Mind Riot chapter 1

Sector 1: The Arrival
Location: Matheson, New Jersey
Time: 7:55 AM

         “It can’t be that bad, right?  I mean, Ms. LeBron always has a tendency to over exaggerate.  Yeah, this test is probably pretty easy.”
         Between the cacophonies of noise that engulfs the monstrous lobby of the high school, two students add more reinforcements to the noisy invasion.  One was a boy who was about 5’9” with hair reaching down to the middle of his back.  The other was a girl, about 5’6”, with hair cascading almost all the way down her back.  The former kept his hair tied back in a ponytail while the latter let it fall. 
         “Probably, but you should really consider studying ahead of time,
Alex.”
         “Destiny, you know as well as I do that I don’t believe in studying.”
         “Well, you better repent for your study sins if you don’t want to fail this quarter.”
         In a joking manner, Alex dropped to his knees and proceeded to bow to his friend, repeating “oh, Lord, show me the way of the textbook.”  Destiny looks around, hoping no one catches the embarrassing gesture.  However, they both knew that it was all in good fun.
         “Alright, let me get my textbook, and I’ll let you study.”
         She rummages through her knapsack and pulls out a thick, hardcover textbook covered with a brown paper bag made up of doodles and band logos.  She bats the heavy brick of a book to her friend, a little too hard.
         “Now get cracking, or else you’ll have to repeat World History in summer school.”
         “Yes, Mommy,” Alex replies sarcastically.  He opens the book and begins to attempt to commit the entire chapter to memory.

Location: Outside Matheson High School
Time: 7:57 AM

         Helping to direct the flow of kids from the buses into the school was one job for this fair-haired, middle-aged man, but there was one other job he was responsible for:
         “Romeo-November-34, status report.  Do you have eyes on our target or what?”
         On his codec receiver disguised as a Bluetooth headset came the crackling reply: “Affirmative, Papa-Charlie-Lead, he’s still in our sights.  By the way, there’s a lot of fucked-up teenage pukes in this damn place.”
         “Yeah, no shit.”

Location: 3 miles from Matheson High School
Time: 7:58 AM
         In a white van addressed as “Big Pete’s Plumbing”, a console took the place of plumbing equipment.  Listening through this receiver was a red-haired woman with her hair tied back in a ponytail.
         “Director Gryphon, Tangos 1, 2, 4, and 6 are in position.  Tangos 3 and 5 are still on stand-by.”
         She looked to her left, where a blond-haired man in his mid-20’s puffed on a cigarette.  He wore what appeared to be a military uniform with a unique coat of arms displayed on the left.  Behind him were three others wearing tactical camouflage.
“Give the order to engage, and tell those assholes to use discretion this time.  They’re the reason that Miss -52 got away from us.”
         “Roger that, sir.”  She raised the voice mike to her face.  “All Tangos, you have the green light.”

Location: Outside Matheson High School
Time: 7:59 AM
         “Roger that, Command.”
         He looked over at the traffic monitor, who nodded in confirmation.  Hidden from view, they primed the chambers of their silenced Heckler & Koch pistols and strolled in…

Location: Matheson, NJ
Time: 8:00 AM

         The vocal cacophonies became inaudible as the piercing of the bell dispersed the students.  Amidst the clusterfuck of kids were the assassins, doing the jobs that the kids knew they did.  As soon as the kids were safely secured in their classrooms, the assassins freely moved about the halls- with weapons drawn.
         One of the assassins, Papa-Charlie, peered around the corner to see the target: a ponytailed kid walking with a petite long-haired girl. 
         He keyed his codec.  “Tango 4, be advised that the target is heading north.  Have you and Tango 2 surround him.  He also appears to have a hot young thing on his arm.  Take her out, too.”
         “Affirmative Lead, we’re in position.”
         
