Barcode: Legend of Apollo by Kashif Ross Read Free Book Online Page B

they normally accept anyone new to join our group, especially Michelle. She hates my current cluster of friends. She’s always suggesting I replace Kyle with one of Professor Gonzales’ pets.
    Suddenly, over the loud speakers, Casey announces, “Everyone meet on the battlefield for a brief message from Dennis Colt.”
    Heavily sweating by now, Leonardo drops his case while sobbing, “I can’t carry this that far.”
    “You shouldn’t have brought it in the first place. Either leave it or get left behind,” I say with such authority that I embarrass Hannah. Kyle, on the other hand, enjoys every word.
    “I could, I mean maybe you can,” Leonardo stutters.
    “No one’s carrying that thing,” Kyle teases while kicking it over.
    The second it falls, the locks break off and roll near my feet. Even I feel pretty bad for Leonardo. Not only was it cumbersome, but now everything he has in it will likely fall out.
    “Damn, that was pointless nerd. If you’re going to use a bulletproof case, you should also get secure locks. You’re not as smart as you look,” Kyle says while rudely opening the suitcase. “Whoa. Spence, check this out.” Kyle flips the entire case open and pulls out a suit identical to Leonardo’s. “It’s another geek costume.”
    “I’m sorry,” Leonardo says, seeming as though he’ll burst into tears. “This was your birthday gift. I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but the scene outside happened. I even took it to your place, but they said you never showed up.”
    Kyle roars with laughter as he holds the suit, pressing it against his body. “Well, Spence, how do I look?” Kyle imitates a woman fishing for compliments. “Where’d you get this from dude?”
    “I made it.”
    Kyle laughs so hard, he drops the suit and rolls on the ground. Now, a crowd surrounds us. At his audience, Kyle blares, “Check this out everyone, the new kid  made  this, and had the nerve to put a Moreno emblem on it.”
    That’s when it hits me.
    Kyle playfully pouts while saying, “Did your mommy and daddy help you?”
    “Yes. Both mama and papa put a lot of work into it with me. I worked on it for three months after I moved from Spain.” Turning to me he says, “I knew you’d mentor me so I made a prototype for myself. You have all the bells and whistles on yours. I plan to upgrade my suit later…” the end of his sentence trails off.
    “Wait. Wait. Go way back,” Kyle giggles as I try to shut him up. “No. One minute Spence. Did you say mama and papa? Mama! Papa!”
    Kyle’s taunts encourage the entire group to insult Leonardo. I notice Leonardo’s legs giving in and his face blazing red. He tries to run away, but I yell, “Shut up Kyle.” The crowd silences and I snatch the suit from the idiot’s hands. Inspecting the emblem, I notice the similarities between the one on my suit, but this M is different. It’s more stylized. I turn to Leonardo and ask, “What’s your last name.”
    He’s hesitant to answer. Leonardo didn’t want anyone to know, but now is forced to tell an entire audience, “Moreno.”
    This is the moment that everyone’s parent warns them about, but we never think it’ll come true. Hayley always cautioned me to avoid making fun of someone, because I might need them one day. What she didn’t say, was they may be more famous than me.
    Every piece of war equipment in this school was designed by the Moreno family, a military weapons manufacturer that capitalized on the GAW.
    Moreno started off as a motorcycle company in Spain, but rose to fame with their nanotechnology in the twenty-seventh century. Government agencies contracted them for body armor. As their finances grew, they purchased their own island and sold to any country that was willing to pay the right price. Five centuries later, they’ve become the most renowned name in gladiator history.
    Over the last eight years, their technology has grown even more untouchable. My family saw where the company was