In this world, humans posses at least one spectacular and unique talent. Not regular talents, like singing or cooking. But abnormal talents. Telekinesis, seeing the future, running faster than light, flying. Those types of talents. However, after discovering such power, we discovered a much darker one. The power of our own minds. One that can ultimately alter the course of history as we know it. There are many groups that say to have power over this, saying that they can kill anyone with just one blink. But that's not true, they just want people to fear them. To leave them alone so they may carry out their unimportant lives. Most of these groups are junkeys and addicts. And then, there are the reapers. A rather large group of geniuses, able to actually do what others claim. In this world, they hold everyones life in the palm of their sweaty, greedy, power-hungry, hands.
Another group does exist. a group dedicated to stopping the reapers, and ending their reign of terror. Sadly though, it's only a group of disgruntled orphans. It's only me and six others. Children of unknown origin and of poor homeless people. We live down in Brooklyn, a tiny run down orphanage on reaper way. No one here has a full name, nothing more than a first one. None of us have any education whatsoever. But the school system failed years ago. Back when THEY first took over. And none of us have any plan or direction other than stopping the reapers.
"can I help you?" a man growled from behind the store counter. He was dressed in a large black cloak and none of his flesh was visible.
"yeah you can," I grumbled, emptying the food stored in my light blue backpack. I'd stolen it a while ago from REI. "ring this up."
"hey would you like to-" he began.
"hey! Would you like to show a little respect to me! I'm not showing your scum any courtesy! Freaking reapers. You think you own this world don't you?!" I snapped, cutting him off.
"if you don't clean up your act, the penalty is death." he said calmly. People like him made me sick, believing they owned everyone. Believing they owned the world.
"sorry," I said fakely. "please ring up my purchase."
"that's more like it. This will be twelve devs. Enjoy your day." the man sighed. He threw the assortment of fruits, vegetables, and hostess snack cakes into a plastic bag. Impatiently, I swiped the thing up and strode out.
"and you yours." I snarled, throwing a few pieces of paper at him.
The walk back to my mundane and rotting orphanage was like every other; painful. Each homeless man and drug addict lay on the gray streets. They begged for money and food. But that didn't matter to me, the only thing that did was stopping the reapers. I knocked on the door and a large chunk of it fell off. Maggie ripped it open from the inside.
"did you bring me coke?!" she cried.
"Maggie, you can't buy cocaine at a grocery store. Plus, you need to stop doing that stuff. It's bad for you." I replied. She pouted and then dropped to her knees.
"but I need it Astor! I need it!" Maggie begged.
"Maggie! Your ten! Stop!" I threw her down to the floor. Standing above the girl I could see the pain, the hopelessness, the hurt, flooding through her eyes. Her body was shaking constantly, vibrating from years of drug use. Maggie was small, very frail and jittery. She had long blonde hair that fell to her waist and normally kept it in one large ponytail.
"it helps me run faster!" she would say, bouncing about. but that was back far before the reapers lost their heads. I suppose that happens to people who have to much power. Soon, their thirst for world domination became clear. Recruiting signs were posted everywhere. Anyone who came to their main office, a huge building in the shape of a pentagon, was accepted and given a job. Those are the ones with black capes, mundane, boring, brainwashed into doing nothing but ordering people around. Aside from them are the ones with red capes. You don't see them around town, they stay in the main office. The red capes are the highest ranking ones. Ones that can kill you with the blink of an eye or the twitch of a finger. They rule this world. It used to be called earth. But now, it's known as pandora's box. A name that signifies hidden insanity covered up by a beautiful and attractive outside.
"I know... But I-I run faster with it." Maggie whimpered, breaking my train of thought.
"you can run fast enough now Maggie. Come on then," I lifted her up, glancing at her blue eyes quickly. "let's go tell the others it's dinner time."
"okay... Thanks." she mumbled. I patted the girls head slowly and then we strode up the stairs.
Ecstatic pings and beeps came flying out the crumbling door. I knocked a few times before coming in. The boys, Jackson, Mitchell, robert, and Dylan, were happily playing a racing game. I glanced down at the shiny system. It was called an 'xbox'. I had stolen it from a random store years before. The glistening metal reminded me fondly of the way they had reacted. Smiling, happy faces, hugs and joyous shouts.
"food?!" Robert clapped. He was the youngest, a tiny boy of five.
"yep, food Robert." I smiled. He clapped ecstatically and then grabbed the bag out of my hand.
"cool, food." Dylan yawned. He is fifteen, my age. So are Mitchell and Jackson.
"so... I have, a twinkie and a cupcake for everyone, some sandwich materials, and I stole some mayinose? Mayoniss? Mayonnaise? And some... mooseturd?" I grumbled staring at the labels on the cans. I'm not exceedingly smart or educated, none of us are. Except Dylan, he's a techo-nesis. Or someone who can control technology with their minds.
"mustard and mayonnaise." Mitchell corrected. He pushed the goggles up the bridge of his nose and stretched his arms out. Mitchell can talk to animals. He's constantly chattering with squirrels and raccoons. They get in our "house" pretty often. We barely have walls anymore.
"right... So, let's eat I guess. Anyone seen mica?" I asked. Mica was the other girl in our group. She could tell a lie and it would come true. But she never talks anymore, Mica was a compulsive liar. She couldnt stop whatsoever. So we cut out her tongue one night. Now, she just sits around and sleeps. Robert thrust his hand out and the bread went flying into it.
"no, haven't seen her today actually. Probably working the corners." Dylan smirked.
"stop!" I laughed, pushing him backwards.
"that's what she should do man, she's a whore!" Dylan cackled. He put his hands up as if to say "I'm innocent".
"she's only done it twice! And we need the money. The only people who have that now are reapers." I growled. Robert greedily spread the white contents of the mayonnaise jar onto a piece of bread. He then pulled out another piece and coated it with mustard and meat. Robert lifted the sandwich up, using his mind of course, and took a bite.
"but it's okay because she has a rockin bod." Dylan winked. I kicked him in the groin and stared at him blankly.
"great! So now Maggie and me can become prostitutes too! Robert! Don't you think about that! Forget I said anything!" I smiled. Dylan always had a way of making us all feel better.
"I know Maggie could, but you? No chance of that." Jackson interjected in between ravenous bites of sandwich. I smacked him over the head and tried to give my most intimidating look.
