Chapter 7

Betrayal?

Zhalia's POV

I was at the end of the train, outside the car, thinking when Dante asked softly, "Zhalia."

I backed away from the rail, "Dante? Uh, what do you want?" I brushed my hair behind my ear.

"It looks like this mission has you on edge." He said.

"Um… I just have a bad feeling, that's all." I looked at him as he looked away.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked.

"You're the one with something on your mind. It's that Huntik Foundation bigwig you keep visiting, right?" I asked.

"So, you know about Metz?" He said.

"Of course, he's top dog on the Huntik Council." I said.

"And he's also the one who taught me to be a Seeker. He was my whole world and now… He's very sick. I don't know how much longer he has." He said somberly.

I remembered when I was a street kid, crying somewhere when Klaus found me and taught me. I remembered the first time I summoned Gareon, "Dante, I know how you feel. I have someone like that. I'm so sorry." I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Zhalia… There's…. something I've been meaning to say." He looked me in the eyes. His eyes were a pretty gold.

"Yes?" I asked.

"And that is… Raypluse!" Dante suddenly shot at a Suit on the roof above us. He ran back inside and I crossed my arms, annoyed.

"Hyperstride!" I jumped up onto the roof.

"Zhalia, what are you doing?" The man asked, now having a Redcap out.

"Touchram!" I aimed the spell and knocked them both off, but the man hung onto the edge of the roof.

Flashback

I was being confronted by a group of bullies. I had a green apple, "Hey, orphan, where'd you get that food?" The girl taunted.

"Whatcha you gonna do about it, huh? You're nothing!" The boy in front of me pushed me down and I fell into a puddle.

"Yeah, you can't do a thing!" The girl took my apple.

"Make me your leader. I'll show you how to steal food." I tried to convince a gang of older kids to let me join them.

"Who's going to take orders from a weakling like you?" One of the boys sneered.

"Do you want to eat or not?" I asked.

I was pushed into a wall, "Uh!" I slid down it.

A man was in front of me where I tried to join the older kids, "I like you ambition, but that's not enough. To escape these streets, you must truly love power enough to do anything to get it." He held out his hand and I took it.

"No one would follow me. I guess I'm just a nothing." I told him.

"Then come with me to the Organization." He offered.

I was with two of Klaus's men when a car pulled up. They opened the door and Klaus was in it.

"Hm! You will infiltrate our most troublesome opponents, the Huntik Foundation." Klaus told me.

Present

"There you are, my pretty double agent." I saw Klaus come in the throne room. I was on the throne.

"Klaus, when this is all over, everyone will show respect for me, right?" I asked.

"Certainly! And once Dante Vale and Lok Lambert are out of the picture, we have no competition for the Legendary Titans." He smiled.

Lok's POV

"Then this bag must hold Vald's stash of amulets! We actually found it!" I said as the skull started to glow. I held it out as far as I could before tossing it. The skull floated in the air. I gasped.

"Look out!" Sophie ran to me.

"It's a trap!" I yelled as we pushed ourselves against the wall as the skull zoomed past.

"Raypluse!" Sophie shot at the skull but it made a force field.

"We're in trouble now! Oh, my!" Cherit worried.

"Guys, this way." Zhalia told us.

I grabbed Sophie's hand, "Come on, hurry!"

The skull shot at Cherit as we got to Zhalia, "Ah!"

Zhalia spun the wheel to the metal door and we ran in the room it held to, "Close one. Dante sent me to give you two a hand."

"Thanks, but I think I dropped Vlad's amulet bag. We gotta go back." I told her.

"Okay. One of us will act as a decoy." She said.

"Fine, that'll be you." Sophie said.

"It'll have to be. That trap homes in on whichever Seeker nearby holds the strongest amulets and that's me." Zhalia told us.

"How do you know whose Titans are the most powerful? It could target me or Lok while you're trying to distract it." Sophie asked.

"Let's ditch our amulets. If we're not wearing them, then we shouldn't register on the skull's hitlist, right?" I asked.

"Hmm? It could work." Zhalia thought.

"Uh! No way! Too risky!" Sophie didn't like it.

"Wait, I have an idea! Freelancer!" I summoned him, "Cherit, you two stay here. Guard the amulets and call if something happens." I put my amulets in a hole in the wall.

