseph said. "These were your comrades!"

"They're but bugs who tried to eat my food," the other said, grinning darkly. "Those who get between me and my prey are nothing but garbage to be disposed of!"

The pain in Joseph's reddened eyes dulled somewhat, his vision returning slightly.

"People like you, they sicken me," Joseph said, raising his pistol and firing in a quick-draw.

Suddenly, the Smoke Specter exploded into a plume of smoke.

Gone! Joseph cursed.

"Where am I, little cat?!" his enemy taunted.

Joseph's cat ears twitched as he sensed the next attack. He leaned back as an arm of red smoke swiped at him from his flank.

"People like you..." Joseph fired to his side. Again, his opponent exploded into smoke.

The Smoke Specter appeared directly in front of him, speeding forward with extreme speed.

"Gasp for life!" the Smoke Specter screamed.

Behind me! Joseph thought.

There was a loud gunshot, then, silence.

"Make me sick," Joseph said, finishing his sentence.

"How did you...?"

There they stood. Joseph watched the mirage in front of him disappear into the air. Joseph's gun, however, was aimed behind Joseph. Blood dripped to the floor as the Smoke Specter buckled and fell behind his enemy.

Joseph turned around, smirking. "Don't you know? You can't outwit a cat."

Red fog began to seep from the Smoke Specter's body. Joseph watched for a moment as the man disappeared like dust in the wind.

Joseph wiped his red eyes and sighed.

That was annoying. Now to destroy that stupid crystal.

In the distance, a shrill siren began to sound.

Philos was chained in a dungeon, with only the faint light of a blue etherlamp and the drip of a distant leak to keep him company.

In his mind, all he could think about was Astrid, how she needed her friends, and how he felt he failed her.

She needed me, he thought, his ire rising as he thought about the pain she must be in.

She needed me and I failed her...

 But not this time...

 I swear it...

  Somehow, I'll help you, friend...

He felt it deep in his heart. He felt a rage he didn't know he had fill his soul. Something felt odd—something felt different in him.

Philos couldn't shake it...

 He felt he was being watched.