"I was wondering about your silence," i grumbled. "now I know, you were thinking about something mean to say!"
"oh come on Astor! Dont be butt hurt! We're just screwing around with you." Dylan grinned. He smoothed down his jet black hair and then yawned.
"I'm thirsty..." Robert mumbled, toying idly with a crumb.
"alright, who wants to go down to the abandon school yard for some water? The fountains are down but the tillers there still work. We'll have to take our chances with disease... But at least we won't be thirsty." I sighed. The water fountains there used to work, but recently we'd been having to drink from the toilets. Maggie and Jackson had gotten stomach flu last week. That had extremely hard on them and Maggie nearly passed on.
"not again..." Dylan rolled his hazel eyes.
"it's a possible stomach flu or it's dehydration." I huffed. Dylan slung a bright red back pack over his shoulder and cracked his knuckles. I readjusted the blue pack on my back and grabbed Dylan's arm.
"you guys stay here, we'll be back soon." he grumbled. I could tell he didn't really want to go, but I needed backup. If any reapers caught us hanging around there, sucking water out of toilets, they take us and kill us. In pandora's box, every crime is one punishable by death. I ripped the front door and it snapped off it's hinges. The crumbling heap of wood fell to the ground and I cringed.
"you just had to break it didn't you?" Dylan said blankly.
"I didn't mean to! This goddamn place is just so unstable!" I snapped. Bad things always happened to me. Broken doors, abandoning parents, murderous actions, I was always around to either cause or witness such things.
"it's fine, I'll just grab a piece of plywood at the dump. Let's get out of here." Dylan said reassuringly. He put a hand on my shoulder and led me out.
We walked for a while before reaching a drab, gray, schoolyard. Trash littered the ground and walls were falling apart. A few street lamps hung vacantly, lightbulbs missing. The two of us quickly surveyed the area, to assure there weren't any black capes around.
"we're good, I'll go first." I whispered. Dylan nodded and glanced about.
"make it quick... I'll keep watch outside." he replied softly.
"alright, if you see any black capes, say something." I ordered. Silently, I dashed over to the nearest bathroom. Tile was falling off the walls and the roof had nearly caved in. I knelt down near a toilet and filled up a few bottles of water.
"Astor! Get your ass out here!" Dylan screeched. I flung the water back into my backpack and then clumsily threw it over my shoulder. Dylan snatched my hand and ripped me along. Murmurs and hushed curses rippled through my ears. Behind our fleeting bodies were about three reapers, scythes drawn. Every black cape carried one, it was necessary for them. The reapers broke into a sprint as Dylan hauled me along. One of them slashed at me, cutting a strap on my backpack and creating a gash in my shoulder. Blood poured from the new wound, soaking my mud covered tank top and floaty skirt. I growled to myself and peered at Dylan. The two of us were streaming around the desolated school yard. His hair was flying in the breeze and for a moment, I smiled a little bit. The gravity of the situation soon brought me back though.
"GET THEM!" a black cape shouted. He threw his hand into the air and a dumpster came flying at us. Dylan jerked me to the side as the heavy metal box slammed into the ground.
"why aren't you torching them?!" Dylan grunted in between exasperated gasps.
"because! I can't get a good look at them!" I shrieked. He was referring to my power. It was a very rare one, it was the power over fire. If the conditions were right, I could shoot fireballs out of my hands. It may sound ridiculous, but we humans have learned that some minds are so strong they can concentrate all the heat in their body to one dingle point. That's exactly what I can do. However, it's a little hard to focus like that while you're running at full speed, stumbling over debris, and being attacked by reapers.
"well get a good look at them!" he cried.
"hey! Why don't you kill them instead?!" I snapped.
"because there's no technology around here!" Dylan growled. Another dumpster went flying for us. Dylan pulled me to safety once again. If it weren't for our predicament, I probably would have kissed him. That was twice now he'd saved my life. I suppose I'd better start keeping a count. We continued sprinting about before reaching a fence.
"it's to tall to climb! Theyll get us for sure! I can blow a hole in it if you stall them!" I shouted.
"okay, let's do this." he nodded.
Dylan ripped a pole out of the side of a building. He swung it around to test the strength and weight before running off. I could hear growls and swipes of scythes screeching through the air. A scream broke my concentration and I jumped back.
"Dylan..." I whispered. His screams weren't unfamiliar to me. Way back, when we were both young, we would spar for fun. He wasn't much of a match for me though, you can't really beat the girl that breathes fire. I jumped over to where he was. Dylan lay on the ground, clutching his leg. The black capes were cackling over his body, grinning ear to ear. Scythes raised and tension in the air, one swung down. Something went flying from my hand. A bright ball of fire slammed into his chest and he fell back. I raised my hands, sticking two finger out on each. The last two reapers dropped their scythes and ran off in the other direction. Dylan moaned in pain and I Dropped down next to him.
"they got my leg..." he winced.
"let me see..." I sighed, removing his hand. Scarlet liquid bubbled out, making me cringe. A large gash traveled down his calf.
"it's bad isn't it? I can tell." he grumbled.
"I'm going to have to do something really painful. But it's going to save your life." I frowned.
"do it. We can't afford to be any weaker than we are already. Plus, then we'll be equal." a light smirk graced his lips and he shut his blue eyes.
"I'm going to cauterize it, okay? It'll sting like a mofo but it'll keep you from losing anymore blood." I took a deep breath and then shut my eyes.
"do it. Fast. More are coming, it's obvious the others just left for help. We have to get out of here soon and I'll leave a trail of blood if you don't cauterize it now." Dylan grunted. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth were clenched.
"one," I groaned. "two, three!" my hands slapped down on his legs and I carefully ran them across his wound. Dylan shrieked extremely loudly and I jerked back. The wound looked terrible, blood soaked and now burnt.
"thanks..." he gasped.
"anytime- oh shit." I said. Over the horizon hundreds of black capes were headed straight for us. Scythes raised high as possible they were sprinting towards me. I ripped Dylan off the ground and threw his hand over my shoulder.
"what?! What's going on?!" he cried. I slapped a hand over his mouth and pointed. Dylans jaw dropped and I hauled him over my shoulder.
"why are there so many?!" I shrieked.
