Domination (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) - By Jon Lewis Page 0,33

for it,” Captain Starling said.

Rockets hissed as fireworks shot into the sky. Smoke trailed behind, and when the rockets reached three hundred feet they hung in the air, but only for a moment. The first rocket burst, sending streams of red light showering through the darkness. Another exploded, this one white. Then another. Blue. They continued to erupt, lighting the night in a brilliant display.

“And go!” Captain Starling said.

As one, the Phantom Flyer and his Agents of CHAOS ignited their jet packs. Colt hit the thrust, and fiery exhaust spit from his engines. Even through his armor he could feel the heat against his legs and lower back as his feet left the ground. Power surged and Colt rose, arms tight against his body and toes pointed as he looked up at the sliver of moon that hung in the sky.

The Agents of CHAOS formed a perfect circle around him, and as they climbed, the frenzied sounds of the crowd faded. Soon the stadium looked like nothing more than a toy that was small enough to fit in Colt’s palm.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the starburst!”

As Colt rose, he slowly spun, and his exhaust trail formed a corkscrew. The other pilots veered away, their own exhaust bending as they cascaded back toward the stadium. Colt extended his arms and arched his back like he was diving backward into a swimming pool, and when the crown of his head was pointed at the ground, he pulled his arms to his body and increased throttle, heading back toward the stadium like a falling star.

The Agents of CHAOS flew maneuver after maneuver, cutting across the stadium in a diamond pattern and then a V. They shot straight up, weaving in and out until the tails from their exhausts twined to form what looked like a giant length of rope. They flew backward and upside down, did barrel rolls and arching loops, spins and dives.

Colt pulled away from one formation and took a pass over the crowd. They cheered, jumping up and down and waving, but none of that mattered. He was looking for one person. When he finally spotted Lily, she was seated next to Grandpa in the box seats next to the railing. She looked beautiful; her hair danced in the wind and her blue eyes sparkled as they reflected the stadium lights.

“I thought we talked about this,” Captain Starling said as cameras flashed all around. “It’s important that we stick to the script.”

Colt ignored him as he raced toward Lily, every eye in the stadium following. He pulled up and hovered in place, wondering if any of this was real. There she was, not more than five feet away. Colt wanted to pick her up in his arms and fly away, but that would have to wait.

“Hi,” he said, feeling both awkward and elated.

“Hi.”

“I’m kind of in the middle of something, but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after this. I mean, unless you’re busy.”

Her face flushed red as she smiled. “Like a date?”

“Yeah, like a date.” Colt was thankful that she couldn’t see his face, because now it was his turn to blush.

“Then I accept.”

“Ahem.” Captain Starling cleared his voice. “Cadet, if you’re finished, we have a show to put on.”

: :

CHAPTER 23 : :

Ladies and gentlemen,” said the public address announcer, “please welcome Mother Russia’s very own Crimson Bear!”

The crowd cheered as Pierce flew into the stadium and shot toward Colt, who barely managed to get out of the way.

“What are you doing?” Colt asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing, genius?” Pierce pulled in front of the grandstand and bowed in midair. He basked in the applause before turning back around and rumbling toward Colt, amber eyes blazing as the exhaust burst from the bottom of his boots.

Colt opened the throttle, and Pierce gave chase as the crowd cheered them on. Everything was a blur, but as Colt darted around the aerial field he thought he saw Robert Downey Jr. sitting next to Scarlett Johansson in the loge section, along with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, and all four judges from The Voice. “Wait, is that—”

“Yeah, it’s Charlize Theron,” Oz said, cutting him off. “But you might want to focus on Bowen.”

Colt turned his head in time to see that he was about to fly into the press box where VIPs like Senator Bowen and the president of the United States were supposed to be watching them. He released the throttle and arched his head back, changing his