The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 89: Attacking!

“Blast it, answer me.”  Jameson took on a fierce tone, with no response.   He backed away from the door.  The knob turned then wiggled maniacally. Someone was forcing their way in.  Before anyone could move, the door burst open.  Tinean pushed his way in.

“Hello, ladies,” said Tinean.  “And look, it’s our good friend Sammy.”  Tinean grinned menacingly at Sam. Bruno was right behind him.

“Go!”  Jameson yelled.  Bruno pushed Jameson out of the way, knocking him into a stack of books.  Bruno lunged towards Sam.

Rose stepped in front of Sam.  She was in a tough position, but couldn’t leave Sam alone, unable to defend himself.  She had faced Bruno before in fights.  He was one of the few who could use the deflector incantation. Bruno and Rose faced off.  This would be a physical fight.  She pulled a small knife out from its holster strapped to her leg.  Sam glanced around Rose.  Without Rose or Bruno’s seeing him, Sam hid behind the potbelly stove.

Watching Rose and Bruno preparing to fight, Jameson grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled him down behind the counter, wedging him between stacks of books and papers.  Sam could still see what was about to happen.  Rose jumped backwards, just missing Bruno’s first swing as he lumbered towards her.  From under her boot holster, she grabbed her small knife and threw it. The knife whizzed past his right ear as he ducked to one side. Bruno pushed hard against the counter.  Dust flew into Sam’s face and he fought to keep from sneezing.

Above him, somehow Rose had gotten Bruno face down on the counter, her knee in his back and an arm twisted around.

"Say Uncle!"  Rose demanded, yanking hard on his arm.

"No, I won't," mumbled Bruno. His face was scrunched down hard on the counter.

Meanwhile, Xavier and Ari had appeared just at Rose and Bruno stood off.  Xavier saw Rose throw her knife and ducked. Just as Ari grabbed Tinean and was trying to toss him back out the door, Rose’s knife flew between Ari's face and Tinean's head and stuck in a wood beam.

"Hey!" shouted Ari. "Where did that come from?"

Xavier laughed. "Someone thinks you're quite the cut-up."

Finally, Xavier got the door open again and Ari tossed Tinean out into the snow in the alley.  Tinean bounced off the pavement and rolled a few feet, crashing into the brick wall across the alley.  Xavier slammed the door shut, but Tinean was already up trying to get back in.  Acting as a brace, Ari pushed his shoulder against the door and stood his ground.

Xavier stood back.  “Well, you did make a good door brace.”

Jameson grabbed the door brace, shoving it down into the brackets on each side of the door.  Ari eased up.  Tinean backed off and was now looking in the window.

“Not a good time to stop and chitchat.  Looks like Rose needs some help.”

Xavier saw Bruno try to grab Rose.  He had broken from the stronghold she had on him.  Rose leapt up on the counter right above Sam’s hiding spot.  Dust flew down again.  This time, Sam couldn’t hold back and let out a huge sneeze.

Bruno grinned maliciously.  “Looks like the pup has given himself away.”

Pushing Rose aside, Bruno reached down behind the counter, feeling for Sam.   Sam jumped out from his hiding spot and ran to the opposite end of the shop towards the back of the store.  Bruno lunged after him, but Rose jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his chest.  Xavier tried to get to Sam, but he was blinded by a pile of papers flying off the counter.

Sam backed up, watching Rose struggle with Bruno.  He saw Xavier trying to make his way out from under the papers.  Sam had to act.  He had to make a decision.  Putting his hands together, he began to recite the incantation for making orbs.  Within a second, he could feel the electric sparks.

Rose looked up and saw Sam.  “No, Sam!  It’s too dangerous!”

It was too late.   Sam had formed a pure white orb that grew to the size of a melon.  Sam could feel himself losing control of it and began to panic.  Xavier stood straight up, just in time for Rose to leap from Bruno’s back.  She grabbed the unsuspecting Xavier and pulled him right back to the floor, dazed again by another pile of falling papers.

