Chapter 17: A Grander Scale

“State your business.” Sarah called out to the newcomer, sword still in hand.

Meanwhile Beatrice was glaring at Spencer all while she kept moving her shield to keep him from seeing the headphone wearing girl. In snippets around the shield Spencer watched the girl take a phone out of her pocket, swirl her finger around the screen without even glancing down, and change the music pumping out of her headphones from a high tempo electric banger to some sort of ambient nature white noise.

“Are you guys champions?” The girl replied, still behind the destroyed car in the parking lot.

“She’s suspicious, commander, permission to engage.” Sarah whispered urgently back to Spencer.

“No, let me talk to her please.” He ordered while swiping away Beatrice’s pesky shield. “She’s not attacking us and we won’t attack her unless that changes. If she’s a champion then we’re on the same side.”

“I appreciate that.” The girl called forward with a smile.

Spencer blinked. She had heard them whispering from that far away.

She’s gotta have enhanced hearing or something. Spencer reasoned.

He stepped up next to his S-rank front liner.

Sarah and Beatrice maintained ready postures.

“My name is Jamie.” The girl introduced herself. “I’m from Ridgecrest.”

Spencer frowned. That was an hour and a half drive away from here.

“What brought you down here?” He asked.

It felt odd to have such a casual conversation surrounded by destroyed vehicles next to a hauntingly empty school.

“I have a family member in the air force who is stationed at Edwards.” Jamie pointed roughly towards the base to the north. “I was… contracted I guess is how they put it, by the military to survey the areas around LA and direct any survivors that looked capable of moving safely to the refugee camp being set up at Edwards. Anyone who’s too scared to make the journey on their own, who are injured, or who aren’t equipped enough I’m supposed to mark on a map for potential rescue in the future.”

When referencing a map she gestured to the yellow pack on her back. She looked Spencer and his companions over.

“Are all three of you champions?” She eyed Spencer. “I heard the lovely lady with the sword call you commander?”

“I’m the champion. I’m Spencer, this is Sarah, and that’s Beatrice.” Spencer introduced them each in turn. 

Neither engie altered their stance or expression.

“I summoned them to help fight these monsters.”

“Commander, you should be more careful about sharing details concerning our capabilities.” Sarah hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

“What’s with you?” Spencer hissed back. “You didn’t treat Nick this way. From what I understand, champions should all be working towards a common goal.”

“She’s right, actually.” Jamie interrupted their quiet conversation again.

Spencer frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That pillar.” Jamie pointed to the monolith towering over the skyline to the south. “Is just one of over twenty that fell over the states. Not to mention the dozens over other nations around the world.”

Spencer felt his breath catch in his throat.

“Over twenty?” He repeated hoarsely.

Now that he thought back to the emergency broadcast that texted everyone’s phones right before the pillar appeared over LA, the list of counties listed for evacuation included a bunch of areas in northern California along with the areas around LA. That meant there was at least one other pillar in this state alone. Spencer’s mind raced as he imagined what chaos had spread across the country over the past few days.

“That’s terrifying.” Spencer shook his head. “But what does that have to do with being careful sharing details about being a champion?”

Jamie walked around the destroyed car and approached Spencer directly. Sarah leveled her sword at Jamie and Beatrice gently grabbed Spencer’s wrist ready to pull him away in a hurry.

“I don’t mean any harm.” Jamie lifted both hands and kept them there as she stopped within a few feet of the trio. “But there are a lot of people out there who became champions and have let that power get into their head. My brother was telling me all about this guy in Florida who wiped out a whole town. No monsters, no nothing. He just started killing all of his neighbors with lasers or energy beams or something. This guy got stronger the more that he killed. The air force hit his house with a freaking JDAM to put him down.”

Jamie visibly shuddered. “Anyway, I’m not out here looking to become a king or demon or whatever a lot of champions around the world are doing, but you should definitely be careful who you trust these days. There are some noble people trying to exterminate the monsters, but a lot more are in it for personal gain.”

She glanced at Spencer. “Have you made a deal with the system?”

Spencer shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”

She let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good. A lot of people start out good and then start to get all weird when they start negotiating with the system. Just be cautious. It takes things from you.”

Spencer felt troubled by this information. If there was one thing that he thought would unify people across the nation, if not the world, it was soulless monsters destroying their homes. What kind of power trip were these people on?

“Well thanks for letting us know.” Spencer dipped his head to Jamie.

Jamie smiled and pulled her phone out. She scrolled presumably through a playlist to select her next track.

“Don’t mention it. I need to get a move on and see if I can find anyone else in the area.”

“So you recommend heading for the refugee camp?” Spencer asked.

He glanced at the two remaining beams of light in the sky around Lancaster. He definitely wasn’t going to leave before completing his first task, but it would be handy to have an optional plan for after. 

“For every day normal people, yes, for you…” Jamie’s thumb paused over the play button. 

