Barcode: Legend of Apollo (19 page)

“I apologize for condemning the righteous warriors,” I whisper. I thought mouthing the words would be easier, but I find it difficult to give my sarcasm that pop it needs. “Why are they here?”

“Because they’re dirty criminals. Aren’t you listening? They’ve committed a crime, and there needs to be punishment for that. I’m struggling to break this down for you because you’ve surpassed simplicity and innocence, released the landing gears but still managed to crash in raw stupidity.”

“Thanks.”

“Yup. I’ll slow it down for the deaf and dumb,” Kode laughs at his own joke before breaking the syllables up. “Your family’s just as evil and corrupt as you think I am, and you all deserve to die.”

I’m not surprised. Deep down, I’ve known all along.

Casey once said I hated Dennis’ smile even as an infant. He’d have to look angry just to hold me the few times he did.

Dennis wears a facade that should be considered a slave’s mask. His teeth shine in the face of potential business partners, right before he crushes their hopes and dreams under his feet. Still, there’s something darker behind his smile that I know nothing about. Dennis fought in wars that I’ve never experienced.

A murderer. That’s what’s truly behind his smile and business. Death.

“You brought me here just to explain this?”

I watch as Kode walks back towards the entrance. As he strolls by, I start suffocating again. This time, I’m able to control myself more.

“I brought you so you’d know who your champions are. I wanted you to finally understand this corrupt system that you live with, and will one day take over.”

“Does that make you a hero?” I ask, boldly laughing. This time, I notice Kode’s body tense up. I’m aggravating him. Why not continue pushing buttons? “You want to be their savior, or does this justify murdering all those people?”

Kode pulls the tablet out of his pouch, hits a button, and an empty cell door flies open. “If I wanted to rescue them, I would’ve let them out. If I wanted to be their savior, I would’ve taken them to your house.” He places the tablet back in his pocket. “You’re not listening Spence.” Hearing Kode say my name so coldly causes the hairs on the back of my neck to split. “I’m here for the same reasons fans watch gladiators,
entertainment
. I’m here to kill them.”

My eyes widen. He’s not done.

“But I’ll make a deal with you, one you’ll actually like. I’ll stop killing everyone if you help me get a demigod moved into a god level class.”

Still caught up his previous words, I whisper, “How?”

“Encourage your dad to allow a match between Michelle and Hannah. Once Michelle wins, the demigods will finally get what they’ve always wanted—a chance to prove their strength. Then, we could throw a couple of punches at each other. Legally.”

Technically, Kode’s considered a demigod because of Tartarus. He’s allowed in the god level classes because arena rules state that mask users must be accompanied by their owner. Tartarus is the only mask that doesn’t bind the wearer as a slave, but Dennis is very adamant about not changing rules.

As his final words echo through my mind, Kode strolls out of the room nonchalantly. My ears pop, and I hear the screams of the prisoners. I see them struggling to breathe and coughing up blood.

I watch until every man in the room stops moving completely. Fear paralyzes me as I attempt to analyze the situation. Kode poisoned them with the food, which is why he didn’t eat the first dinner roll. An alarm sounds and I find myself faced with either taking the blame for their deaths or running home.

Nineteen

I purposely set my alarm to wake up three hours earlier than usual. Once the alarm beeps, I throw on my armor and dash out of my room to visit Dennis on the top floor. I storm through his waiting room with several of his employees staring at me strangely. I’m never up this early and rarely visit the seventy-fifth floor so I understand their disillusionment.

As always, Dennis nearly cheers when he sees me, “To what do I owe the surprise?”

“What happened at the prison last night?”

Dennis raises an eyebrow and stops fumbling with his tie to ask, “How do you know about that?”

“Saw it in a dream. Fairies told me. Santa Claus said if I asked nicely—”

“I get it. Nothing happened.”

“Come on. I’m not going to tell my friends. I won’t write a blog about it. It’s just bothering me to the point that I forced myself to ask you. As you can see, it’s
four
in the morning and I’m in your office dressed in armor. Look at me.”

Dennis forces a laugh, and finishes looping the same black tie he’s worn for the past seven years. I consider ripping it so he’ll wear the newer ones Hayley has gotten him.

