Citizen's Demise: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Dark Revelations and Black Days



         Sweat ran down his nervous and rough neck, shivering with a fever. His eyes twitched while remaining closed, shaking in pain and doubt. This isn’t how he would die. He screamed in his head because he longed for consciousness or to simply die. Pain was consuming him. There were only memories now, a lost time of joke heroics and orphan mischief.

         A child stood in front of him now in a sandy pit. “Edan, You can‘t win!” Typhon threw a right punch, solid and quick. He arched his back to gain more power and slung with all his might. Edan quickly leaned left of his fist catching it with his right hand. Typhon’s happy, carefree face suddenly looked distressed as Edan’s focus grew. Spinning fast to Typhon‘s left, Edan twisted around, landing his left elbow into the back of Typhon‘s head, throwing him forward onto the dirt surface. “Bullshit!” Typhon yelled as he hit the ground, reaching to the back of his head with a faint smile and held in tears. His face was bright red and puffy. This was too long ago for anything but his subconscious to remember, he was victim to his own mind.

         Edan, face flushed with pride, placed his hands on his hips, breathing hard, and looked beyond Typhon’s painful laughing, past the dirt ring they fought in, and onward through the training camp. He scanned as a guardian would until something caught his eye.

         His head curved and one eyebrow rose. “What…What is it?” Edan screamed in agony as his younger self looked beyond his sight. The young Edan smiled either in confusion or glory. The dream began to turn back to the eyes of his younger self and a vivid image began to make itself apparent. It was a girl. She was sparring too, but had her right foot in her opponents face, just finishing a take down. The girl struggled to release herself and finally broke free. She scrambled to her feet and coughed. She coughed and sputtered as mud matted her face. She began smiling as well. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but they shook hands and the losing girl sat down and began talking again. The victor turned around to look over the camp as well.

         Her face was almost visible. She scanned, looking from the mess hall to the obstacle course, looking straight over Edan. Then her gaze quickly returned. Their eyes met. Years wasted, defying death in ridiculous and incredible situations, killing in the name of a melting country; it took a near death experience for Edan to catch glimpse of it all.

          His eyes opened and he jumped up quickly, throwing covers forward and turning his head left to right. His eyes widened. He knew for sure he was dead, but this place. It was not hell. His vision was blurred  and made out several colors of cabinets in the distance, there were definitely people in the room, he just didn’t know where. Moving. Everything was shaking and vision began to roll back fast. His head began to ache and his stomach grumbled. His eyes started to roll back in his head and the smell of great foods filled the air. Edan didn’t know what they were, but they smelled like heaven. “Maybe I died after all. Maybe I did do something good enough to get through the golden gates.” Edan thought as the smell drifted through his nostrils tempting him to fall over. He opened eyes again to narrow in on something black and familiar. “Oh nice… a gun” Edan said as his eyes opened completely and focused in on the barrel of a 9. mm pistol aiming between his eyes.

         The cylinder shaped crevice seemed as an invitation of death that Edan had been wanting in his sleep for days. Maybe that was it. “” said a voice from behind the massive barrel. “Uh…” Edan fell back down into the comfy blue pillow on the comfy bed. “How the hell are you…-” he was interrupted as another walked into the room. “Jack, calm down. We’ll find out in time. Edan. Edan, are you awake.” said a soothing voice.

         It was familiar. It had a slight British accent with a slow caring tone. A very charismatic voice. A voice of a born leader and ally. Edan’s eyes slowly opened, and introduced a blur. It slowly cleared until the lights behind a man revealed the identity. “Ah, look who’s finally awake.” said James Tameheart with a smile sprawled across his face looking directly into Edan’s eyes. “For a long time, we wondered if you were already dead. Today is day four, and you seem…healthy.” James said with an amazed expression on his face. “Too fucking fast! What the hell are you.” said Jack again. James turned his attention from Edan and looked at Jack with a disowning look. He then turned his head back again, but his expression had changed.

         He now looked stern and aggressive. “We are a bit…confused as to how you healed from the vastness of your injuries…in a matter of 3 days.” James said calmly as he formed his fingers into a joining fist, leaning against Edan’s bedside. Edan sunk into his pillow deeper and began a glare at James. “It must have been the ERD injection I took before I left my house. It must’ve been doing its work as I got my ass kicked. Potent stuff.” Edan said as he closed his eyes again to clean out the daze. The light was bright as hell. Edan often opened and closed his eyes and stretched eyelids open to adjust. Over time, he slowly began to see clearly.