         Alex felt that something was wrong, apparent with the constant looking over the shoulder.
         “Alex, is something wrong?”
         They stopped in between the two assassins set up to stop them and the other two en-route to trap them.  Alex definitely knew something wasn’t right.
         “Alex, what is it?”
         He turned to face her.  “Destiny, you have to hide.  Go hide in that supply closet right there and wait for me.”
         “But Alex-”
         “Don’t argue with me, just do it.  Now!”
         Destiny complied with Alex’s order and hid away.  As soon as the door shut, the four assassins showed up and surrounded him- guns drawn and aimed at his head.
         The assassin known as Papa-Charlie studied Alex.  “It’s tough to believe that you were the one who busted out of Epsilon and started that whole fucking trend.  It seems as you put on a little weight since then.”  The crew pulled the hammers on their pistols.  “At least the hair’s not bad.”
         Alex was befuddled.  Somehow he knew who they were, but he needed some form of reassurance.  “Who sent you guys?”
         Papa-Charlie chuckled at the naiveté.  “Consider this a ‘hey, it’s been a while, old friend’ greeting from Gryphon.”
         In some sense, Alex was indeed correct.  He stood frozen with an “oh noes” expression while Papa-Charlie walked towards him enough so that the silencer was barely a millimeter from Alex’s head.
         Papa-Charlie pulled the hammer on the back of his weapon.  “Say goodnight, soldier-boy.”
         “Goodnight, soldier-boys!”  And in an instant, Alex disarmed Papa-Charlie while snapping most- if not all- of the bones in his hand.  Alex then chucked the pistol like a tomahawk at the nose of the assassin on his left.  Without enough time to react, the butt of the pistol plunged his nose into his brain- killing him.  As soon as Alex flung the pistol at him, he swung Papa-Charlie in the direction of the other two assassins.  While bullets penetrated the back of Papa-Charlie, Alex bulldozed down the hall and threw their now dead leader at them.  The corpse of Papa-Charlie hit at least one of the killers while Alex disarmed the unaffected gunman and dismantled the pistol before taking a fist to the side of his face. 
         The assassin was free of the stranglehold of Papa-Charlie’s dead body and aimed his pistol at Alex, who was in a fighting stance with the guy he just disarmed.  Looking at both of them, he ejected the clip and tossed the gun.  Instead, he drew a knife- bearing a striking resemblance to a kukri, and took up a fighting stance along with his comrade, who also drew a knife- a K-Bar.
         Alex was knifeless, so he had to adapt to the situation.  The K-Bar wielder went first, so after dodging swift and precise attacks Alex grabbed his arm and twisted it violently.  The killer let out a high-pitched scream before having his knife plunged into his forehead.
         The kukri-wielder proved more potent in the use of a knife in combat, so Alex was stuck in a defensive position for a long time.  He knew he had to make a move, so he did.  As soon as he stretched his arm out, Alex brought the K-Bar down and chopped off his opponent’s hand.  While the killer was stunned, he seized the opportunity and sliced through the guy’s throat, ending the violent ordeal…

Location: 3 miles from Matheson High School
Time: 8:07 AM

         “Try them on the radios again!  I want to know exactly what the hell happened!”
         The red-haired operator tried hailing the assassins on the codec, but all she got was static.  “I’m not picking anything up, Director.”
         Gryphon pulled another cigarette from his die-cast holder and lit it in a huff.  He relished in the nicotine euphoria for a while, then returned to his job.  “Get Tangos 3 and 5 in the red zone.  I want them to exercise caution, and I want them to cheat their way into getting these kid in a bodybag!”
         “Yes sir!”  She returned to the codec.  “Tangos 3 and 5, you are cleared to engage!”