“Let me know what caffeine Hayley put in your breakfast so I can stop ordering it. Nothing happened, seriously. The alarm went off, we checked the cameras, but nothing was there.”

“That’s it? You check cameras. What if someone hacked in? What then? You say, ’Oh computers are reliable. No one can stop this.’”

“No. The officer walked through to make sure everything was fine.” Dennis puffs air from his nose like he always does when he’s thinking.

“What? What? That’s something right there. You obviously thought of something strange right now. Dead prisoners? Zeus threw a party in there? You made contact with the first alien life?”

“No. I’m curious as to why Block D had blood in nearly every cell, but I don’t know. Maybe a practical joke?”

“Blood is a practical joke to you? Were all the prisoners there?”

“There are no prisoners in that block. It’s reserved for liminal beings, and the only one we have in there…” Dennis stops as though that was the end of his sentence, but I know he’s avoiding telling me something. He raises an eyebrow, “Why do you want to know so badly?”

“No reason. Have a lovely day.” I say sarcastically; I’m clearly frustrated from being up this early to hear nothing. “Oh, and it’s crooked.”

Dennis and I silently ride the elevator down to my floor with him adjusting his tie nervously. When I step off, I feel him wave casually. More frustrated than I was before approaching his office, I smash my hand against Leo’s door with tremendous force. It goes unnoticed.

Leo’s staying in the apartment Michelle said was haunted by the mysterious creature. We’ve encountered it several times over the past few weeks, but I barely get a glimpse of the white fur before it disappears.

Whenever I get bored, I go through all of my apartments searching for it. I have seven on this floor. Sometimes Leo and other maids join me in the quest. No matter what time of night I visit Leo, he’s normally up and ready with new technology to find the slippery creature. With his late night hours, I doubt I’ll be able to wake him up.

I unlock the door with my phone and swing it open wildly. I’m assaulted by a smell that causes me to make a strange sound that resembles a cough and a sneeze.

There’s dirt, there’s trash, and then there’s Leo. I’d try walking in, but there’s no floor. Between the candy wrappers, Ramen soup, failed experiments, and trillions of nanobots, I can’t see the carpet. In order to wake the hoarder up, I grab a trashcan, which has oddly gone unused, and launch it at Leo’s forehead. Though my aim misses and the bin connects with his stomach, the job’s done.

The sound Leo makes actually resembles the one I choked up a moment ago. The nanobots respond with his movement. They race into closets and under furniture. Instantly, the floor’s clean. Creepy.

Still in pain, Leo groans and rolls off the couch. That’s when I see something truly bewildering. Several thousand nanobots crawl into his ear.

Pretending to not notice, I stand in the doorway and use my phone to open the windows and release a wicked strong odor eliminator. After the deathly funk disappears, I grab a seat next to the nerd, who is now searching for his glasses while chewing a piece of tiger jerky the nanobots have brought him.

“Want one?”

Assuming that the food was likely found on his bathroom floor, I decline.

“I need your help.”

“It’s four-nineteen in the morning.”

“How do you know that?” I ask, looking for a clock. The closest display resides in the lonely island of his kitchen.

Leo taps his head and mumbles, “I always know. Why do you need help right now? Am I dying already?”

“Already? No. I just want you to find out some information for me.”

“What? What?” In his exhaustion, he sounds like a complete drunk.

He waves his hand in an arc. Magic. Sparkles. Well, that’s what happens in my mind. In reality, a holographic projector appears in front of him with more clarity than my 3D game room on the third floor, which I don’t use often because it’s taxing on my eyes.

“What’s that?” I reach for a button. Leo slaps my hand without noticing what he’s done.

“Spencer, tell me what you need before I kill you.”

Wow. He’s pretty grumpy in the morning. Kyle would respect Leo a lot more if he behaved like this at school.

“Don’t get mad at me, but I want you to hack into the arena’s prison system to see who is in Cell Block D.”

Leo stops rubbing his eyes and blurts, “Antonio.”

Things get strange right around here.

“Yes, Leo?” Right there. The deep but feminine voice continues, “Good morning to you as well.” Those words come from his projector hologram thingy. Antonio’s voice sounds alluring and calm. I’m ashamed to say that about a computer and a man, but he really does.