         “ERD?…” Tameheart pronounced slowly as a confused expression was swept on his face. “ERD. Extensive Recovery Demos. A drug with enough potency to heal a flesh wound in a matter of hours. A guy named Demos made it a few years ago. Of course, it was covered up, turned into a internet joke, and eventually turned into a primary CIA medkit.” Edan explained as his face now resembled that of a fairly calm person. He to balled his hands into a single fist and lied them down on his stomach. “How odd? But nevertheless, you are alive thanks to that stuff, and I couldn’t be more grateful.” Tameheart suddenly smiled and leaned off the bed to a completely prone position and stretched his arms out.

         His shirt was a black long sleeve shirt where the cuffs went over his hands completely and his pants were a type of cargo pants with an odd belt buckle. It was black also, but had a red symbol on it. He couldn’t completely make out what it was. “Do you like it? Another benefit of being an Anarchist, we get around?” James said as he noticed Edan looking at his Anarchy “A” belt buckle which was completely black except for the A itself. “Frowned upon now ‘a days, and not sold in stores. Suits you.” Edan said quietly as things finally started to fall into place. He was in an Anarchist safe haven. Making conversation with JAMES TAMEHEART, the notorious Anarchist leader. A dying infestation and he was right in front of Edan. James stood tall and with a sudden stern expression on his face again, he looked to Edan.

         “Edan, despite our differences in…Career choices, Id like to extend an invitation to you. An invitation to a world of honest lies and false truths. An invitation to a world where a person of your stature would usually vomit and eventually commit suicide in the mere fact of thinking it. Edan, My dear Edan, Welcome to the “Dark” side.” Tameheart said as his fists were clenched against his waste and his neck leaned up to make him look more charismatic. A single man stood behind him and off to the side, pistol ready in hand. Edan sat mesmerized. His face was blank and his mouth stood slightly open.

         “Edan, are you going to join us in the resistance?” Tameheart said as he leaned his head down to read Edan’s face better. His hazel eyes narrowed in on Edan. He was waiting for a response and hoping for a good one. “Yeah. It‘d be little stupid to say “no” I‘m guessing.” Edan said as his head was now off the pillow and in a perfect sitting position. “I wouldn’t recommend it.” James said hesitantly. Edan just then realized he was completely nude under the covers. Noticing instantly, he laid back down.

         “Figures.” he laid there for several seconds with an ashamed look sprawled across his face and his eyes slowly rolled to Tameheart. “Edan, we have terrible news, first of all. While you were unconscious the last few days, som-…Oh! Muffins.” Tameheart was interrupted as a fairly old woman dressed in white apparel walked in through the door behind Jack, carrying a trey of blue dotted muffins. Tameheart immediately fell into a shadow of the woman and followed her around to the other side of the bed. She placed the trey on a hospital table that rolled and was intended to go over the top of the bed to help patients eat.

         She rolled it over Edan and let go all at once. She dusted her hands against each other and turned around to see Tameheart standing behind her. Raising one eyebrow, and creasing the wrinkles on her forehead she looked up at Tameheart’s raving hunger ridden face. She simply smiled and shook her head side to side as she hunched over and scooted past James. She continued walking around the bed and past Jack, out the door again. Edan quickly turned back to James who had already scarfed down one muffin and was beginning on his second. Edan quickly grabbed the soft, mushy delight and studied it. He remembered these from a time long ago, but had forgotten the name. He took a great bite and began to chew. His face lit up. His eyes closed as if he had just experienced heaven again.

         The amazing aroma filled the room. The delicious morsels flowed through his mouth as he was afraid to swallow. He was afraid of not having another bite. “HA! Enjoy! That’s the best part of being a rebel: The Muffins. “James said with a mouthful as he had just began on his third muffin. Of course, Edan knew he was being sarcastic, but these were the best things he had ever eaten. “Why does it taste…illegal…?” Edan said as he swallowed a mouthful and took  another bite just as quickly. James stopped eating and looked up at Edan’s confused grin. A grin grew on Tameheart as well. “Well, what kind of country would this be if our CIA agents took in contraband?” James leaned in on the bed side wondering what kind of reaction Edan would have.

         He placed his elbows on the railing and watched Edan’s petrified face for several seconds. “Real Greenland plainsberries, huh? Figures…” Edan said as he slowed his chewing and stared down at his muffin. Its plump top filled with the oozing blue dots that prevailed out of the doughy top. The bottom cup shaped paper stood sticky against the rest of the muffin and Edan still stared petrified. “It doesn’t matter…I guess I’m a terrorist now anyways.” Edan shrugged off and took another bite. Tameheart immediately stood up and turned to a stern persona. “Terrorist?! There is a big misunderstanding here. I’m not a terrorist. And technically, I’m not even an Anarchist. I’m not fighting for a government free world. I’m fighting for just a free one. One where we don’t have to ask to go take a piss, or fill out a survey to commit suicide. One where everyone is equal, not just government employees. One where committing a crime could mean a second chance. You’ve seen Osprey haven’t you?” Edan instantly thrusted back into his pillow. “How did you know about that?” Edan said in the most stern voice he had ever spoken in. “It was as if he wasn’t him self? Like a lifeless shell lacking even the most irrelevant knowledge of any kind. An empty shell with emotions so intense that bursting into tears and falling to their knees is the most violent they can get? And lets not forget the disfigured, surgical necessities of all tainted conformists. The steel plates, the odd scars, the limp in every step. If they keep this up…we’ll all be like them. A type of…of Zombie so to speak.” Tameheart turned and looked out through an open window, revealing the dawning sun over the city of New Prynne.