She didn’t look up at him, but Spencer could see the older girl chewing on the inside of her cheek.

“What?” Spencer asked, surprised by her slight change in demeanor.

“Honestly… Things are pretty crazy out there. Not ripped apart by monsters crazy, but…” She trailed off and clutched the straps on her backpack closely. “There’s been a lot of frantic talk about champions. Some of it productive, others… scary.”

Jamie turned her gaze north towards Edwards air force base. “I trust my brother to protect me no matter what, but you might actually be safer finding a place to hold up within the pillar’s perimeter.”

“Perimeter?”

Spencer thought back to the military’s failed attack and how the monsters broke off pursuit when they got a certain distance away.

“Somewhere between fifty and sixty miles from the pillar. Monsters never travel further than that.” Jamie pressed play and her soothing nature ambience was replaced by another fast pace electric banger.

“So either stay in the zone around the pillar and risk dying to monsters or go outside of the zone and potentially get rounded up by the government?” Spencer summarized Jamie’s suggestion.

“You got it.” She adjusted her cycling glasses.

“Hold on.” Spencer just thought of something right as Jamie was about to start running.

She raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Do you know Antelope Valley Mall?” Spencer pointed to the west.

Jamie nodded. “I’ve been there before.”

“We met another group of survivors. Only one was a champion. They were heading to the mall earlier today.”

“Mall, got it.” She winked at Spencer. “Thanks champ. See you around.”

Jamie raced off at blinding speed. 

Spencer took a deep breath and released it. There was a lot of information to unpack. Spencer hadn’t actually planned on leaving the area around the pillar. Part of it was the fact that this was his home, but in the back of his mind Spencer had been assuming that he would grow his abilities to the point where he defeated the pillar and sent it away for good. 

Now he was aware that there are over twenty of these monster spewing pillars over the United States and probably more around the world. Spencer hadn’t spent much time thinking about his parents because he naively assumed they would be perfectly safe on their business trip to Japan since the pillar was in downtown LA, but now that line of thinking felt pretty stupid.

Not to mention the fact that he might be viewed as a threat by the US government. It all felt so overwhelming. What could he do about a bomb being dropped on his house like that crazy guy? 

Spencer sighed. Whatever the case his immediate future was still going to be extremely dangerous. He’d have to rely on his engies even more.

Spencer pulled himself out of his deep thoughts and glanced at said engies around him. Neither of them were happy. Sarah and Beatrice stood with their hands folded across their chests and firm scowls on their faces.

“What’s going on?” Spencer glanced between the pair.

“What was it about her that you liked so much, commander?” Sarah asked coldly.

‘Was it her pretty face?’ Beatrice wrote out on her whiteboard.

“Are you talking about Jamie?” Spencer’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“Already on a first name basis are we?” Sarah’s purple eyes flared dangerously.

‘Was it her butt in those tight pants?’ Beatrice wrote a follow up question to her first.

Spencer frantically shook his head and lifted his hands in innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Jamie had important information she willingly shared with us. I’m incredibly grateful that-”

“Grateful?” Sarah’s hands clenched hard around the pommel of her sword. “Is that what you felt for her? Are you sure it was the only thing?”

Beatrice’s shield spun angrily around her head like a helicopter blade.

‘Undressed her with your eyes.’ She wrote out and underlined it like she signed Spencer’s death warrant.

They’re incredibly jealous over such a small interaction. It’s making them irrational. Spencer swallowed hard. Andrea was very much the same way. How can I fix this?

Not having any other ideas, and feeling a strange urge to do something he would never try in such a delicate situation, Spencer stepped towards Sarah and pulled her into a kiss. After a brief moment of shock Sarah’s anger melted away and she kissed him back with incredible ferocity. 

Spencer felt something warm force its way into his mouth. It took him a second to realize that it was Sarah’s tongue. She ran it along the inside of his teeth and over his own tongue. It was a strange sensation, but certainly not unpleasant. Spencer tried to match her movements as best he could. He started by just twisting around her own tongue as it laid claim to his mouth, but eventually he pushed back enough to explore Sarah’s.

Spencer’s heart thundered in his chest. His blood burned and raced through his veins. Both he and Sarah panted as they struggled to find moments to breathe between fresh rounds of kissing. He felt electrified and slightly dizzy from the passion they shared for what felt like multiple minutes. 

By the time they broke apart a line of saliva trailed between their lips lewdly. Like a severed connection, Spencer’s senses began to return to him as that thin strand of saliva broke apart and dripped to the ground. Sarah’s arms wrapped possessively around Spencer’s torso as hearts pulsated in her blazing irises. It was only then that Spencer remembered he had a second engie standing right next to them.

He turned, face completely red, and smiled in what he hoped was an apologetic way towards Beatrice. The shorter girl was just as flushed as Spencer was, breathing heavily, and watching the pair of them from over top of her shield which she hid behind.

