Chapter 77:
Destiny Destroyers
As instructed, Amber made her way to the back of the train. Lloyd was next to attempt to get in the final car, only for Amber to gather the shadows in the last car around her fist, landing a right hook straight into Lloyd's gut and make a small barrier behind him. His blue eyes bulged out of his head, and he stepped back. Suddenly, he felt a hand under each of his arms.
"Yo, Amber? What now?" Micah asked, piercing through the shadow barrier without much issue.
"Take him to the edge." Amber replied, without a shred of mercy in her voice.
Micah took a few steps back, struggling to keep carrying Lloyd. He stumbled slightly for a second, and Lloyd slipped out of his hands, landing a punch to Micah's face with his left hand and grabbing his head with the other. Micah felt his entire body seize up, and he fell on his knees. Lloyd gasped the stale underground air, only to get a punch to the head courtesy of Silvia. Seeta picked up Micah, going into the last train car with Amber. Amber gave her a quick nod, and gestured her to sit down, which she did. Once she was sat down comfortably, Amber gathered all of the shadows in the room alongside the ones they were casting, setting a translucent gate in front of the door. Andrei stood in front of the gate, and Amber retreated the shadows, allowing him to step in.
"You want to fight him?" Andrei asked, summoning his greaves. "I'll stop him getting in here."
"Nah." Amber replied, looking at Silvia and Cyrus. "He's good as dead."
Lloyd looked towards the door, seeing both Amber and Andrei at the front. Maybe next round. The most important thing right now was not getting caught by Silvia. Silvia slammed her fist into the steel next to him, and he nearly got out of the way, only for him to trip over a fragment of bone left by Cyrus. Valentina allowed her arm to melt, gathering as a hammer in her real hand, which she used to deliver a swing to Lloyd, before the hammer melted around him attempting to ensnare him by the legs. Lloyd dipped his hand in the metal, slowing it's spread ever so slightly. He got out of the metal, only for Odebode to barely miss him with a sword slash. Lloyd saw the look of uncertainty in his face, and knew this was his one time to get out of this.
"Come on, man." Lloyd said condescendingly. "That it?"
Odebode swung at him again. He went diagonally left starting at the top right to him and ending at the middle right. He then swung from the middle right to the top left, and then from the top left to the bottom middle, and from the bottom right back to the top right. Lloyd dodged backwards through the pattern until he was near where Andrei was standing. When the sword was at it's highest point, Lloyd ducked underneath, quickly getting behind Odebode and kicking him into the doorway. The door violently shut behind him, leaving Odebode out of the challenge.
"So then!" Leonie yelled out over the loudspeaker. "That's Amber, Andrei, Seeta, Micah, and Odebode safe!"
Lloyd clung to the back of the room. He hopefully secured his way out of death, but the issue now was how to get somebody else killed. Pretty much anyone was fair game. Eric's group was all there, so attacking any of them wasn't allowed. Valentina and Cyrus were way too powerful, so his options were either Ulrich or Silvia. Silvia. She had to go.
The nine contestants were still on the train, wondering what to do.
"So, only three others can flush him out, right?" Eric asked.
"You, me, and Cyrus?" Valentina asked calmly.
Eric nodded, and the three of them ran into the next car, Eric creating water bubbles to coat the door, while Cyrus made bones protrude out of his knuckles, going in for a punch. Lloyd ducked underneath the punch going to grab him, but Cyrus seemed to quickly float off the ground. Lloyd stumbled back to see Eric was pulling him back. Valentina slammed a metal fist into his face, causing Lloyd to fall and hit his head off the metal floor.
"Is he dead?" Vanessa gasped.
"Direct killing isn't allowed!" Wendy screamed, letting a shock loose.
"They are all well aware." Huang replied calmly, sitting on his seat calmly.
"Remind we why we're killing him again?" Yun-Yeong asked. "We don't even know what he did!"
"I'm glad you asked."
Over the loudspeaker, Kalea spoke. There was shuffling heard which ended with Leonie screaming. But then Kalea came back. She sounded much calmer than usual. But once she spoke again, it was just Kalea, only with actual emotions in her voice. Sounding strangely positive about it, too.
"Lloyd's crime is using his influence and family name to lure teenagers into his ring. He gives them success, and they give him and his friends…favours. I don't feel the need to mention what they exactly are, however."
Valentina stopped her assault for a second, looking a terrified Lloyd dead in the eyes as he got back up.
"H-hey…it was mutual, you know? They knew what they were signing up for. Besides, there was a group that was way worse, and the Clifton family managed to help destroy that. Just ask…just ask Aurora."
Valentina delivered another punch to his face as soon as he finished his sentence. She grabbed him by his neck, throwing him out of the car with all the force she could summon. Lloyd attempted to scramble back into the car, but Silvia wrapped a few vines around his legs, and he was out.
"Everyone, get to the other car!" She yelled.
Vanessa, Yun-Yeong, Wendy, Huang, and Ulrich all ran over to the next car. However, the train suddenly turned, slamming Wendy and Huang to the side of the car, while Yun-Yeong, Ulrich, Vanessa, and Cyrus all barrelled into the car, its doors slamming closed the second five people stepped in.
"Well…I-it seems we're at the final five." Leonie announced shakily. "Will we lose Eric, Huang, L-Lloyd, Silvia or Wendy? I-it's anyone's guess."
Leonie turned off the loudspeaker, turning to Kalea.
"What the hell did you do?" She asked desperately. "Lloyd's gonna die! Do you know what happens to us if he dies?"
"Uh, yeah!" Kalea laughed. "We get a pay cut, or you have less limbs to torment people with! A fairer game and Lloyd getting booted? Sounds pretty damn good to me!"
Leonie looked mortified, and Kalea shoved her aside, moving the train once again.
"Come on, let it be Lloyd." She muttered to herself as she moved her hand across the control panel, causing the train to slip around the place.
Lloyd slammed his face into the wall, feeling a small body slam its way into his back. Lloyd spat a tooth out onto the platform below. He took a step back, waiting to see who slammed into him.
Wendy.
Lloyd grabbed her, and she tried to let a shock out, which only made Lloyd have to tighten his grip. Otherwise, he was fine. His powers didn't seem to work on Wendy as she kicked him in the shins, but no matter. He looked the terrified girl in the eyes, witnessing her release a wave of shocks into him. They felt like feathers against him, but he was half elemental, after all.
A flick of his wrist, and she was out of the train.
"Wendy!" Eric yelled out, his legs weakening. He slumped onto Huang, who supported him back up.
"Let me try something." He whispered quietly. "You take care of Lloyd."
Huang sat Eric down and ignored Lloyd, taking a leap out of the train.
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