         “They all just walk home after a hard days work. Kept busy from seeing the truth that’s all around them. The truth runs through their veins and they simply watch the TV to learn what they’re supposed to know. Its through them the fate of this war is held. If only we could tell them the truth. Hell, If only they‘d believe the it.” The tiny gleaming lights of millions of cars made their way through the catacombs of blocks and alleys as the sun finally made the sky blood red under the vast amount of cloud coverage. Yes, the clouds still remained. They took the sky of New Prynne and left the outskirts for the sun to carry. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you know…I saw Osprey?” Edan put his half eaten muffin down on the trey and clasped his hands together. He spoke softly, but with a voice that could rise the dead in its deepness.          Tameheart turned away from the window and looked into Edan’s deep blue eyes, glimmering from the dawning light, seeing his reflection as clear as day. “Edan…the girl you were following…the paramedics that took you in…Typhon…they are all part of the alliance. Using each one of their skills to the best of their abilities and using them as an advantage. The girl’s name was Tadley, Tadley Baron Breeze. Her father was a great ally of mine in the beginning of our rebellion…he’s dead now. Well,…Close enough…You see, Tadley’s father, Fray V. Breeze, was among the best of our Anarchist field agents. Our information had been compromised…and we fed him directly to a reeducation facility. He was turned into a T.C.” James drew to a close and reached for another muffin on the aluminum trey.

         “T.C.?” Edan whispered in a confused, arid tone. “Tainted Conformist. When you’ve been reeducated by the methods they use there’s no going back. Your life is gone.” James scarfed down his last muffin and looked down at the trey, still a mountain of muffins remained. He shook his head as if he wanted them all, but their was a barrier. “I’m sorry Edan. I have several tasks to do tonight, so here I make my leave. My men will take care of every need of yours.” He turned and looked grimly at Jack still holding his pistol out. “ANYTHING…” He pronounced slowly, looking more at Jack than Edan. He stepped back from the muffin trey and began to make his way around the bed to the clear glass door on the other side. He stopped as he reached Jack.

         He turned his head solemnly, looking down at the floor, but making his face visible to Edan. “And…I’m sorry…I’m afraid…your all that’s left of your division…Edan. The things that were hunting you, also dug up the other Mongoose members…and killed them…Our transmissions are very limited, but we have heard two agents are said to be left…but there’s no report telling who or where they are.” James stood still for several seconds, staring at the white, porcelain patterned floor and lost himself in a daze. Edan’s eyes closed. Something inside told him that what Typhon had said was coming true too quickly. All he could picture was his last dream. The times in training. The painful times. The times he was shot with several types of bean bag projectile weapons and even riot control grenades. He pictured his friends, colleagues, and finally, Crescent.

         “If I’m here…who would be the other agent?” Edan said almost silently as his eyes stayed shut and his face faded to a pale blue color. “Your not one of the surviving agents Edan…We found you at the rendezvous point…but you weren’t in the condition we had expected…So, we replaced your body with a crafted corpse. Dental records copied, blood types matched, Crushed in face was a cinch, and of course the clothes.” Edan’s eyes opened in a sort of “are you kidding” manner. “you put my clothes on a dead body in knee deep water…that’s talent.” James turned around fast. “No, not your clothes. Your clothes are on the table behind you. We used Typhon’s clothes.” James responded, moving hands in a clasp behind his back. “Typhon’s? How…What?” Edan suddenly began to question himself. “Typhon died. Why would you…I mean…WHAT?” “Relax, Edan…Of course you know he worked for us, so he had an excess set of armor here. You were both in Delta squad, so it worked out…Edan…Your dead…”

         Edan turned in his bed a bit with a smirk growing on his face. He realized many of his friends were dead, but he knew with all his heart exactly who the final agents were. Fireous and Crescent. It had to be. They were all that he had left. Friends who had gone to the depths of hell and returned hand in hand laughing at challenges overcome. Allies that would never let each other fall, and if so, they would aid in their rise. They had made a silent oath, an oath never spoken but proven on several occasions. They would never let each other walk alone. Typhon’s death was a defiance to the oath that would not happen again.