Location: Matheson High School
Time: 8:10 AM

         Destiny was escorted out of the supply closet by Alex, and gaped in horror at the sight of the dead bodies.
         “Alex… did you… did you do that?”
         Alex gave no answer to that question as he handed her the mop bucket. “Help me clean this up.”
Alex dragged the bodies into the supply closet while Destiny mopped up the blood stains.  Alex placed the “Warning: Wet Floor” signs around the perimeter of the hall while placing the rest of the equipment in the closet along with the bodies.  Finally he locked the door, snapped the key off in the lock, and threw the rest of the keys in a nearby trash receptacle.
Destiny emerged from the bathroom several seconds later and popped a breath mint into her mouth.  “What now, Master Chief?  You gonna tell me what the hell happened?”
“I’ll explain later.  Right now, we need to get the hell out of here.”
“For what, exactly?  Alex, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“It’s complicated-”
“No it’s not!”  Destiny put her hand on Alex’s shoulder.  “I promise you that.  You’re my best friend, so you can talk to me.”
Alex had to give in to his friend.  “I’ll explain everything to you later.  Right now, however, is not a good time.  We have to leave.”
Destiny nodded and headed towards the door with her friend, until the principal and vice-principal blocked the door. 
The principal had short brown hair, aviator-style glasses, and bore a striking resemblance to actor Clive Owen.  “Hello students, where are you in a hurry to?”
Both he and the bald vice-principal drew H&K MP5-K submachine guns and aimed them at Alex and Destiny.
Now it was Destiny’s turn to be perplexed.  “Mr. Werner, why are you and Mr. Fargus doing this?”
The vice-principal, Mr. Fargus, spoke this time.  “For the preservation of the New World Order!”
Principal Werner: “The one true Order, for we are the rightful inheritors of the Earth!”
About the same time they started to squeeze their triggers, Alex huffed a “fuck it” under his breath and shattered Werner’s hand bones while a swift left kick cracked Fargus’s windpipe- ensuring him to choke on his own blood.  Alex threw the busted hand away and thrusted his hand onto his neck this time, snapping it in a fluid motion. 
Destiny couldn’t believe her eyes this time; witnessing your friend murder two people like that is a lot to take in, so she was oblivious to all around her.
Alex noticed this after trying to get her to snap out of it, so he took hold of her and lead her out the door…

Location: 3 miles from Matheson High School
Time: 8:20 AM

         “Sir, Tangos 3 and 5 are lost on my scanners.”
         Gryphon was barely finished with that cigarette, and already he wanted to smoke two at once.  He muttered something along the lines of “fucking fanatics” before ordering this: “Sierra-Zulu, take us to the scene of the crime.”  He turned to the three behind him.  “I’d lock and load, if I were you.”
         The three complied and loaded their assault rifles: an M-4 Carbine, a G-36K, and an H&K UMP, respectively.

Location: Approximately ½ click from Matheson High School
Time: 8:23 AM

         Alex and Destiny ran west from the school before getting stopped by a white van that read “Big Pete’s Plumbing”.
         The back doors opened and three men wearing face masks and tactical camouflage leapt out, followed by a man in his mid-20’s with blond hair and a crimson uniform with a coat of arms on his chest.
         Alex locked his gaze on this man, as he knows who he is.  “Gryphon?”
         Gryphon smirked before the soldiers moved in.  Alex was faster than the soldiers, so before a collective burst of rounds could hit him, Alex pushed Destiny out of the soldiers’ collective line of fire before dashing up close and doing battle with nameless entities yet again.
         Alex grabbed the barrel of the M-4 and yanked it away from the soldier’s grasp and slammed the butt of the rifle into his face.  He then forcefully dropped the weapon down onto the UMP and fired a three-round burst into his face before flipping the gun around and unloading another burst into the face of Mr. G-36 as well.
         Gryphon hopped back into the van and slammed the doors shut while the van was in motion.  Alex unloaded the rest of the magazine at the van, but the bullets somehow bounced off the exterior.  Even the windows deflected the rounds.
         Alex, frustrated, threw the rifle down onto the pavement.  Destiny, hiding behind a tree, revealed herself to yet another gory sight.  She melted herself into the comforting arms of her friend.
         “Alex, will there be more of them?”
         “Probably, yeah.  I’m counting on it.”
         Destiny looked up at her friend.  “Alex, I don’t want you to die.”  Tears flooded down her face.
          Alex looked down at his friend and wiped away her tears.  “I’m not going to die.”
         “You promise?”
         “No, I guarantee it.”  He hugged her again, but unleashed his hold on her as the sound of a helicopter is heard off in the distance.  “We’d better go.  Who knows who else they sent after me.”
         “You will tell me what’s going on, right?”
         “Later, first we have to get away from here.”

