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Chapter 168: Invasion, Part 1

Author: Ava Altair
last update Last Updated: 2022-06-15 14:06:31
Alex's ears trembled at the sound of distant shooting. "It's beginning," she whispered. Her ears had healed since the explosion, but still felt they weren't a hundred percent yet.

Ellie flicked at her board with determined fingers and a piercing stare. Alex had never seen anyone flick so fast before. The words and symbols raced across the screen at an impossible pace. They only had to make it to daylight. Once it was hot enough, they would pack everyone on the train and head west. Alex only hoped there weren't more Alphas to greet them.

Lexi sat on a stool with her bag tucked in her lap. Alex had found some tactical gear for her to wear for a little added protection but had to roll the sleeves and pant legs up. They didn't make the gear for small women. Alex's own didn't fit quite right, but she strapped it down as tight as it would go so it wouldn't hinder her movements. She traced her fingers over the hidden knives in her various pockets. She had farmed them from people that had e
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  • FLUX   Chapter 169: Invasion, Part 2

    "Let's keep moving," Alex whispered.Lexi clutched her around her waist. Alex patted her back. "It's okay," Alex soothed. "Come on, Ellie. Show us the way."Ellie moved forward slowly, carefully choosing her path. They must have both been scared, or maybe just scared for her. But this was war and fear didn't have its place if they wanted to stay alive. She concentrated hard on the sounds up ahead. She heard many battles being fought throughout the base, but nothing close to them.They moved closer to the community room. Ellie led them up the stairs. Alex halted them as they approached the next level. She let out a whistling tune. The correct answer was returned. Ellie raced up the stairs. Two men sat on guard. A small flare lit the area. Brooke sat leaning over a man on the floor."Tom," Ellie whispered and stepped forward. She fell to her knees at his side. "How is he?"Brooke shook her head. "He's lost a lot of blood. I've dug out the bullet. I'm just sewing him up now.""Is th

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 170: Power Outage

    Alex covered her ears against the wind. They were positively whistling. Lexi sat with her head against Alex's shoulder. The dusty landscaped passed unchanging as the warm wind rocked the train. The clear glass at the front sliced through the air as it slid along the magnetic track. The five cars behind them were also crammed with people and supplies. No one bothered talking since the wind drowned out all other noise. The train had been going full speed for almost ten hours and it was taking its toll on the passengers.Alex was rocked forward as the train started to slow. All heads turned toward the front as buildings grew on the horizon. A slightly familiar skyline emerged, one Alex had seen two years ago. The wind died down as the train barreled forward, the city coming up quick. The train spurted ahead again, then slowed again.Ellie jumped up from her vigil of Tom. She danced through the people sitting and lying on the floor. When she reached the front, she slapped some controls,

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 171: Starlight

    Tom awoke in the starlight to find Brooke and Ellie on either side of him. The ceiling of the train loomed over them, but the open sides revealed the stars of the night sky. Tom's lungs burned with each shallow breath, but he still felted energized as the Link pulled from the two women at his sides. He pushed himself up into a crouch with his good arm and stood without disturbing the girls. It looked like he was in a little makeshift room of their own they had created on the train.He pulled the cloth curtain aside and took the stairs down off the train. Around him, crates and tires lay strewn about the ground. It looked like items were being gathered to create something, but he couldn't decide what. A man stood, looking vigilant. He eyed him and then continued his scan.Tom approached him and whispered, "Bathroom?"The man pointed in the direction of a ruined building. "Glad to see you awake. It's nice to have a hero in our midst."Tom blushed in the moonlight. "Ah, nah. I'm not a