         James could tell instantly Edan was lost deep in thought. Without saying another word, James turned around to face the open door. Jack quickly stepped aside and holstered his weapon. Tameheart slid his hands into his pants pockets and began a solemn stroll out the door. As he stepped out, Edan spoke. “We have to find them.” James stopped in his tracks. Head still facing the floor, James closed his eyes and let out a ragged breath. “I know.” He muttered more to himself than out loud and continued walking into the open space of the next room. 

         

         Edan dressed out in his CIA uniform, leaving his weapons for safety purposes, and was given a brief physical therapy test just in case any bones or wounds had not healed properly. After 2 hours of walking, running, several jumping jacks, and even a hefty amount of push-ups, Edan was set free. Walking out of that 10ft. by 10ft. room into the much larger chamber was as if entering a new world; An underground world located above a city. This chamber linked to his hospital room as if was just an extremity. The ceiling was at least a hundred feet high and probably miles wide. It was as if an entire army were hidden here. In every direction, a unit dressed in plain black hoodies ran.

         Some units carried identity tags, such as rank or squad. Higher officials were easily picked out among this army of Anarchists. They wore black, like the rest, but were given black berets with a red symbol on the front that resembled the Anarchy A. They shouted and screamed as drill sergeants would. It was as if there were many buildings inside the one he was standing in. Command stations, barracks, shooting ranges, obstacle courses, a stage closest to the left wall, and small security carts littered the warehouse overlook. Edan was in a state of amazement.

         He turned his gaze down to the floor to see the white and grey porcelain pattern, which he saw in the med room, had turned to a relatively smooth concrete surface. Every so often, you would see a rut, or large crack in it, but it was kept relatively clean. “Edan, you are really  amazed way to easily.” a voice sprang from behind him as a hand fell over his shoulder. He turned quickly to see a beret wearing Anarchist. He was bald, and that was for sure. His face was moderately clean, disregarding the sweat streaming down his face and the bruises speckled across his right side. His muscles resembled that of Ospreys, and he wore different apparel than the rest. His black hoody and pants were almost an exact replica of the rest of the anarchists, but on the right side of his hoody, beginning at his shoulder and down to the end of it, was a bold red line. It stood alone as a red glare on an otherwise blank space. “Sorry, Name’s Marlow,…Marlow Thrasher.” Marlow extended his hand to be moderately respectful.

         Still slightly enchanted by the vastness of the facility, Edan extended his hand as well and shook. “Welcome to New Prynne HQ. By far, the biggest station we have. James sent me to show you around.” Edan sent a glance at one of the massive windows closest to the roof and realized he could see a very dim image of the moon through the massive devouring clouds. They were still there, hovering over New Prynne like they were attracted to something not of this world. “Edan?” Marlow said as Edan’s silent glaze lost focus into a world of confusion and dismay. Edan starred coldly at the window as if something were tugging him to it as well. Something inside him was raving and rioting. A lust to follow the rotation of the clouds, something extraordinarily powerful seemed to be lingering there. “Edan?” His rigid glare was lost. He turned quickly to Marlow as if he had just woken up.

         “Yeah?” Edan said still recovering a bit. “Well then, if you’ll follow me-…” He was interrupted. Edan’s glare was now on Marlow. “Marlow Thrasher?!” Edan said almost in a stutter. “Yeah…Have we…met?” Marlow turned to face Edan. “Marlow Thrasher, Two time Battle Royal Champ, kick boxer, cage fighter, you were a champ in almost every thing. Why’d you quit?” Edan spoke finally. Marlow stood in astonishment for several seconds. His eyes closed to almost a squint and his jaw dropped. “Is that how you people recruit new arrivals? Faking their death and making an exact replica of your body. Add evidence of a struggle and fake storyline?” Edan and Marlow stared at each other amazed at each others abilities of wits and strength. Marlow stood astonished at Edan’s ability to know even the most relevant things. Edan stood mesmerized that he was not only standing next to a dead man, but a man who was recognized many times for his amazing fighting capabilities and maneuvers.

         Suddenly a small grin approached Marlow’s face. His arms crossed across his chest and he stood up straight. Edan took a step back and dropped both his arms by his sides. “Wanna’ spar?” Marlow said with a smile thrown clearly across his face. Edan grew a grin as well.