"they want you! God! You shouldn't have shot that one! They're gonna be tracking yo down now! They're gonna use you as a weapon!" Dylan smacked his forehead. I hobbled away as fast as I could.
"hang on tight Dylan!" I gritted my teeth and bashed through the rusty fence. The sound of hundreds of reapers flooded my ears.
"no! I was going to let go because that just sounded like so much damn fun!" he shouted.
"don't have time for sarcasm right now!" I protested, sprinting off.
"obviously." he whispered breathily.
"I'm going to try and high jack a car okay?! We can move faster that way!" I suggested, not really thinking it through.
"no! Don't! If you highjack a car they'll have a description and they'll find you easily. It's going to be smarter to just make a run for it." dylan panted. Thoughts raced through my throbbing head and I glanced about. Nowhere to hide so far. We were in the middle of a four way intersection, reapers advancing from all sides. In desperation, I held both my hands out. Concentrating all the heat in my body to the two points I breathed steadily. A small burst of fire left each and bowled over a small group. Behind them lay the meat packing area. The perfect place for us to hide. Lots of people hung out there, constantly bargaining over prices and getting high in corners. Maggie used to hang out here a lot. Plenty of cheap cocaine to get at. I threw myself through the tiny gap. Scythes cut through the air around me, whistling before hitting the ground. A hand gripped my left shoulder but I threw it off. Dylan was being jotted about like a bag full of wet cats and he winced with every bump.
"made a run for it happy now?" I screamed, running away. The black capes followed us in high pursuit. Every step made my heart jolt out of my chest.
"no, I'm really not!" he cried. I slipped through the door to a busy market and looked around.
"where to go?! Where to go?!" I cried nervously. Reapers flooded the marketplace and any escape attempt seemed pointless.
"CAPTURE THE CHILD!" a black cape roared. He lifted his scythe into the air, brimming with ecstasy and fire. The others cheered and screeched at the top of their lungs. They came pouring in at every angle, cutting any path I had off. Dylan suddenly went limp and his weight nearly crushed me. He had fainted and his eyes lay wide open as if waiting to catch a glimpse of something. They seemed glazed over and just looking at them scared me. Their hands grabbed at my clothing and ripped at my limbs, like zombie fighting for the last human alive. Something began to buzz inside me. An uncontrollable vibration that rippled through my weak body. Light seemed to dissapear and I lost all sensation in my body. It was like being underwater. You can't hear, you can't talk, you can't breathe, you can't open your eyes. At first, I figured it was just some new futuristic weapon they were using to stun me. But then, something happened. A tremendous amount of heat went flying out from my body. Warm wind flew through my hair, entangling it with dylans. A smile perked at the edges of my thin and unattractive lips. I opened my eyes blissfully, expecting to see god. If anything, I had just died. Unfortunately, something else reached my eyes. Hundreds of reapers were lying on the ground, either on fire or unconscious. Immediately, my legs collapsed underneath me like jelly.
Had I done this? It was hardly in my range. The most I'd ever done was shoot fire from my hands with the occasional exception of breathing it. I couldnt have singed over fifty black capes in one blow. Could I have? I pressed myself to stand up, leaning on one of the scythes that lay discarded on the floor. It slipped out from under me, causing my face to hit the floor. I spat out some blood and then coughed. The area around me was even more ruined than I had expected. Meat carts lied vacantly on the ground, their vendors peeking over them with singed eyebrows and fearful expressions. A little girl near me burst into frantic tears at the sight of her dead father. People were very carefully sneaking out. Acting as though if they were seen I would slaughter them like the meat so frequently sold here. I looked up only to see Dylan laughing maniacally.
"that was awesome!" he screeched. "I saw the whole thing man! You totally just exploded into fire! It was so cool!" Dylan trapped me in a gratuitous hug and then grinned. His eyes were bright and happy, as if Jesus had just given him a giant ice cream cone.
"I-I'm a monster..." I whimpered. It was the truth. I had killed innocent people as well as people who deserved it. But that aside, I had killed people. People with families, people with lovers, people with hearts. And all because the reapers stormed me.
"your not a monster," he cooed, stroking m hair. "you're fantastic!"
"Dylan..." I sighed, swiping his hand away. "I killed all these people. These people can't be replaced Dylan. Reaper or not, they're dead now... All because of me..." a tear rolled down my dirt smudged face.
"don't cry, you're going to make me cry... Come one then, let's get back home." he said, smiling sympathetically. His black hair and blue eyes shone in the bleak light. I returned the smile and then he pulled me up.
"but this is really bad..." I said, suddenly realizing everything. hundreds of reapers lay dead because of a mysterious girl with extra special powers. They were going to be after me. No doubt they would be tracking me like a pack of blood hounds. My legs collapsed again and I burst into tears.
"it is... It's terrible. Come on, you can cry at home. We have to get out of here now. Before they catch us." Dylan persisted. He grabbed my hands and pulled me up.
"how's your leg?" I sobbed.
" it feels great right now. I don't know why though. Just a few minutes ago I passed out from pain." he shrugged. Dylan pulled me along as I feverishly wiped tears off my face.
"that's weird..." I huffed. Right now, my priority was to get what had just happened off my mind. We continued to jog back to the orphanage, hiding whenever we saw a reaper.
"you're back!" Robert screeched. He flew into me and trapped me in a hug.
"what took so long? What happened to you two?!" Jackson cried. He stared at us like we were ghosts. But, we probably did look like them. Pale, bruised, dirt covered, mournful expressions. I'm sure if I were looking at me right now, I'd die of fright.
"reapers happened..." Dylan growled.
"they caught us over at the school yard. I hit one with a fireball after they hurt Dylan. Then the big stuff happened." I sighed, tearing up again.
"big stuff?" Maggie piped. She shot us a curious frown and then Dylan and I sat on our mattress. Spring were shooting out of it and it was covered in dirt. The two of us had dragged it out of the junkyard years before.
"I think everyone should take a seat." Dylan said, extremely serious. The TV and Xbox flicked off and Dylan sighed.
"what exactly happened?" Jackson frowned. He furrowed his thick bushy eyebrows at me.