Ari and Jameson raced away from the braced door, seeking shelter from the impending orb attack from Sam. Ari pushed Jameson against a bookcase and stood in front of him.

“Don’t move from behind me unless absolutely necessary,” said Ari over his shoulder.

“How will I know it’s necessary?” said Jameson.

“When you see an orb flying at you.”  Ari joked.  Wide-eyed, Jameson sunk further down.

Outside, Tinean pressed his nose against the cold glass pane of the shop window. He could see Bruno facing Sam, not fearing the orb.  Knowing the deflector incantation would protect him.  He took a few steps towards Sam.  The time had come.  Sam sent the melon-sized orb towards Bruno.  Bruno stopped, bracing for the impact as the orb sailed towards his chest.  Within seconds, the orb’s impact sent sparks flying.  A bright glow like a small atomic explosion filled the room.  A gale force wind created a dust storm. Papers and books flew in every direction.

Tinean sprang to one side as Bruno flew backwards through the glass window and slammed against the pavement, landing with a heavy grunt.  Sam’s orb had created such an impact that Bruno’s incantation could not withstand it.  Bruno was knocked senseless.  Tinean got up and stared in disbelief, first at Bruno, then through the broken window at Sam. Stunned, he reached down, grabbed Bruno’s arm and they disappeared.

Sam stood silent.  The aftermath began to settle.  Ari slowly lowered his arms.  Jameson peeked out from behind him.  Xavier and Rose stared at the window, then at Sam.  Only once before had they ever witnessed an orb of that caliber.

Rose slowly moved from behind the counter.  Sam was frozen in place.  She whispered.  “Sam… Sam…  Are you alright?”  She reached out and touched his arm.  Sam blinked and began to stagger to one side.  She grabbed him before he fell.  Xavier pulled over a nearby chair and together they sat him down in it.

“Did I just… I mean was that my…”  said Sam, dazed.  “I’m not sure how I…”

“Relax, Sam.  You just made history.”  Xavier patted him on the shoulder. 

Rose nodded her head.  “You have a lot of practicing to do.  A lot of practicing to do.”

Sam, still pulling himself together, muttered.  "Yea, I guess I do."

Jameson handed Sam a small glass.  "Here, sip this slowly."

Without heeding Jameson's instruction, Sam gulped it down, chocking and coughing.  Sam snapped out of his daze and rubbed his throat.   Sam squeaked. "What was that?"

"Brandy," said Jameson.  "That's why I told you to sip it slowly."

Xavier jested.  "Great. Let's get him drunk.  That won't upset his Mother."

Rose, on the other hand, got upset at first, then joined in.  "Don't worry Sam.  You can't compete with Xavier, the teetotaler."  It was their way of shaking off the intensity of the moment.

"Ha!" interjected Ari.  "Shows how much she knows."  He was poking Xavier in the shoulder.

Form nowhere, Mrs. Steers appeared, took one look at the shattered window where snow was blowing in, then the disastrous mess of papers and books, and threw her hands up.

"What happened here!  What did you do?"

Rose jumped in first.  "Sam sent Bruno out the window with an orb which caused a hurricane level wind."

Mrs. Steers stood silent with her mouth open.  First, she looked at Jameson, then Sam, then at Rose.

"Well, I didn't think that Sam would get that involved," said Mrs. Steers, calmly.  "But, I guess I was wrong about that."

Sam was astonished at her reaction.  Is this the same woman who worried about stuff?  Now she’s not really caring, thought Sam. 

"Well, let's get him home Rose," said Mrs. Steers.  "Ari and Xavier, you two should stay here and help Jameson get back to normal... What a night."  Mrs. Steers shook her head, grabbed Sam and Rose, and they were gone.

Down from the alley from the shop, a dark figure watched from just around the corner.  The figure swiftly scurried off into the night.