         Without another word said, Edan lifted his left arm fast and threw his fist. Marlow rose his right and blocked it quickly, throwing a punch of his own. Edan pulled back and ducked. Once the feel of wind from the massive champ’s fist was past his face, Edan kicked. Both of his legs came out from under him at once as his hands stayed planted on the floor. It was the most inverted kick Marlow had ever seen and his reaction showed it. Edan’s feet impacted firmly on Marlow’s chest sending him stumbling back several steps. Edan rushed to his feet to continue the combo, but Marlow had already prepared. Edan kicked again with a round house, but Edan suddenly found himself suspended. His right foot had been caught. Edan sent a glare to his foot, then to Marlow, just as he began to smile wider. “Damn.” Edan said under a hesitated breath. Marlow twisted with all his might, but it seemed Edan was no longer on the ground. He was airborne. While his right foot was in a crisis, his left was fully active. It was another solid hit. Blood and spit flew to the floor as Edan’s foot was released and Marlow stumbled back again. He covered his jaw only for a second and caught eyes with Edan again. Marlow threw the most solid right jab he could summon the strength for and felt the impact. Edan flew helplessly back, catching grip with his shoes and sliding only a few feet more.

         They had made silent regulations with each other during the match. First one to hit the floor, loses. Marlow began to sprint toward the newly dazed Edan. Edan quickly side stepped and with a wild, precise punch in the back of the neck, Marlow hit the floor. Edan finished his step and lowered his fist slowly. Marlow sat up to his knees, shaking his head briefly and stared at the floor. “Ug…Good hit, Knocked the hell outa’ me.” Marlow said as he began rubbing the back of his neck, still kneeling on the floor. Edan soon realized he was wearing body armor. His flak jacket was still on and he had challenged a champ to a fair fight. “My god, I forgot about my vest.” “No problem, been a while since I’ve been in a real hand to hand fight.” Marlow said in a raspy tone as struggled to his feet. He coughed once and looked around. No one seemed to care. The massing squads and platoons of Anarchists continued their drills and what not. There wasn’t the slightest commotion. Marlow turned back to the seemingly untouched Edan.

         He started to smile again. “Me and you are gonna’ be great friends.” Marlow said as he stood completely. “A.K.S. Marlow Thrasher, Bring your guest to the command tower immediately.” Ringed a loud speaker in the distance. Marlow looked up past several buildings to a very tall tower that touched the roof of the gigantic warehouse. There was the image of a man at the window waving them over, and setting down a loud speaker phone. Marlow waved back vigorously. He then turned to Edan as if he wasn’t ready to go. “C’mon, follow me…” Marlow said as he straitened his beret and began walking toward the tower going behind the jogging and training squads.

         The dual steel doors slid open fast as Marlow flowed in followed by Edan, still checking over his surroundings in a state of awe. James stood by a set of monitors and other machinery while the aggressive body guard Jack stood close by. Several men were sitting in the chairs around the monitors, all typing something different through a special underground hotline it seemed. Transfers of codes and cryptology was being passed back and forth between the many different logees. “Edan, enjoy your “Tour”?” said James as Edan had finally made it through the door. “Not really. Had a bit of a disagreement with your UFC ambassador.” Edan said in a sarcastic manner. James turned to one of the monitors and moved his eyes back towards Edan. “Edan, I have something really important to show you.

         We have determined that Fireous and Cres are the last Mongoose members still on the run. But, there is bad news. We’ve determined who these hunters are. They’re not only assassins from our very government…but from our own CIA. Edan…Explain…Who are these guys?” Edan stood in daze for several seconds. His eyes turned upside down and he hadn’t the slightest clue who they could be.

         Then it hit him. All at once memories started to come into play. He remembered his director telling him long ago about the “Unofficial” CIA super force, The Platoon. Beings injected with an unsafe amount of ERD that most died of instantly. The ones that survived were put to severe testing and even more were killed. Tales and legends say only six members were left in existence, and they had grown a craving for it. Almost as if it was in there blood. Then another memory hit him almost instantly. His face had turned to shock. The static assassin. His blood had ERD sprayed all over his house.

         “Oh my god.” Edan said in amazement. “What? You have an exp-…” James was interrupted. One of the monitors lit up with the face of man dressed in business apparel over a desk littered with documents and loose papers. “Put me on with James, now!” the man screamed. The anarchist sitting at the desk looked up to Tameheart without saying a word and scooted back out of his chair. James, also not saying a word, sat down in the empty seat. “What do we have, Cyclone?” James said as he raised a microphone head set to his face. “Its not good, James. I’m in D.C. right now in the CIA district. Director’s office. I’ve just recovered information that I really don’t understand. It says right here six members of the unofficial division of the CIA: The Platoon. Freaks of nature, Overwhelming powers, Skills unmatched. But it gets freakier. Division released on mission codenamed: Mavixquest Yellow. A “Seek and Destroy” mission. I’m sure you already know that part, but this is where I don’t understand.” Cyclone put the camera he was using on the table beside him and pulled a disk out of a drawer. He flipped the disk over and slid into a computer near by. “Check this out.” Cyclone said as he moved the mouse to the “Play Audio” button.