"Aye aye!" Cherit agreed.

"Ok, Lok, we'll do it your way." Sophie reluctantly agreed and went to wall and moved the brick piece.

Zhalia smiled.

We were still in the cell. Zhalia walked to the switch in the cell, "Ready?" She asked and opened the door.

We ran out, "Let's do this! Where's the trap?" I asked after I noticed the skull was gone.

"Right here! Augerfrost!" Zhalia said and she shot me. I flew into a wall. It hurt.

Lok's POV End

Sophie's POV

"Lok! No! You're going to regret that!" I yelled.

"Am I? Farslip!" The traitor used the spell on the mechanisms for the door of the cell, locking Cherit and Freelancer inside.

"Sophie, what's going- Ah!" Cherit yelled as the door slammed.

"I never trusted you, but I didn't think you'd do something like that to Lok." I shouted at her.

"I'm full of surprises. So, what are you going to do? Your amulets are all locked away." She taunted.

"I'm full of surprises too! Attack, Sabriel!" I summoned my Titan, "I'm no fool! I've still got every one of my amulets. All it required was a simple sleight of hand." I had put a rock with Lok's amulets.

"Actually, I was hoping we'd get to fight one-on-one, Sophie." Zhalia told me.

Sophie's POV End

Lok's POV

"Zhalia verus Sophie? Am I dreaming?" I asked myself as I woke up.

Lok's POV End

Sophie's POV

"Take aim, Feyone, Icarus!" I summoned more Titans.

"Fight for your lady, Kilthane!" Zhalia summoned the black armored knight.

"So, you're part of the Organization?" I accused.

"Life is about power and the Organization is about getting power. That's why we will always dominate!" Zhalia boasted.

"Life's not about getting power, Zhalia. It's about how you choose to use it!" I told her.

"Then let's put it to use! Attack!" She yelled then Kilthane charged.

"Sabriel, defense only!" I instructed. Sabriel met him and their swords clashed before he swung again and Sabriel backed up and blocked with her sword. Icarus charged a blue ball as Kilthane ran at Sabriel. He swerved.

"Honorguard!" I yelled as Gareon tried to sneak attack me, "Nice try, Zhalia!"

Sophie's POV End

Lok's POV

"I can't let them hurt each other!" I rubbed my head and stood up.

Lok's POV End

Sophie's POV

"I won't give you the chance to try another trick. NOW!" I yelled and we charged.

Kilthane blocked the attack meant for Zhalia from Icarus. I jumped in the air, "Doublespell! Raypluse!"

"What? No!" Zhalia seemed surprised.

"Sophie, don't hurt her!" Lok yelled.

I glanced at Lok, but continued my attack. Zhalia dodged, "Sophie." Lok said.

"You've missed your one chance." Zhalia warned.

"No, I haven't! Boltflare!" I shot her, but she disappeared.

"Sorry, little girl, but that an illusion created by Thoughtspecter power!" She got me in the back.

"Sophie!" Lok yelled.

Sophie's POV End

Lok's POV

"I can't… I've got no Titans." I whispered to myself.

Lok's POV End

Sophie's POV

"Mindsight!" Zhalia yelled and the power settled over me. I frowned. She smiled.

I kicked, but she blocked it with her arm. I got up and Zhalia said, "I can see your every move. Shadowspeed!"

She sent out a flurry of punches that I couldn't dodge and knocked me back on the ground.

"Now, I'll put you out of my misery!" She announced as I fell unconscious.

Sophie's POV End

Lok's POV

"Zhalia!" I yelled.

She raised her fist and aimed at Sophie. I made it to Sophie just in time, "No!"

"Venomhand!" Zhalia yelled as she jumped.

"Don't do this!" I begged.

"YAAA!" Zhalia yelled as she pulled back her fist again and swung.

Lok's POV End

Dante's POV

"I see you're no fool, Vale! You are an ideal specimen, that is, for my lab." Klaus told me.

"So, now what? Are you going to finish me off?" I struggled because of Poisonfang.

"No. She is." He said.

"Uh!" I gasped as I turned to who he meant. It was Zhalia.

"You took care of the kids, did you not? Good." Klaus asked her and she gave him a bag. Her hands glowed with Vemonhand, "Now give Dante everything you've got!" He instructed.