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 172: Building

    It had been two days since the train stopped. Alex had joined the senior team in one of the larger ruined buildings. She thought that maybe it had been a library once. Lexi had taken to collecting a few of the books hidden in the crevices. Lexi sat next to her reading while Alex surveyed the road with a scope on her rifle. They were perched on a crumbling piece of a two-story balcony that rose up over the rest of the buildings and the train.People milled beneath them packing supplies onto cars they had constructed out of spare tires from vehicles lying around. Alex had met with anyone that had guard or military or even just shooting experience, thirty-two in all including her. They were broken into three shifts while they waited here. In one off-shift, they would sleep and during the other, they were partnered with up to two people to teach them how to shoot. Everyone was armed except the young children or the children not mature enough to carry one. Lexi carried two small pistols an

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 173: Scope

    Tom awoke the next morning to find the train car empty. And by empty, he really meant empty. There were no people and most of the crates and supplies that had been crammed on were gone. He sat up, looked across the car out the sides. People milled around. Metal frames with tires were starting to take form under their diligent fingers. He stood and stretched. His stomach rumbled. He found his bag and ate an MRE quickly before he found walked down the stairs.He spotted Ellie who was directing a man on how to fasten the frame together. She shot him a smile and pointed over her shoulder. His gaze followed the direction of her finger which landed on Brooke. She was attending to a wounded woman's arm. He strode up to them."Good morning," he said."Morning," the woman said."You should be resting," Brooke said without looking up."I feel rested," he said."All finished. You should be fine to use your arm in a few days. Just don't overdo it," Brooke said and sent the woman on her way.

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 174: Night Car

    Tom laced his fingers with Brooke's hand as they sat around with a ring of people. One man sat telling a story of the how he battled a giant cockroach in a tunnel beneath the base one day. It was hard to tell if it was completely made up or had a little basis in truth.Brooke leaned over to him. "Are you ready?" She whispered.He squeezed her hand. "Of course.""Els got us a good spot. Nice and quiet. Well, not for long," she purred.Tom was glad for the dim lighting. He could feel the heat flood to his face. He thought he would be over this by now, but the thought of both Ellie and Brooke together was making his imagination run wild.Brooke faked a yawn, then stood and headed off into the dark. She shot a glance back over at him and raised her eyebrows. He stretched and stood up. Only a few heads turned in his direction. He smiled and nodded then followed after Brooke. The house they chose was on the outskirts of the neighborhood. The railway lay stretching out back to the east.

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 175: Drive

    Four days after the attack, the survivors set out just after sunset. They hauled the injured onto the newly made carts made from pieces of wooden crates and solar panels as roofs. The carts held all of their unpacked supplies to conserve space. Men took turns pushing the carts forward across the broken road. The caravan moved slowly as they rolled past the solar towers littering the desert. Ahead, a city rose before them. They angled northward where wind turbines dotted the mountain ranges.They walked onward through the night breaking at midnight for a meal then continued forward. The people remained silent, only whispering quietly on occasion. On they walked. The scenery changed. The hills rose and fell with them. At last, the sun rose and they found themselves in the midst of a valley between the mountains. Golden beams of sunlight illuminated the forming clouds overhead. The sun was still behind the mountains but the light reflecting overhead seemed to lighten the mood."Where sh

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
  • FLUX   Chapter 176: Nighttime Raid/Shots Fired

    Alex dreamt of a fast-moving pod that twisted and turned through the udder blackness of the speedway tubes deep below the ocean. It zipped at blinding speeds. She braced herself as the pod grew ever stronger around her. Her stomach churned and roiled bringing her to life in the real world with real nausea. She wiggled herself free of Lexi and Jimmy, pulled herself to the edge of the bouncing cart, and somersaulted out. She ran to the edge of the road and wretched, then heaved, then wretched some more. Someone came up behind her and patted her on the back."Are you okay?" A deep voice asked. It had that familiar ring of Jack's voice in it, but not quite the same tone."I will be," she answered in a hoarse whisper.Jimmy pulled a canteen over his shoulder from the strap then opened it and handed it to her.She accepted and drank in little sips. "Pods used to make me sick when I was little.""It's not like they're going very fast, but they are pretty bumpy."Alex took a long drink t

