Fan the Flames- Prologue

Downtown lay in ruins, the only buildings either unstable or on fire. Wood and steel bars stuck out of the smoking heaps of debris, and sometimes small explosions could be heard from beneath the rubble, as flameable-gas pipelines continued to spontaneously combust. These had been some of the lucky ones, on the mostly untouched outer edge.

Towards the inner part of downtown all other buildings had disappeared, replaced by a hole four stories deep. It had smooth black walls that seemed to absorb all light. Tanks lay on their sides as hollowed carcasses. Half-melted machine gun turrets filled the air with the scent of gunpowder. Not that it could overcome the smell of burning flesh. All-in-all the hole resembled the remains of an underground bunker. The handful of survivors who had managed to free themselves looked at it in astonishment. And the figure standing defiantly among the bodies.

The boy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm down before he lost control again. He could feel the flames start to go down as he finally relaxed. Then he heard the sirens. Sighing, he opened his eyes and saw the impressive hoard of police cars and S.W.A.T. vans rushing toward him. Various men and women clad in riot gear, bullet proof vests, and holding high powered rifles spilled from the vehicles as helicopters circled overhead. One woman had a bullhorn.

"Stop right there, mister!" The woman ordered as the boy turned to leave. "You are hereby arrested for the murder of at least seven hundred innocent people. If you don't comply I can't guarantee your safety."

The boy said nothing.

"Please be aware that we are authorized to use necessary force. Unless you come along peacefully, give yourself up, and stop this senseless violence. We will be forced to shoot and kill you."

The boy started to walk away.

"If that's how it's gonna be." The woman motioned to the men and women behind her. "Kill it."

The men and women obeyed and began to shoot at the boy. Surprised by the sheer force of the crossfire, the boy was lifted off his feet and into a nearby car. Thinking he was dead, the leader ordered a cease fire. When the smoke cleared however, it revealed the boy standing unfazed. Although several bullets had struck their marks, they didn't seem to have had much impact, other than to tick him off, a detail that prompted two men to drop their weapons and flee.

"My turn," the boy said with a demonic grin.

Five minutes. That's all it took for the S.W.A.T. to be mercilessly crushed. A once-formidable force was now reduced to ash like a library against a flamethrower. He had even gotten the two men who tried to run. As the leader struggled to regain consciousness, she caught sight of the smile pasted on the boy's face as he walked toward her. It was the smile of a kid in a toy store, she thought as he grabbed her by the neck. She hoped for a quick end.