“Do what he said.”

“Who? Spencer?”

Leo barks, “Who else would I be talking about?”

“Geez Leo. Loosen up a bit, darling. There are no people in Cell Block D.” He replies so quickly I nearly break my neck leaning closer. “There’s just a liminal being named Talib.”

Before my body can respond, Leo transforms into a geekbot and shoots out more demands at Antonio. “History, connection, and education.”

“Talib Lion from America, birthplace unknown.”

“No one knows where they’re born, Antonio. Skip the formalities so I can go back to sleep
.
”

“Sorry Spencer. He’s like this in the morning, and whenever he drinks X-Eyes.”

I’m not sure if I should reply. Antonio’s not a real person, but he addressed me specifically. I stutter, “No problem.” He continues as programmed.

“Talib studied theories of the universe in New Orleans, Louisiana with various unknown spiritual men. He moved to Southern California nineteen years ago, but traveled back to Louisiana regularly. His brother is Takashi Tiger. His focus of study was on prophesies in Tokyo, Japan. He’s the strongest and wisest liminal being known to man. Both brothers are approximately five hundred years old. Takashi is suspected to be the elder of the two.”

“I gave you three things to tell. It’s like you’re not listening. Does he have any connections with humans?” Leo asks, sounding more robotic than Antonio.

I’m not sure how to explain this, but I believe Antonio clears his throat.

“Well, Leo…”

“Spit it out.”

“Takashi is known to work closely with the Payne family, specifically Blake Payne. And though Talib has predicted many births, including the infamous Helios, he only associates himself with Spencer Colt.”

My face scrunches as I wait for Leo’s response. Liminal beings shouldn’t have much contact with humans, so it’s very odd to hear that the person next to you actually has a connection with one.

Leo slowly turns over to me and says, “Can I go to sleep now?” His words surprise me enough to break into laughter. Even Antonio seems to snicker.

“No. I need you to make me more armor. Like mine, but for a girl.”

Leo yawns, “Antonio.” Then, he stretches out as nanobots bring him a pillow from the couch.

The hologram screen turns towards me and Antonio hoots, “You’re such the dog, Spencer.”

“What?” I’m in shock that he’s talking to me with Leo asleep.

“One modified suit for Michelle Miyamoto, coming right up.”

I turn away from the screen with guilt written in cursive across my face. I really hate cursive.

Nanobots trickle their way out again and begin sewing the pieces slowly. Antonio places options on the screen and says, “You can stylize it to her needs. I know she’s more the short shorts type of girl. I can make an extra suit with a skirt if you want one for Hannah too.” Antonio clears his “throat” again before saying, “I mean, choose between the options below.”

Twenty

Leo and I rush to school after grabbing a few extra hours of sleep. It seems that I was more tired than I wanted to admit and Leo wouldn’t wake up regardless of how much the nanobots and I tried. When he did eventually take a shower and throw on his armor, I noticed something different about his gear. It seems he’s been practicing a bit because his shoulder pads and Kevlar spine have changed pretty drastically.

On our short jog to the school, I finally decide to ask Leo what was bothering me as I slept.

“What
is
Antonio?”

Antonio was the only one of Leo’s electronics that could wake him up. He had commanded the nanobots to shock Leo, although I think they took it a bit overboard.

As he started the armor, he asked questions about Michelle that made me uncomfortable. I felt my privacy had been more invaded than even knowing Kode could listen in at any moment. I declined to answer, instead choosing to stretch out and get some more sleep.

“What?” Leo responds as though he doesn’t understand the question. After a few seconds of silence, he gives me some weak answer that I hardly believe. “Artificial Intelligence.”

My games have very complex AI integrated in their data, but nothing like Antonio. He possesses thoughts and draws conclusions from the data he researches. Antonio’s the closest thing to a human I’ve ever seen on a screen.

“Right,” I reply sarcastically enough to make Leo feel uncomfortable.

The bell rings as we reach the steps. We’re still half a mile from our class. He and I start a competitive footrace through campus. My hood flies off and we’re both steaming through the hallways and zipping past other students. A few friends call our names, but we’re too focused on the race.