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

Latest chapter

  • FLUX   Chapter 232: Brothers/Set Right

    Jack woke with a splitting headache. The white tile ceiling above him looked like that of a hospital room. He gave an inward sigh. The last time had been three months. He wondered how long it had been this time.His fingers felt tight and his hand cramped. He looked over to see they were taped together with someone else's hand. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Alex lying on the cot next to him. Their tactical suits had been removed but the tech suit remained. Both of them were layered in blankets strapped to wires. He racked his brain and remembered the nova they had set off. The third one in a row must have taken its toll.He sent heat into Alex's hand. Her eyes blinked opened. She pulled at her taped hand and then used her free hand to rub her eyes. She looked around. "What's going on?""Wish I knew," Jack answered.She quirked a smile, then pushed the covers back. "It's kind of hot in here, isn't it?""Is it? I can't really tell." Jack sat up, l

  • FLUX   Chapter 231: It Only Seems Right

    The rumbling throughout the Sanctuary stilled as the battle above drew silent. Tom turned to Jimmy. Jimmy nodded and the team climbed to the Surface.After the light, the tunnel, and the door, they emptied out onto the street. Their men looked tired but had smiles on their faces. The team leaders directed them on searches to find any survivors, whether they were friend or foe."Has anyone seen Alex?" Jimmy shouted.Several people shook their heads.Jimmy turned to his team. "Let's spread out. Knowing them, they'll be up somewhere high."The team diverged. Tom searched on his own, always keeping at least his pistol at the ready. The sun slipped over the horizon casting the buildings in a deep twilight glow. Tom climbed the stairs on several buildings to the top but didn't find anything except dead bodies and empty bullet casings. After five buildings, the night settled in. The tanks disappeared back down into the tunnel. Jimmy recruited more people to help search. Armor-clad bodies

  • FLUX   Chapter 230: Heat/Last One

    Someone was calling his name. At least he thought. There it was again. Tom blinked. The room was black and hazy."Tom?" Jimmy's face loomed above him."What happened?""A fireman got to you. Are you alright?"Tom wiggled his fingers. He could feel the skin pulling across his arm as he moved. "I'll be okay, just a few blisters." He pushed back to his feet, climbing up over the top of the dead Alphas.Their power suit clad soldiers surrounded the room with guns drawn. Bullets covered the floor along with bodies of the Alphas and a few of his team members. His stomach twisted at the loss of good men.Jimmy put a hand on the shoulder of his power armor. "They died saving us. We need to get moving. We've gotten ten so far. We'll finish a sweep and then start clearing the level below."Tom nodded. "Let's go."Jimmy led the way. His team fell in behind him as they jogged down the streets checking building to building. The battle had tightened in around the Sanctuary. The noise of it s

  • FLUX   Chapter 229: Fire and Ice

    The three of them sat dressed in black tactical gear layered over Alpha tech suits. Alex's dirty face watched Jack as he tightened down the straps on her suit."We stick together, okay. No running off and playing hero on your own," Jack warned. He looked at Lexi while he said it."I thought you were going to make me stay in the pod," Lexi said."I would but it won't be safe there.""I don't think it will be any safer with us," Alex said in a low tone.Jack turned to Alex. "At least we will be able to keep an eye on her. She tends to always find trouble when I tell her to stay put."Alex's eyes flashed to Lexi. "Don't I know it."Lexi rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't be together, or maybe you'd even be dead.""Watch your tone young lady," Alex warned.Lexi grinned. "I know you're trying to be all tough, but it's really good to hear you say that." She stepped forward and gave Alex a hug.Alex melted. She laid her head against Lexi's cheek. "You're so ta