“Sorry, it’s just, you two were so angry that I couldn’t think of another way to calm Sarah down. I didn’t talk to… that girl,” Spencer tactically refrained from mentioning Jamie’s name to them again, “because I thought she was better than either of you or because I liked her at all. We just needed the information she had to offer. That’s all.”

Beatrice gave a small nod. Spencer turned to Sarah who looked slightly drunk from their french kiss.

“I forgive you, commander.” She blushed and gently released his shoulders.

Beatrice wrote something on her white board, but hesitated to turn it around.

“What is it?” Spencer asked gently.

Beatrice avoided looking at Spencer directly as she slowly turned the white board to face him.

‘My turn… for a kiss?’ 

“Oh, um. Yeah I suppose fair is fair…” Spencer glanced at Sarah.

Between her slight hostility towards Beatrice earlier and how she just reacted to Jamie Spencer expected the sword wielding engie to object strongly to the idea. To his surprise Sarah nodded her agreement.

“I told you I wouldn’t object to gathering more engies around you, commander. Beatrice will prove useful in keeping you safe.” Her expression soured slightly. “It’s a bit harder now that I’m witnessing it in person, but I suppose I’ll just turn away.”

Sarah spun around and gestured for Spencer to continue while she covered her own ears. Spencer turned to Beatrice and shrugged.

“Okay. If you’re sure this is what you want? I don’t ever want to pressure you girls into anything you don’t want to do.” Spencer emphasized to the shorter engie girl.

Beatrice grew teary eyed. She signed out something that Spencer barely made out.

‘Commander, doesn’t want to?’

Spencer stepped forward and pulled Beatrice closer to him. The shield spun out of his way. She gasped slightly, but her crestfallen expression faded to one of surprise and excitement.

“You’re beautiful, strong, and protective of others. I may not know you very well yet, which I promise to change with time, but I do know that I would be lucky to kiss someone like you.” Spencer whispered to her.

Beatrice shut her eyes, tilted her face upwards towards Spencer, and lifted herself onto her toes.

She’s so cute. Spencer chuckled to himself.

He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips into hers. Beatrice’s lips were thinner than Sarah’s, but surprisingly she moved with far more confidence than the taller engie had during their first kiss. Spencer felt the flat side of Beatrice’s hover shield press up against the back of his head and neck and gently push him further into her.

Beatrice’s hands slide around his waist to grip the hem of his shirt. He intended to keep it simple and short, it was their first kiss together after all, but Beatrice wanted more. Her hands slipped under Spencer’s shirt and began to caress his back directly. Spencer gasped lightly and that only served to spur Beatrice on. She pressed harder into the kiss while her hands roamed beneath Spencer’s shirt.

Would… would she want me to reciprocate? Spencer’s hands moved from Beatrice’s shoulders to her slender waist where he gently pulled at her tucked in blouse.

Beatrice snapped one of her hands back around herself and Spencer paused, afraid that she would push his hands away, but she surprised him yet again by pulling her shirt up completely untucking it. Beatrice then took one of his hands and guided it beneath her blouse to gently caress her lower back. Her skin was so soft. It felt genuinely magical beneath his fingers as he touched this delicate area of her body. Their lips parted and their collective breathing sped up. Neither member wanted the kiss to end. That was, until a strong pair of hands forced them apart.

‘Bonding Event successfully passed, Milestone successfully passed, First Kiss: 

• Ten store credits awarded.

• Team member, Beatrice, stats vastly improved.’

“All right!” Sarah huffed. “I think this is going further than what I did with the commander.”

Beatrice swayed on her feet and wrote out a shaky response. ‘I regret nothing.’

“Commander, I demand a do-over of my turn.”

Sarah didn’t have a shirt to untuck, but the engie began to hike up the skirt of her dress. Her eyes blazed with an almost manic intensity. 

A loud crack cut the moment short as the trio all collectively turned towards the back side of the school. Sarah unsheathed her blade and fell into a ready stance while Beatrice picked up her discarded quarter staff and readied her hovering shield. A sickening squelching noise brought the trio to the corner of the building where they carefully peered around to see the source of the noise.

The large flesh pile had split open and something large and wet was in the process of climbing out of it.

“Abomination.” Spencer whispered the only word that fit what he witnessed before him.

A large creature, somewhere around twelve feet tall lifted itself from the broken flesh beneath its grotesque feet. It had four limbering arms on its torso and multiple sets of eyes on its awkwardly shaped head. 

Human eyes. 

In fact, the creature’s entire body was made up of bits and pieces from human corpses that had probably been fed into the flesh pile. Spencer felt sick to his stomach as he watched this atrocity turn towards the pillar over the horizon and let out a spine tingling shriek. Its voice a terrible amalgamation of an untold number of human voices all blended together. Sarah held the three of them tight against the wall, but the abomination turned away from the pillar and lumbered off into the city of Lancaster.

Spencer now knew what the monsters were doing with bodies.