"well, you know how the reapers have been posting signs up recently, asking for a hero?" I muttered. Everyone nodded in unison. "well, Dylan and I ran into about three reapers back at the school. I accidentally fired a fireball at them and killed the first. The other two ran off. I figured they were just scared. But no, they went to get help from others. Before we knew it, hundreds of reapers were chasing after us. I had to carry Dylan around on my shoulder because of his foot. I ran into the meat Market and then... IT happened..." something grabbed the hand that I had placed insecurely on the bed. I snapped my head over to see Dylan giving me a sympathetic and worried smile. His hand was folded over mine and I could feel it's warmth spreading through me. My cheeks flashed bright red and Dylan laughed a little bit.
"basically, Astor let out a HUGE plume of flames. It killed a TON of reapers and even a few innocent people. Note, they will be dearly missed and I give my sincere apology to their families. But aside from that, it was epic. This giant puff of flames just went rushing out of nowhere. It knocked the hell out of those reapers!" he smiled enthusiastically.
"but here's the thing, after that, they are going to be searching everywhere for me. They want me to be their secret weapon. If any reapers capture you guys and ask for information, give it to them. If you don't, they'll slaughter you. I'd rather it be me killing hundreds than you guys dying." I said, trying to mimic dylans care free smile. I failed completely and the attempt came out to be a fearful looking grimace.
CHAPTER TWO
A PLAN
Me and the rest of my troop lay out on the worn mattress in the middle of the room. Everyone seemed to be asleep but me by now. I blinked at the disgusting pink watch wrapped around my wrist. "12:00" it read. A blank stare graced my face. It had been reading that for the past two days. Life for us was definitely going straight downhill. Something tapped my right shoulder blade and I whipped my head around. Dylan was waving sarcastically and pointing to Maggie. The little girl was clinging to his shirt like a wet cat and sucking her thumb. It too everything in me not to burst into hysterics. I pointed down at Robert, whos mouth was hanging open, and then to jackson, who was gripping my waist. Dylan rolled his blue eyes and tried to pull Maggie off. She held on tightly. Maggie was most likely dreaming about her mom. None of the others knew about theres but Maggie's had abandon her in cold blood. Apparently, she had just left Maggie out on the streets. Maggie had become the "bitch" of a nearby drug dealer. She started to steal cocaine from his stash. Once the dealer found out, he started slashing her up. Even raped her once. But that didn't slow Maggie down, she continued to live on the streets for a few more years. Then I found her. The tiny little bright eyed girl had begged me to take care of her. I didnt really have a chance to say no to her. And thats how Maggie came to be. I watched Dylan closely as he ripped at the girls tightly wound fingers. He cursed a few times until she finally released. Dylan angrily flopped back down, now facing the other side, and growled. Maggie's tiny hands grabbed the back of his shirt this time. Dylan grabbed her shoulders and started viciously shaking her until her eyes snapped open. Maggie burst into tears and she went flying down the stairs. Dylan shrugged and then shut his eyes. I jabbed him right in the face and then frowned.
"you dick! Do you know how long it's going to take for me to get her back up here?!" I half whispered half screeched. Robert stirred a little in his sleep and then flopped upside down.
"look! I need my mattress space to you know! We only have the one!" he protested. Robert and Jackson both stirred in their sleep and then groaned in unison. Mitchell was passed out on the foot of the bed, still snoring loudly.
"I'm going out." I grumbled. Perhaps a brisk night walk could help clear my mind. Dylan snapped to his feet and bounded over beside me.
"not without me. I don't want you to get caught with those reapers snooping about."
"hey! I have this fantastic idea, how about you guys go find your back pack and bring us some water! I'm dying of thirst!" Jackson cried. Mitchell raised a hand and slammed it into his head.
"how about you stop complaining about everything? I'm trying to get some sleep..." he growled. Jackson glared at him and then stood up.
"get your sleep then! I'm going to find Maggie." he sneered. An icy tension filled the room as Jackson whispered curses under his breath. The blonde slumped out of the room, leaving an unsettling presence. Robert flopped back down, brown, short-cut hair, ruffling softly. Mitchell stretched out his arms and smacked his lips. It didn't take very long for Dylan to rip me out of the rotting room and shove me down the crumbling stairs. Everything in the old orphanage was like that. Old, mundane, broken, rotting, and infested with pests. But, it wasn't exactly like we had anywhere else to go. Maggie was sitting on the floor, bawling intensely. Jackson was curled around her, patting the girls head and grumbling kind things. It wasn't like him to act parentally. I waved half heartedly and walked out to the desolated streets. Homeless men and women were digging through trash cans, hoping to die. No one in this town liked life anymore. It was hard, rough, and unkind. A lot more than it used to be. Dylan and I strode off, shuffling down the middle of the street. I noticed the present of a slight limp in his leg, but Dylan didn't say anything. He nearly never complained. And when he did it was about stuff that mattered. We walked until we reached a solemn bridge. Cables hung vacantly under the light of the stars and half of the large metal bridge was missing. I sighed, life was not what it used to be. People ran rampant and those who dis obeyed the law were slaughtered mercilessly. That was the world now, just a spinning ball of death and insanity. It was exactly what lay inside pandora's box. Dylans hand appeared on my shoulder and he frowned. His unkept black hair glistening in the moon light.
"what happened? Back at the market." he asked.
"I don't know. They made me made and I thought I'd died." I sighed.
"obviously you hadn't. So what did it feel like?" Dylan replied.
"like being pushed underwater. I couldn't breath or scream or move."
"that sounds..."
"terrible."
"I was going to say cool but okay."
"it wasn't cool whatsoever. I wake up to hundreds of dead and injured people and you say it was cool?"
"I just meant the fire thing..."
"think about what you say before you say it." I snapped, unintentionally. Dylan moved his gaze back to the water. Another wave of tension hit the air. I was lost. Nothing sounded right, even in my head.
"I know, this is going to sound stupid but..." he trailed off. I rolled my eyes and glared at him. Dylan shifted his feet uncomfortably and then pursed his lips. I turned away and then tapped my foot. A hand reached out to touch my shoulder but then retreated. Dylan finally spun me around, hands clasped around me. "I'm joining the reapers." he finished. My heart skipped a beat and I slapped him right across the cheek. Dylan skittered back wards and my hands heated up. I sneered at him , fire in my eyes, and then I grabbed his shirt.