  • FLUX   Chapter 228: Swift

    Jack reached over and touched Alex's shoulder. "Wake up, love."Alex squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at them with the back of her hands smearing the soot across her face. "How long has it been?" She looked over at Lexi sleeping in a reclined chair.He reached his hand out and wiped at a smudge with his thumb. It only made it worse but she smiled at the touch. "About six hours," he said."You shouldn't have let me sleep so long. You need rest, too.""I got a few hours. Don't worry so much."Alex looked out the pod screen. "I can't help it. I'm finally free of Henry's terror, but now I feel like we're on the verge of losing it all."Jack's mouth drew down in a frown. "It's not going to be pretty. Ellie messaged me before we left her range. Looks like the Alphas are ahead of us by a few hours. When we get there, we will have to fight through them to get to the base."Alex nodded. "Did you see much of it when you visited? It's huge.""No, I only really had one thing on my mind at

  • FLUX   Chapter 227: Oncoming

    Tom sat at the table drumming his fingers. "Does anyone actually know how to work these computers other than Ellie?"The five people working the screen didn't look up.Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just give them time.""General, the ships are in place.""Good," Janice said, leaning over the tech's workstation. "Anyone have a status on the Alphas?""They're closing in. The ships are taking them out now.""It looks like they are floating topside. Orders?""There's nothing the ships can do up there. Tell them to concentrate on as many darts as they can. Send runners topside and tell them to prepare." Janice turned to Jimmy and Tom. "That's your cue. Do your best."Tom saluted and Jimmy nodded. They turned out into the hall. Their teams waited for them, strapped with weapons and power armor. Tom donned the power armor helmet, gave a nod to Jimmy, and led his team away.As they walked down the halls, they passed locked doors to apartments. Their people, the ones that wer

  • FLUX   Chapter 226: Supernova, Part 2

    He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as the gunfire continued to rain down on them. She lifted her chin up. Her eyes connected with his and she smiled.He smiled back. They were going to make it. Somehow, they were going to make it. He tilted his face down and pressed his lips to hers. The liquid electricity filled him. He could feel the energy building in them. He held on to it as he kissed her. She parted her soft lips and he slid his tongue inside. Her tongue moved along his, soft, slow, and passionate. He pressed her against him, gathering the energy they created. He could feel the energy sparkling on his fingertips, asking to be released. He held it back until they vibrated. Finally, he let it go.The white-hot fire burst from them. In his mind, he could feel it like an extra sense. He coated the stadium with it. He could tell it what to touch and what not to. Screams of Alphas pierced the gunshots as the white fire flashed into a nova. He could feel the en

  • FLUX   Chapter 225: Supernova, Part 1

    Jack turned to Lexi. "You have to stay here. Got it?""But, Dad-""No. Stay. Promise me that you will stay?""Please let me help."Jack shook his head. "There is nothing you can do, muffin. Please. I don't want to worry about you. I have to get your mother and I need you to be safe. So take the pod and go. I will catch up as soon as I can." Jack flicked at the controls, locking them in place.He held his arms out for a hug. She stepped into it, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly."I love you," he whispered. "You've grown into a fine young lady. I couldn't be more proud of you.""Please don't leave me again," she whispered.His heart sank and he hugged her even tighter. "It will be the last time. When this is all over, I will always be at your side. I promise.""You better."He stroked the back of her head. "Please be safe." He stepped back to look at her."Wait." She pulled the sapphire ring off her finger and stuffed it in his shoulder pocket."What's th

  • FLUX   Chapter 224: Set-up

    Alex stood locked in a small empty room the size of a utility closet. The walls lay bare except for the light switch. She flicked at the walls, but the screens were disabled and didn't respond.She paced back and forth, rubbing the Vice at her neck. Her bare feet didn't make a sound as they worked the white tile of the floor. She had to figure a way out of here. She needed to find Brooke and Tom. They had to be free. They were only here because of her. This was her problem, her world, not theirs. She flicked her palm open and drew a fireball. Her insides were still hot, but the pull of energy from just one fireball was tremendous. The amount of focus it took to wield it was much harder than it had been when she was pregnant.Alex pressed her ear to the door. Two heartbeats from the other side. She had no weapons other than the fire. She may be able to take out one Alpha, but not two. She sighed, then moved to another wall. There was no sound coming from that side. She tapped on it. S

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