         It started instantly. “Avaludeath, its time to wake up, brother. We are needed once again.” a cold voice, stern and quiet at the same time began. “You’ve been in slumber for a hundred years now. Times have changed, and we are ordered to fix what has been broken. Avaludeath Thanatos, Prince of Blood, You will wake in a train station you have never heard of. Once there, do what you do best. Kill. Kill everything. But stay in the station with one living human. What you will begin, is an infection…that will spread like wildfire to the far reaches of Earth. And only those who have our blood flowing through their veins will remain unaffected. Avaludeath, I know your tired of this, your tired of a pleasure less life. Your tired of watching Human emotions at work and even their screams of pain affect you little anymore, but you are needed. Best of luck in Japan. Message out.”  the message came to a sudden close and the view returned to Cyclone. “Okay, did you get that? Are they trying to poison the entire planet? After hearing this, I looked some stuff up. I found out that ERD, Extensive Recovery Demos, is found naturally in only 2% of humans. Its kind of like a Wolverine drug. It heals really fast but the humans who have it, have only a small amount that goes unnoticed. This professor Demos guy, discovered this, extracted it…and claimed he had discovered the fountain of youth. He was a bit head strung to say the least. Anyways, then I looked up this guy, Avaludeath. Nothing.

         Then I resorted to database files. This stuff is nearly undecipherable. There is pages and pages on every one of its members, but most of it is lines among lines of question marks, which means our deciphering programs are confused as hell. But…the first line came out very well for some reason. It reads: Avaludeath, Prince of Blood, Said to be the Reincarnation of Death itself, No sense of human emotion or reaction, Has a pleasure sense of almost nothing. The blood is his only interest. Can you believe it? The CIA bred a fucking psycho. But heres the part that even gave me the chills. Weapon of choice: Bare hands, conditions apply that are not logical in the least bit. That’s where the question marks start. This thing has a fucking touch of death!” James looked up back at Edan. “What the hell is happening, Edan? If you have something to say now is the time to say it.” James face was horrified and grim while staring at Edan. Edan’s resembled the same expression.

         “I think we should find Cres and Fireous before Avaludeath does.” Edan said staring right back at James. “Well put.” James stood up from his seat. “Thank you Cyclone. Keep in contact. Over and out.” James put the speaker down. He moved away from his chair and stretched a bit before saying, “Before we make are way to Tokyo, we have one stop. A raid on a complex not to far from here. It’s a science facility that’s hidden in the trees of a, said to be, endless forest.” He slid his beaten knuckles into his pants pockets. There’s more to this Avaludeath character. That complex holds the secrets. Can you wait a little longer, Edan?” Edan looked at James as if he knew the importance of his friends.

         They were literally the only things he had left. Edan looked out the window of the tower to the thousands among thousands of soldier anarchists training for an eventual death. Each knowing that they are not only soldiers, they have no choice now. They can never go back to a life of peace. Victory in this silent war was the only choice. “I cant let Cres die….but I guess I don’t have a choice.” Edan said quietly, not shaking his gaze from the open window. James turned his head the side as if something had deeply confused him. His eyes closed for only a second and returned open. They were deep, solemn, blue eyes. He had solved a mystery that should have been apparent since the beginning. An alternate motive of Edan’s. Something other than the risk of a battle, the glory of victory, the strife for freedom, had encouraged Edan to move on throughout his fight internally and externally.

         “…and Fireous too.” Edan said stuttering a bit, but quickly recovered. James grew a grin. He knew Edan’s conscience well enough now. “Edan, I fin-…” He was interrupted. “Um…Where’s the extra toilet paper? Jack! James! Specialist Candles! Someone out there!” Shouted an oh-so familiar voice from a door that hadn’t made itself apparent until just then. A regular wooden door, silver regular knob, and light prevailing from the cracks on the sides. “I can hear you talking! I know your out there!” Shouted the voice again. James pulled his hands out of his pockets and turned completely to Edan. That would be Tadley. Tadley Baron Breeze.”

         James turned his head to the door. “Say hello to Edan, Tad!” James said loudly as Jack just rushed by him, fresh roll of dual ply toilet paper in hand. “No intentions of being rude, but I need…toilet paper.” the voice quieted to a more inside voice tone. “Come to the door and I’ll hand it to you, Tad.” Jack said as he stood patiently by the door. “I swear to god Jack, anything funny, and your dead. No funeral arrangements, No burial. Just dead. Do you understand, Jack.“ said Tadley very loudly. Jack, rubbing his left ear that had been closest to the door, shook his head a bit. “Yeah, I got it.” Jack said as a the knob on the door began to turn. The light prevailing began to emerge more as a lantern. A single hand blasted out of the crack in the door and opened vigorously. “Here!” Tadley yelled again. Jack reached out and slowly placed the roll in her hand.