"why, in a million years, would you join those conceited, inconsiderate, dumbass, cowardly, foolish, dickwads?!" I screeched. My heart began to pulse extremely quickly and I growled.
"just let me ex-" he cried.
"no explaining!" I cut him off. "you are dead to me."
"it's not what you think!" he protested. I flipped around and started walking away. If I didn't leave now, I'd probably kill him. He reached out to grab me but I slapped his hand back.
"I will give you ten seconds to tell me exactly what you mean. If yo don't explain to me something that makes a great deal of sense, I will kill you." I hissed. What an inconsiderate bastard. Who just drops something like this on their friend?!
"you know how theyve been posting signs up for a new red cape?! Well, the red capes have complete Access to all files on their computers! If we both sign up to participate in their tests, we can find their weaknesses and problems! We can begin a rebellion! We can win! All seven of us!" he shouted. I stopped in my tracks. For once, he'd actually though up a half way decent plan. I whipped back around, staring him straight in the eyes. Our faces were centimeters apart and I jabbed my finger into his rib cage. He looked desperate and out of breath. I had to fight every urge to just trap him in a hug while I spoke.
"but there can only be one winner. The red capes would have no exception for that. If anyone is signing up to get themselves thrown into this, it'll be me." I sighed, losing my head in his bright blue eyes. A slightly loopy grin pecked at my cheeks but I dismissed it. Never before had I been so close to Dylan. So close that I could feel his hot breath rippling down my chest. I felt almost dizzy, standing there, right in front of him.
"no, if anyone does it, I'm going to be sacrificing myself." he protested.
"why?!" I cried. The thought of him being killed or dying striking my mind. That would be a terrible thing. I would be devastated without him. He was more than my best friend. He was like a brother to me. No, he was more than like a brother to me. I had spent my entire life with him. Since I was three the two of us had been playing around together. I couldn't just let him do this. It wasn't even a sane plan yet. Just something he had recently thought up. Right?
"because, the only way to win is fight to the death with others from across the globe. The tests to get in are rigorous. They get inside your head and from the entire population, only twenty or thirty live to actually participate in the war. It's the bloodiest and most terrible fight to the death ever known. You want to know why the reapers aren't slaughtering people constantly? Because of this annual fight. The arena is monumental and the reapers make tons of cash off this. The cost to watch the first unit of the game, which is only three days, is forty dives. Thats a lot more than a lot of people have ever even seen. So basically," he put his hands around my neck. "I don't want you to do it, because I don't want you to die. At least not this way. A lot of the kids in there go crazy and start eating the dead ones flesh it's terrible."
"how do you know so much about this?!" I shrieked. How odd was it that Dylan knew everything about this. It seemed like a horrid thing. Had he payed to watch it?
"I watched it once..." he whispered. Appalled, I smacked him once again. "okay the first one I deserved but you're over doing it now!"
"how could you?! You payed to see children slay each other?!" I said angrily. The thought of being able to suffer through such a thing made me sick. I couldn't believe Dylan had watched such a thing let alone paid for it.
"I'm sorry... I was just curious..." he frowned.
"whatever just explain this plan to me more so." I mumbled, hoping to change the subject. Murderous crazed children wasn't something I enjoyed talking about.
"alright, here's my idea. I sign up to be a contestant, I try my absolute hardest and get accepted. I win the war and become the next red cape. I hack the system and find out their weaknesses and secrets. Finally, we create a rebellion and declare war! After we win, you and I rule the world. Kindly, fairly, happily. That's how it should go." he smiled expectantly. The plan was more insane than anything I had heard before. Probably none of it would work out and the people I'd be up against in that arena would kill me without regret. No matter how talented either of us were, I could never do it. I just didn't have the power or strength to do so. But I did have one trick up my sleeve. I was determined. Most of the kids there would have no other want than to be the next red cape. But me, I'd be working towards an inspiring goal. One that ultimately may possibly be executed. It was a lot to take in in one day. But I had to get back at these reapers. They had ruined the entire world and they didn't give any care whatsoever.
"you are insane," I replied seriously. "but, in the words of many, the plans just crazy enough to work. Dylan, I'm in." he swept me up I a giant hug and pecked my cheek. This caused me to turn a color so red it was nearly unbelievable. Like a ripe tomato that's been painted fire engine red and then colored on with a bright red crayon. Dylan sensed my embarrassment and put me down. A perky smile danced on his face and he flipped his hair out of his eyes. I smiled too. after all, we would die young anyway. And if I was going to be killed, id want to be killed on a mission to reclaim pandora's box. to take it and bring forth a hail of prosperity and joy! To rule with power and meaning like no other! If all went well, which I doubted, Dylan and I would rule the entire world! Together, like an empress and an emperor. So romantic...
"let's do it then, let's do it!" Dylan shouted. His blue eyes shone so brightly in the dark night they were almost like two beacons of light, illuminating my life. Dylan had always been my friend. My best friend, more than a best friend. I had liked him for a while now. But saying anything might make life a little awkward for us. What if he didnt like me the same way? He probably didn't... I looked over my scraggly appearance as Dylan continued to beam at me. I was short, and bland. No more than five foot four and I was skinny as hell. Tiny arms stuck out of my body like branches on a snowman. I had an absolutely flat chest and my gray dirt smudged tank top only exaggerated that fact. My legs were large though, strong and toned from years of running. The tops of my thighs were covered by a rather floaty blue skirt, coated with tears and snags. My feet were bare and callused, I'd never worn shoes before. The orphanage couldn't provide them for me and after the owner left, I didn't want to drop perfectly good dives on them. To me, shoes seemed useless.
"let's," I replied, after going over my disappointing body. Dylan smirked cockily and then stared out over the bridge.
"we can sign you up tomorrow, it's the last day they're calling for submissions. Be sure to tell them about your power, it's much better than mine or mica's. Thanks for helping me do this... It means a lot that you accept my plan..." he sighed. I joined him, leaning my arms on the tattered edge of the large metal chunk.
"I will. And don't worry about it Dylan, what else would I do in life? I want to help, Dylan. I really do want to save this planet. That's al I want to do anymore... I want to give the people hope again." I grinned. The water beneath us lapped ever so slightly up against the pieces of metal and cable, making a beautiful sound. It was smooth and organized yet rough and chaotic. I liked it, I liked it a lot. It provided something to fill the awkward silence Dylan and I were experiencing. He looked blissful, as if he'd just won a huge award. The slight smile set me at ease, it made me feel like everything would work out, and everything would be okay. While the endeavor I would be put through would actually be terrible and completely un-okay.
