Ash Ketchum: Battle of the Ampere

Ch. 7 The Surrender of the Magicians

   Rumors spread quickly through the Peruvian military force that the eight teenagers they were hunting in the jungle were more than just young terrorists. They were part of an occult group called the Electroclan and workers of black magic--a rumor that gained credence when it was discovered that some of them actually glowed in the dark.

   Peruvian culture holds deeply founded superstitions, and even after the teens had surrendered, many of the soldiers refused to go near them. Others, in spite of their strict orders to bring the terrorists back alive, pleaded with their commanders to shoot the teens and bring back their lifeless bodies.

   The Galactic's Elite Global Guard, who were consulting with the Peruvian army, helped spread rumors of black magic among the lower and more ignorant ranks of Peruvian soldiers, hoping that if enough of them believed it, they might pressure their superiors into turning the Electroclan over to Galactic--which was their objective to begin with.

   The chief Galactic officer working with the Peruvian military was Captain Steven, a senior member of the Elite Global Guard and third in authority to Dr. Cyrus himself. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince, bribe, then threaten the brigade's commander, General Panchez, into releasing the teens into Galactic custody. The general wouldn't budge. His orders his came from the top. The Peruvian president himself had demanded that the Electroclan be brought in for trial. The terrorists' capture had already made international news, and the Peruvian citizens demanded justice. In actuality, justice wasn't the president's main concern--it was his approval rating. With the loss of their electricity, the country was in crisis and people wanted someone to answer for their suffering. Like all successful politicians, the president understood public opinion well enough to know that if someone's head didn't roll, his would. And the general understood that if the president's head rolled, his would roll along with it.

   Even though Calem and Zeus still wanted to fight, with more than five hundred armed soldiers surrounding them, there was little they could do but surrender. Serena was the one who had made the decision, waving a torn piece of her top over her head.

  "We give up!" She shouted. "We surrender."

   A heavily accented military officer with a megaphone shouted, "You stand up now with your handses on your head!"

  "The dude can't talk," Calem said.

  "They're Peruvian military," Clemont said. "They're not Galactic."

  "That's good, right?" Shauna asked.

  "It's not good," Clemont said. "We'll find out if it's better.

   Serena was the first to obey the order. "Don't shoot!" She put her hands on her head and slowly stood, followed by the rest: Clemont, Calem, Zeus, Shauna, Korrina, Brock, and Drew. Once they were all standing, the soldiers quickly closed in around them.

  "Now you kneel down," the commander said when he was near. He was a stocky, bald man wearing a black beret and green camouflage.

  "Make up your mind," Calem said. "Stand up or kneel down."

  "Just kneel," Serena said.

   When the Electroclan were on their knees, two patrols of Peruvian soldiers approached them carrying guns and RESAT boxes. More than a hundred soldiers held their guns on them, while the advance team--who had never seen or used the RESATS before--fastened the machines on each youth, including Clemont, Drew, and Calem.

   Then their hands were cuffed behind their backs and their legs were shackled with a twelve-inch chain dangling between the two ankle manacles. Potato sacks were put over their heads, which was disorienting for everyone except Brock, whose vision was only slightly impaired by his RESAT.