Immediately, the roll was snatched and door slammed. James turned back to Edan. “I really don’t know what to say…that was Tad is all I could think of…and that was Tad’s toilet troubles.” He returned his hands to his pockets. “Moving on. We’ll get you suited up, and ready to go and…your armor.” James eyes ventured down to Edan’s CIA Delta division armor. “You’re not Bravo division. We put Typhon’s Bravo division armor on the body found on the body in the streets. Why would they…? Count you as dead, when they know its not you…?” James confused expression returned.

         “Regardless, maybe a simple mistake made by them, but the armor your wearing now, could get you killed here. I’m going to make a minor adjustment to it before we venture to the Military Restricted forest.”





Black Days: Infection (Braedon) 1





         “Train B, Track 7 now arriving.” A loud speaker blared as a loud siren like ring went off. The massing crowds of individuals carrying luggage and what-not moved like a flock of geese as the doors of the train slid open. The hustle and bustle of random conversations carried on through out the station. The stairway leading to the station seemed to be a wave of people. Suit clad, Raver wearing, Punk rockers.

         The station was alive with almost every cliché in existence. The ticket booths spun constantly as person after person walked through, handing off a ticket and returning a stub, in seconds. Officers systematically checked random people for their tickets and even helped them abroad their correct train. Their blue armbands revealing Japanese text marked their kindness and predictability. They were the authority of the tracks. Nothing was to big a responsibility for them. Soon a women, wearing a black dress walked through the ticket booth, stub in hand.

         She wore black high heel boots that went up to her knees almost and walked in them with the most experience possible. Her dress was spaghetti strapped and not long at all. In shorter terms, she was hot. The Asian women with long flowing brown hair stopped by an officer. “Excuse me, Do you know where the 11 o’clock will arrive?” She asked in her clear, proper English voice.” The officer turned in surprise, and soon returned a smile. He reached his hand out and retrieved her ticket stub. Still smiling and holding her ticket with his white glove, he explained, “Of coarse, mam,  just go to your right, all the way to that sign that reads Gackt! And wait there fo-…” Its almost as if he froze completely. The hustle and bustle of the busy station stood still.

         Not a sound was heard. The continuous flow of pedestrians coming from the steps above ceased and there was silence. Even the on going random conversations stopped. The woman jumped back in surprise studying the concrete face of the last word being pronounced by the officer. She was in a daze of confusion. She looked around twice to understand what situation she was in, but she understood nothing but an ice age had hit, even though it wasn’t the least bit cold. She studied the place for some time, but then she heard something that didn’t seem as significant. Out side, at the beginning of the massive stairway, the sound of crashing thunder and the start of an all out down pour of rain. It didn’t even show signs of starting a rain all that day. The clouds had been hovering all that week, but only yesterday, it started a rain and stopped only hours afterwards. That was when the massacre at the CIA embassy happened.

         Then the girl heard something even more distinct. Through the endless crowd of pedestrians and civilians, their seemed to be a trail of nothing. A man was making his way through the crowd of people as though they had moved aside specifically for him. The girl was in a state of shock. She looked around to see if anyone else had moved even the slightest bit, but nothing had changed positions. The man wore black dress pants with black dress shoes on. He wore a black suit jacket that seemed very aged and dusty and a red striped button up shirt underneath that.

         His hands were in his pockets and his blue stern eyes were fixed on the girl. His hair was black and relatively short, just enough to form tiny gelled spikes. He walked calmly. His face was very pale and clean, despite the minor 5 o’clock shadow shave, that was needed. He walked directly toward her. Her beautiful green eyes resembled that of a person who had just seen god. Her black lipstick seemed to start to form a smile, as she realized she was in love with this man. She placed her hands on her well rounded hips and waited with pleasure. The man had finally took one more step to be face to face with the beautiful Japanese damsel. She breathed harder as if she couldn’t believe this was happening, while the man stood emotionless. He didn’t breath at all. His eyes were fixed on hers, but other than that, he didn’t move. She began to say something when she looked down at his hands, placed down by his sides.

         The trickle of something was dripping from his finger tips to the concrete floor. She stared cautiously and moved her eyes from his. She widened her eyes to see the substance, but could only see black. Finally, she grabbed his right hand with her left and pulled it out into light. It was red. Blood was dripping from his finger tips.

         Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, it began to rain blood. The paralyzed inhabitants surrounding them began to spontaneously combust. One after one, an explosion of blood and body appendages flew in all directions. She instantly released his hand. The girl stepped back, trying to begin a run, but instantly fell to the floor in the massive amount of entrails. His eyes were still fixed on her as they had been when he first saw her. His blue eyes were now piercing as the blood began to shower on him as well. “Boom!” the officer that was once standing beside her now exploded to the same result as the rest. There was no screaming, there were no shouts of pain what-so-ever. Just the gurgling sounds of random organs and blood spreading across the floor, the once massively white train station now resembled that of a butcher’s shop from hell.

         Every person had been turned to nothing, but a mass of mesh. Pieces and whole body parts littered the floor as the now, blood drenched Avaludeath, stared deeply into the girl’s eyes. They were both sopping wet with blood and entrails, but his glare was not shaken. His mouth began to open. “I was in love once… She was killed…. Everyone was killed… Everyone will be killed…Except for you… You will unite this place and lead them.” Avaludeath said very quietly in an old accent of English. She looked up at him and began to crawl away in the masses of blood and other remnants. “Don’t run, technically you will not die. I’m not entirely sure what will happen to you actually.” She grasped and slid in the blood, struggling in a panic of daze and shock of fear. Her black dress now resembled a crimson dark color. The blood drenched station suffered more casualties as even more human beings were turned to nothing, but an explosion of bodily contents. The station was now a breeding ground for the virus.

         The girl crawled for several seconds until she realized it was hopeless. She covered her eyes with her hands and began to weep. She wept loudly covering the vigorous explosions of random individuals. Curling into what resembled the feedle position, she cried even more fierce. Her back was to, what used to be, the officer checking her ticket. In between his fingers of a blood drenched hand held her ticket stub. “Stand and face me.” Avaludeath said in his stern voice, still holding an untouched stare at the girl. Moving her hands from her face slowly, she looked over her shoulder to see him in the exact same location. He was as drenched as she was. His pale face gave off the slightest glow under the massive amount of blood dripping from his chin.

         It ran down his neck as sweat, it beaded on his fore head as if he had an illness. His face all together was unreadable though. He had no real facial expression, or even gave one off. He stood staring emotionless, as if he could see right through her flesh and bone to something deeper. It seemed as if he had no emotions at all. She did as she was told. Staggering a bit trying to stand, she placed her hands on the freshly red painted floor and slid to a stance. Her boots glided across the floor as she often struggled to gain her footing. Her eyes were redder than the blood covering her from her immediate fear of death. Little did she know, that’s exactly who this man was.

         “Stand before me.” Avaludeath demanded of her as she shook and kept her arms crossed. She was starting to suffer from a cold. Everything began to turn cold. She shivered and shook as she kept her course walking toward this man or beast. Her hair hung drenched over her face, sticking to her shoulders as well. “What do you feel? Fear…Hatred…Love…Compassion…All meaningless…they will be a thing of the past soon enough. She arched her head as if she hadn’t noticed sooner. She had fallen madly in love with him the second she had seen him. “How…Why…Why are you doing this?!” She screamed as she slipped and pushed on towards Avaludeath. “I’m releasing something…something that is found naturally in the human body, but in only small amounts. Something that can be controlled and turn the human body into a machine of endless possibilities. A slave soldier of the highest competence. And you are the first to experience it.”

         She stopped cold in her tracks. Her arms felt weak, very weak. Her stomach growled insanely, enough to make her grasp it in pain. “It gives you a hunger as well. A hunger for anything that moves. Except others that will be exactly like you…or those with extremely high ERD levels in their blood.” She was in pain. The veins in her arms and legs began to grow and pump faster. “And yes, the transformation, I’m told, is very painful.” Avaludeath said with an unflinching stare still. She screamed in pain as her arms soon fell to her sides. “What is this?!” She screamed an ear piercing yell. “Its life after death, in the form of a virus. Your soul will be blackened, and your mind will be mine for the taking.” Avaludeath stood glaring at the dying woman. As the veins in her arms, her legs were just as terrible. Her face and head started to show veins as well. Soon, her very arms began to bend back in their joints. The veins in her elbow joint pushed them back to such an extent that her arms were literally twisting. Cracks could be heard. Her bones were breaking and bending and blood was pumping just as fast. The transformation had done its work. “Braeston, you are the first of my zombie armada. This world will fall under the name of the Platoon.” Her eyes pulled back in her swollen head, rolled back and forth, trying to gain a view of Avaludeath, but kept unfocusing, dilating her eyes and twitching.

         She was no longer human it seemed. “The virus has only a small air bound radius. The unfortunate ones outside of this station will be infected immediately. The rest are yours and the other’s responsibilities. Death is no longer a factor to this new race. You can not die.” Avaludeath stated to this new breed of human being standing before him. Her eyes were glassy and seemed to be floating from side to side. She was no longer human. Outside screams could be heard. The infection had been released.