"did you ever wonder... What waters like?" he interjected.
"all the time, I've never been in it before. I've drank it but swam in it, never." I said calmly.
"me too, but the waters too polluted here. We'd probably die if we tried." dylan chuckled.
"we probably would," I sighed, returning the laugh.
"I bet if you get in, you'll get to take a bath." he remarked. I shrugged and then puckered my lips slightly.
"most likely. I heard that at the beginning there's a beauty competition. Is that true?" I cocked my head. Every tiny fact had to be known for me to even have a chance at this thing.
"no, but at the start there's a dance competition." Dylan answered.
"'dance competition'? That doesn't sound right." I grumbled. Dancing was another one of my short comings. I could barely carry a tune and I was clumsy.
"they like dancing I guess," he said and shrugged innocently. "I don't really know. However, in those you have to get a partner. A lot of people stay with their partner throughout the fights so, hope you get someone good."
"I will... This is all happening a bit fast but... I don't have a huge choice here..." I huffed. It was true, how else could we possibly overthrow the reapers unless we became one of them? At the moment, it seemed like the only way.
"no." he growled sternly. "I'm not letting you do this." I could sense the fear in his eyes. Fear that I would die. But the feeling was mutual. What would I do without him?
"well you are NOT going under any circumstances. Its me that'll be in that blood bath." I replied. There was no way I could let him go. He'd be slaughtered and if Dylan died... I think I probably would to. Inside at least.
"I'm not letting you do this. In the one that's going to be out there!" he sneered.
"no! Dylan, you're not getting yourself killed for us! If anybody's out there, it'll be me!" I shouted. He looked taken aback by me raising my voice. In slunk down a little bit as if to silently apologize.
"I can't let you do this... I shouldn't have told you. Why am I such a Goddamn idiot?!" Dylan slammed his hands into his head.
"you are not an idiot and you are NOT participating in this." I snapped. Dylan rolled his eyes and then licked his lips.
"I can't let you do this, Astor!" he shrieked. Why such force? I know he doesn't want me to die but... He doesn't have to screech about it. And Dylan almost never used my name, Astor. I hated that name. But that's what the owner called me, Astor penski.
"why Dylan?! Huh? Why can you bare not to see me try and win this?!" I stamped my foot. Dylan grabbed my wrists and stared me straight in the eyes.
"because, you are the best friend I have ever had and I you die out there... I might as well be dead too."
"Dylan... I promise you, I will not die. I will do my hardest and try my best. Dylan, I won't just win to overthrow the reapers, I'll win for you." I sighed.
"but there's a chance. You know I have complete faith in you but there is a chance... A chance that you'll be the one being devoured on television... The chance you won't walk out of that arena holding a red cape above your head. And if that were the case, id just die." he said, completely serious. That's when I realized how much I liked him. He was the most wonderful person I'd ever met. Sometimes, he was a jackass. But for a lot of the time, he was perfection. Perfection in the body of a fifteen year old. We'd been together for so many years. If I lost him, I'd be devastated. If he lost me, he'd be devastated. But out in that arena, fighting to the death, I'll be better. He can only control technology, I know he'll die. But I, I have power. A spectacular power no matter how little credit I give myself. The meat market today was an exact example of how powerful I am. And I wasnt even trying to do that.
"Dylan... I swear to you, I will win this competition. No matter what. Whether I'm up against a red cape himself, I'll win. You saw me today, what I did. I'll win Dylan," I whispered. He leaned in and hugged me tightly. I flashed bright red and giggled a tiny bit. "I'll win for you, I'll win for me, and I'll win for our mission. I will win."
"I know... I trust you, Astor. I do. But I can't get over it... I can't bring myself to let you go. What would I do with Maggie and Robert? They'd die without you there. Just keel over and puke up their hearts. Astor, it was a stupid idea I'm sorry I ever mentioned it." he said, back peddling. There was no time for that. I dismissively released him and then stared up at him.
"no, I'm going tomorrow. Whether you like it or not I'll be gone by the time the sun rises. Gone like a fret train." I barked. Dylan's eyes seemed to change color, going from a bright blue, like the sky, to a depressed gray, like what the sky was now. I hated to see him sad. To see Dylan unhappy or less than overjoyed. He placed a toned hand on my shoulder, causing a shiver to ripple through me. His hand warmed the exposed flesh that lay between my tank top and bra strap. My face turned bright red and I looked away quickly. Dylan grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look at him. His tan face, unkempt hair, and perfect nose. A sigh escaped my lips as Dylan stared me down.
"if you leave, I will kill the others and then myself." he mumbled gravely. Dylans tone made me understand just how serious he was. Normally, Dylan joked around with this kind of stuff but now, that was not the case.
"you can't do that Dylan, then I'll kill myself." I retorted sassily. Dylan craned his head foretaste and stared at me. The two of us remained unspeaking and silent for at least two minutes. Dylan's dark stare continued as he seemed to survey every part of me. Finally, a sigh broke my lips and I turned around. He snapped me back to face him and I rolled my eyes.
"are you sure you want to do this?" Dylan asked, more serious than I'd ever seen him before.
"yes," I nodded. "I'm positive I want to do this."
"it could mean death, do you understand that?" he replied, pointing a finger at me and raising an eyebrow.
"I do, I absolutely understand. And I'm willing to put my life on the line for this. It is my only chance to overrule those bastards." I placed a tiny hand on his shoulder. Dylan pursed his red lips and then looked down. I could tell he wasn't happy about this. But if he had wanted to go, he shouldn't have told me. Dylan knows it's my dream to ruin the Reapers. Now that he's given me the chance to do so, I have to take it. I heard a faint growling noise but ignored it and continued to stare at Dylan. He shifted his gaze about, still looking at the ground. I cocked my head to the right and then frowned.
"Dylan," I whispered. "is something wrong?"
