Liberation

Chapter 20

Henley's point of view:

"Those damn children!" I yell as I throw my hands up in frustration.

"What is it, sister?" My brother asks me, almost sounding alien with his voice unusually sober.

I turn around and glare at him, angry that while everyone here is being productive and working, he chooses to sit down and watch.

"If you would get off your butt and actually help, you might know!" I scold him.

After Julia and the citizens fled the city, I gathered my brother and his entire police force to scout after them. Since we couldn't catch up with them, we traveled up the mountain and set up a makeshift camp at a lookout point. We have a clear view of my former society now, as well as the fire that inches closer to them.

"What's happened?" My brother demands.

"Julia and Peter, they figured out that I've been toying with their personalities," I tell him.

"So what? Just keep toying with them and they'll eventually destroy one another," Will offers, but I just hang my head in defeat.

"That won't work as they know what's been happening now," I tell him, watching the flames miles away eat away at the forest.

Then, I notice a faint shimmer surrounding the city, similar to a halo in the shape of a dome. Looking closer, I laugh lightly and realize that they've made a barrier around the society. Adam, the full blown traitor to a once great council of leaders, refuses to confront his problems. He'd rather hide away in defense and let the problem come to him.

However, Adam is not my concern at the moment.

Will gets up and walks over to me, and begins a suggestion. "You know Julia. If you can't turn her against her friends, then hit her where it hurts. If you pull a person's strings, they'll dance for you like a puppet."

I ponder this for a moment, amused by the image of being a puppet master since I can literally make anyone do what I want since Will gave me my power back.

The power of control knows no limits.

But then, an idea hits me, and a wicked grin spreads across my face.

Hit her where it hurts.

"You see that fire?" I ask Will as I point in the distance. "Have to be blind not to," he answers. "They've got the city protected by an invisible barrier. When that fire gets there, they'll have to work twice as hard to keep it from burning through. While they're preoccupied and tired with keeping their defense working, we'll use the fire as a cover. They can't keep it from burning through forever, and when it melts the barrier, that's when we rush in. They may have weapons, but we have power," I say, gesturing to the black box of powers that Will brought along.

"And what happens when we get inside?" He asks as he protectively hides the box behind his back.

"Our police will attack them head on. And Julia will always be where the fighting is. And where Julia is, her friends will be there to. When we get in the city, our only purpose and top priority is to find the boy," I say.

"Peter?" Will asks. "I thought our purpose was to get to Julia."

I can't help but smiling, because it's all too easy. "By getting to him, we destroy her. Even if the two aren't together anymore, there's no way they'll stop caring about each other. If we can get our hands on Peter, we can get Julia to do anything," I answer.

"Ok, say we do somehow get the boy. What will do then?" Will asks.

"I'm gonna mess with his mind. I will twist his memories and bend his personality. Enemies will become allies, and friends will become enemies to him. I will change him completely, and I will make Julia his number one enemy. But she won't hurt him, no, she'll never bring herself to do that. Oh, how comically ironic this will turn out to be!" I say excitedly.

"I...don't understand," Will says, hopelessly confused.

"Oh, my dim-witted brother, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about when it happens," I say sympathetically towards his stupidity.

"Captain!" I yell for the head of the police force.

"Ma'am?" He asks as he runs up, ready to receive orders.

"Prepare your men to leave. Arm yourselves with anything to assist you, and let's move out. It's time to fight," I tell him.

"Yes ma'am," he says, salutes me, and then leaves.

I gaze back down at the city, smiling with the comforting thought that I am about to destroy Julia Lancaster's life.