"Zhalia, what have you done?" I asked as she walked closer to me.

Her eyes seemed regretful as she thought.

Dante's POV End

Zhalia's POV

Flashback

"Zhalia, what have you done, you fool? I told you to take care of the urchins!" Klaus yelled at me. I bowed my head in shame.

"But they're just street kids!" I protested.

"They are witnesses!" He scolded, "Erase their memories or I'll erase them, understood?"

"They're no different than me." I whimpered.

Zhalia's POV End

Dante's POV

Zhalia raised her fists and yelled. I gasped. She started to swing, "Zhalia…"

Her eyes widen in shock and she gasped as she remembered something.

Dante's POV End

Zhalia's POV

I remembered back to when Dante gave me DeFoe's amulets, "I know that at the end of the day, I can trust you." He smiled.

I heard Lok laugh, "Zhalia, I know you're a good person, no matter how you act."

Zhalia's POV End

Dante's POV

Zhalia squeezed her eyes shut and frowned as she tried to stop thinking about something, "Nooo!" She punched the tile next to me, "Raypluse! Augerfrost!" She shot at the suits.

"That was my chance! Everfight!" I used the healing power and healed. I landed next to Zhalia.

A Bonelasher started to move, but Caliban jumped and cut it in half with his sword. It was sent back to whoever owned it.

"Nein! This can't be happening. Brahe!" Klaus summoned his golem Titan.

It landed on the roof with an earth shaking thud and then Zhalia spoke, "I've made my choice, Dante, but Klaus was like a father to me. I can't fight him."

"I understand. I'll get him while you clean up the rest." I looked at her and then turned back to Klaus before jumping at him.

"I still have the advantage!" Klaus told me.

"You have nothing, not even the ground under your feet. Metagolem!" I summoned my heavy Titan.

He intertwined his fists and hit Brahe on the shoulder and they were wrestling now. Klaus slid a little as they broke the roof he was standing on and the tower next to it. They fell off.

"Dragonfist!" I continued on my course.

"Vemonhand!" Klaus jumped up to meet me and our powers met in the middle before we locked in combat.

I groaned as I fought the poison spell. Klaus grimaced. Our spells grew brighter as Klaus won and I was sent flying back. I barely held onto the roof and was slipping as Klaus jumped in to finish me off.

"Fate has handed me the victory. Farewell." He said, getting ready to fire.

"Raypluse!" Zhalia shot him in the back.

"Poisonfann-" He sputtered as he fell.

"I guess I can't avoid fighting you, after all, Klaus!" Zhalia told her father.

"You wouldn't hurt me, Zhalia! You know, I think of you as my daughter!" He pleaded.

"As long as I live with lies, I'll be nothing, no matter how much power I have. I'm sorry. King Basilisk!" She summoned.

Klaus yelled as he was turned to stone.

Dante's POV End

Lok's POV

Dante's House

"I'm just glad that Zhalia didn't hurt you two." Cherit told us.

Flashback

Zhalia swung and hit the ground next to us. I opened my eyes, "Uh?"

"I'll finish you two off later!" She tied us to the door wheel.

Present

"She said she couldn't bring herself to hurt us after witnessing my major stupidity." I repeated.

"Jumping between us was bravery, not stupidity." Sophie smiled.

"Don't forget, Lok, it played a part in bringing Zhalia back to her senses." Dante told me.

"It's weird. Now that I know everything Zhalia went through, I kinda want to forgive her." Sophie touched her lip with her finger.

"Aye! Her life was a hard one at that." Cherit agreed.

"But in the end, she came through for us. I won't forget that!" I smiled.

"Thank you, it means a lot. I've come to say goodbye." Zhalia came out of the shadows.

"You know, you don't have to do that." Cherit told her.

"You heard everyone. We forgive you!" Sophie agreed.

Lok's POV End

Dante's POV

"But I can't forgive myself." Zhalia looked at the floor. Her shirt turned green and I felt a little upset by the timing.

Dante's POV End

Zhalia's POV

"It's all right. We understand." Dante consoled me. His coat and eyes stopped shimmering white and green. My heart pounded. I burned Dante's soul color into my mind. I wouldn't be able to see him for a while.

"See you." I disappeared in a purple light.

Zhalia's POV End