"don't make any sudden movements." he instructed. Something hissed in my left ear and I jolted backwards. I slammed into another human body and we fell to the ground. A loud howl went spewing out of it's mouth. My ears began to burn and I jumped off the person. Dylan slapped his forehead and gripped my arm. We hurtled off into the night and as we went speeding away, I got a glimpse of what had been behind me. They were called hels, a horrid species born from a radioactive plant. One day, it had exploded, soaking everyone and everything in radioactive waste. After a while, the Reapers got reports of large wolf like creatures attacking civilians. Of course, they didn't care. No action was taken against these beasts and now, they ruled the streets.
Dylan and I Slipped behind a dumpster and caught our breath.
"this day just gets worse and worse..." he grumbled.
"I know... It's gone terribly..." I muttered, still huffing. We had ran at least a mile if not more and that takes a lot out of us.
"I guess, since you're leaving tomorrow... I ought to tell you something..." Dylan gasped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his mouth. Another howl came screeching through my ears and I snatched him up.
"later! Now we gotta go!" I cried. I hauled Dylan up and pulled him onto the dumpster as fast as I could. A pole stuck out of a deserted bar in front of me. I grabbed on quickly and scaled my way up. Dylan followed clumsily, falling and asking for my help often. After we'd climbed onto the roof, we made our escape. I forded gaps in between buildings and sprinted across roof tops. I was just about to clammer up another deserted home when something jumped in front of me. Huge, bulky shoulders, a stocky body, large muscular legs and a wolf head stood in front off me. It snarled, almost as though it was laughing and then scratched the ground. It had rotting yellowed fangs and bright red eyes with no pupil or cornea within them. I clenched my eyes shut immediately. Rumors had been passed around that staring straight into ones eyes could turn you to stone. It cackled in a gruff and hoarse voice. I was too exhausted to summon up any fire, it seemed that the end was neigh. The large hel slashed it's claws across my face, leaving a bloody gash. I fell to the ground, eyes still squeezed close. No, I couldn't die now. Too much was at stake, Dylan could never survive that arena. I had to live, I had to survive. A loud hiss pounced on the nights silence and then a blood curdling howl struck the air. Popping and fizzing noises filled my ears as blood dripped from my face. I was so tired... Just tired enough to fall asleep. That would be nice, I could use a nap. Yes, I should take a nap. And with that, I drifted out of conciseness.
My peaceful sleep was interrupted by a loud thump. I snapped my eyes open to see Dylan slamming the door. He kicked a small and tattered chair that went flying across the room. Alarmed, I sat up quickly and stumbled over to him. My legs gave out and I collapsed at his feet. Dylan hauled me up and pushed me back onto the mattress. He murmured a collection of nasty curses and then punched the only remaining window in the orphanage. The glass shattered as if on command, slicing his hand and fingers. He stamped his feet and then slapped his forehead, leaving a bloody smear. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Dylan continued on with his tantrum, throwing down a bookshelf and stomping on it until the wood snapped. I had no idea what was upsetting him at the moment. And to be honest, I probably never would. Dylan snatched my hand up and dragged me down stairs brutally. Finally, he spoke.
"you passed out," dylan pointed at my face where a large gash lay. "during a fight with a hel. I had to drag you back here and we only have five minutes left until the deadline. It's over. It's absolutely over."
"no," I croaked, caressing my wound. "we can make it."
"NO WE CAN'T!" he snapped.
"we can make it Dylan... Or at least... I can." I sighed.
"JUST SHUT UP! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" he shouted.
"WHAT?!" I shrieked. Robert, Mitchell, Maggie, and Jackson came jumping out.
"SURPRISE!" they all cried in unison. The five trapped me in a hug and then giggled ecstatically.
"dear god! What a terrible way to surprise me! And be careful, my cheek hurts." I laughed. A warm sense of joy floated through me. Making my blood pulse happily and my heart beat to a tune. I loved these guys. They were my family. Screw flesh and blood, family is where your heart is. And this is where mine lays. With Maggie, Jackson, Mitchell, Dylan, and Mica. Those guys are the best friends anyone could ever want or ask for. And I love them with all my heart.
"sorry! We heard you were going away and wanted to send you off!" Maggie chimed.
"it's cool, what your doing. I want you to know," Jackson said, placing a hand on my arm. "I'm going to be there for you if you need help."
"thanks," I smiled, giving him a hug. "but that won't make a huge difference in the arena."
"youre so brave, going off like this. I want to be like you when I'm older." Maggie beamed. That struck my heart intensely, she idolized me. She looked up to me, like I was a goddess.
"haha! Im afraid that I'm a terrible example of someone to look up to." I grinned, patting her head.
"well that's a lie! You are doing something pretty brave." Dylan winked.
"I'm doing something pretty insane!" I piped, sitting down on the floor. Maggie giggled joyously and then hugged my waist. She smiled blissfully and then snuggled up.
"but it's for a good cause. The right cause." Dylan chuckled.
"hey," I said, frowning. "where's Mica?"
"I don't know, she never showed up." Mitchell shrugged.
"that's pretty weird... Hey Dylan, tell me what the games you watched were like." I mumbled. That probably wasn't my best idea, but sooner or later I was going to find out what the wars were like. And is rather it be sooner, so I know what to do, than later, when I'm completely stranded. Dylan pursed his lips and the settled in as well. He patted my hand daintily and then sighed.
"are you sure you want to know?" he asked.
"yes," I lied. "I'm sure." in truth, I was totally unsure. Who knows what kind of horror stories he would tell me. Terrible things about betrayal and death. The thought chilled me. Dylan took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself, and then smirked.
"thirty go in, one come out."
"more detail please." I groaned, displeased.
"hundreds of children are tested, vigorously tested. Only fifty succeed and go to the next round. That is the "dancing" round. But, I should clear this up for you, it's not dancing. What the reapers call a dance is in tune killing. You follow a beat and kill off others. Another catch though, once you choose your spot and beat, a sensor in the floor picks up your every move and if you step out of line, it kills you. An electric shock so powerful it boils your brain. Once the twenty unneeded kids are out, the real fun begins. They get you all dolled up and then throw you into the arena. Oh, I should also mention the bonus round, it's only for the highest ranking kids there but for them, it's not optional. The bonus round is intense, each child gets put in a room with a scythe and they have to slaughter anything and anyone the reapers put in that room with them. You can stop at any point though, as long as it's after ten minutes. So to continue, in the arena it's bone crunching malice. Death, blood, gore, cannibalism, sadism, you name it. it happens in that arena. In the one I saw, a little boy just about roberts age got tossed in for the bonus round. Absolutely sickening what this guy did to him. Insane." Dylan said, turning slightly green. He breathed deeply a few more times and then put on a dazzling smile. "anything else you want to know?"