Location: Leaving Matheson, entering Trenton, NJ
Time: 8:30 AM

         Gryphon lit another cigarette before reaching for his BlackBerry© and making a call.
         [Yes sir?]
         “Be advised, mission failure.  Send whatever ops guys we have.  Block off the town of Matheson.  How soon can Zeta have their Aggressors here?”
         [They can be at the target location in less than 20 minutes.]
         “Perfect, send them.  Prepare my chopper for take-off.”
         [Yes sir!]

Location: Outpost Epsilon
Time: 15:45 PM
“Mr. Gryphon, the Commissioner will see you now.”
The secretary dressed in white with black boots leads Gryphon into her boss’s office.  The office resembled a study one might find in Buckingham Palace, with a small tea table, adjacent to the giant aged desk in front of a giant window.  To the left was a monstrous bookcase, completely filled with various types of literature.  To the right was a double-door leading to his bedroom.  A man- a bit taller than Gryphon with white hair- stood overlooking soldiers marching on the pavement in unison, then at the massive pillars where snipers and machine gun emplacements stood surveying the area- in case of intruders.
         “You wanted to see me, Commissioner?”
         The man turned to face him.  The Commissioner was definitely a more senior fellow- almost into his 60’s- sporting a formal white moustache that complements his aging hair, the same military garb worn by Gryphon- except with more medals and badges- and black fingerless gloves.
         “Ah, yes I did.  Please come in, Director Gryphon.  Would you care for a drink?”
         “Scotch off the rocks, please.” 
         Beckett marches over to the tea table and snatches a glass away.  Next to the small ice bowl stood various bottles of liquor.  He picked out the scotch bottle and poured the liquid into the crystal glass.  He handed the alcohol to Gryphon just as he was about to fix himself a drink.
         “So tell me how your visit went with the Zao Branch last week.  Has everything proceeded according to plan?”  Beckett’s voice held a bit of a forceful brutality, but with much more experience and wisdom behind it.
         “Unfortunately, things did not.  We expect them to mobilize a month ahead of schedule.”
         “Eh?”  Beckett interrogated while sipping on a glass of bourbon.
         “Zao has always been a tricky organization to negotiate with.  Should we inform Mr. Ranma of their intentions?”
         “Leave that to me.  So in other news, how did your other visit proceed?  Do we have our boy?”
         Gryphon hesitated.  “That’s another piece of bad news.  He’s adapting quicker than anybody anticipated.”
         “I don’t know how that could be possible.  You’re the best liar, cheater, and stealer this organization ever had.  That is what makes you Director.”
         Gryphon chuckled.  “That’s true, but bear in mind that we’re fooling a teenage boy who was once one of us, not a politician.  Adolescents are much more persistent, and soldiers are much more aware- at least our soldiers.”
         “Mmhm, I cannot argue with that, yet adolescents are just as prone to screwing up as a government big-wig.”
         Gryphon took another gulp of his beverage.  “Well, there might be another factor that came into play today, Commissioner Beckett.”
         Beckett nearly choked.  “Wait a minute!  Are you telling me–?”
         “Yes sir, it was!”
         Beckett’s flashes back to a stone-grey room, where a group of kids- about 6 or 7-sporting body armor, assault rifles, and shotguns surrounded another kid of the same age.  Then, images of murdered kids wearing body armor filled his view.  Finally, another kid- with hair parted over his left eye and wielding a minigun, sprayed the room with lead, killing his comrades and other officials.
“Sir?”  Gryphon continues to tap him on his shoulder.  Beckett jerks away from his daydream.
         “Ah yes, what were you saying?”
         “I was just asking if we have an exit strategy.”
         Beckett faced the window again and took another sip of his drink.  “There’s no need for an exit strategy, my boy.  You need to remember:  We made him, and we can destroy him.”