"I think ive heard enough..." I muttered. The shear thought someone would force people to do that was simply too much. I nearly keeled over and lost my lunch. Dylan was normally a pretty morbid man and he could talk about pretty much anything without turning green. So the sign that He had, meant a lot of bad things. The odds of my survival were so tiny, so slim... But I had to try, I positively had to. After all if I didn't, who knows what would happen. I smiled back at Dylan sarcastically and then chirped,
"no thanks, I got it!"
"oh hey, you guys better get down to the station, wouldn't want you to be late..." Mitchell added.
"yeah," I replied. "I guess we should."
CHAPTER THREE
ROUND ONE
Dylan and I raced off, streaming over to the main base. We often called it hell, based off it's spiky walls and fiery red streaks. Various graffiti was painted about the huge barriers. Things like "screw the reapers" and "death to the world". The jutting spikes and large walls strikes a bit of fear into my heart, but it was nothing I couldn't handle... Hopefully. The two of us stood outside the main gate. A heavy set of iron bars. Each one of those bars was packed with voltage, so much that if you were to touch it, your eyes would pop like hot grapes. I shuffled backwards and stared at the ground. My heart was beating out of my chest as I looked at my large and callused feet. Dylan reached out a hand and poked at the scratch on my cheek. I jumped backwards a bit, not expecting his touch. Dylan smiled and let out a nervous chuckle.
"keep that up, make it a full on scar, it looks badass. Be careful in there. if you die, I die."
"yeah, I know..." I replied inwardly.
"well um... There's something I wanted to tell you... It's um... Not super important but... You should know..." he shifted about.
"what, is it related to the wars?" I asked.
"um... No..." he muttered. I cocked my head, very rarely did Dylan act like this. Normally he was mr social. but right now, he was silent.
"are you... Okay?" I asked.
"y-yeah im fine... Just don't want to leave any loose ends you know... Just incase... Incase this is the last time we ever see each other..." he shrugged. I squinted my eyes at him. Just a few minutes ago he'd been telling me about the brutality of this like it was nothing. What was wrong with him? Did I say something? Was he mad at me? It was probably just that he was afraid to let me go.
"what loose ends?" I said stupidly. Dylan shrugged, still staring at his feet.
"you know... Well... I guess... Uh... Hmm..." he whispered. I lifted his chin up and raises an eyebrow.
"are you on crack? Dylan are you trying to tell me your a junky?" I laughed, trying to make light of the situation. My attempt failed miserably as he just stared at me seriously. I released him and then wiped my hands on my tattered skirt. They were sweating profusely from fear and nervousness. But I couldn't back out now, now, it was my destiny. My sole purpose in life was to defeat those assholes. This was the only way I could.
"look, it would just be best if you got inside now before I do something I'll regret." he mumbled. I looked at him and then sighed.
"Dylan," I said. "it doesn't matter. In a few days, I could be dead. Get it off your chest now so you'll won't have any past tension if I pass away." that sounded incredibly cheesy. I wish it hadn't.
"well... I dont know..." he sighed.
"Dylan!" I cried, grabbing a hold of his head. "tell me!"
"never mind okay?! I'm going to head home. Take care, good luck." he replied. Dylan turned to walk away but I jumped in front of him.
"Dylan," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "don't you dare walk away from me without giving me a goodbye hug."
"heh, I guess I should." he smiled. I trapped Dylan in a huge hug, knowing far well that this could, and probably would, be the last time we saw each other. Dylan smoothed out my hair awkwardly and then whispered in my ear.
"I'm going to miss you. Good luck. Oh, and understand, everything that you do in that arena and during the rounds, I'll be watching."
"thanks, I'll miss you too. I guess this is good bye. I'm off to go betray the world and slaughter innocent people." I grimaced. Dylan released me gingerly and ten smiled as well.
"try not to enjoy yourself too much." he chuckled. I waved goodbye to him and then marched away.
It only took me about half way to the door to turn back around. Tears sprang into my eyes and I suddenly realized my grim situation.
"Dylan..." I called. He turned around and cocked his head to the left.
"what?" he asked.
"I don't want to go!" I cried, sprinting down the hill and throwing my arms around him. Dylan staggered backwards and then fell to the ground in a heap. A tear fell from my eye, threatening to bring more, and dropped onto Dylan's dirt smeared tee shirt. My lips drooped and wobbled insecurely and I burrowed my head in his chest.
"I know," he grumbled, patting my head in a disgruntled manor. Making it obvious that he didn't want the good bye to prolong for fear he may cry too. "I know."
"Dylan... I can't do this... You know I'm not a killer! You know I can't do this!" I protested.
"I know, Astor, I know. Itll be okay Astor. I believe in you." he said.
"you-you believe in me?" I asked and perked up. maybe I could pull this off. It would be by a wing and a prayer but... Maybe I could! If Dylan believed I could... If he and Maggie had faith in me... Maybe I could.
"of course I do Astor! Don't be dumb! You can do it!" he urged. I pulled myself off of him and helped him up. Sniffling, I gave him a crooked smile. Dylan coolly wiped the tears from my cheeks, careful not to touch my scratch, and then smiled.
"Dylan... I-I-I-" I began. Dylan put a finger to my lips carefully and then laughed.
"you go in there, you do your best, and you win. Don't think about the others, they deserve death. They're bad enough to want to be a reaper! They deserve it!" he cheered. "stupid caped asses, thinking they own the world... Anyone who wants to be like that is a traitor in my book! Kill them! No mercy Astor! No mercy!-" I cut him off quickly by putting a finger to his lips as well.
"I will dylan, I will." I grinned. Dylan clapped his hands together and then backed away.
"I have taught you well child! I have taught you well!" he bowed. A smile bounced to my lips and I squinted my eyes.
"it on reapers, it's on." I smirked.
"bye astor!" Dylan cried, waving frantically. I ran over to him and trapped him in a hug again.
"bye Dylan. Take care of maggie and Robert for me. Oh and Jackson, that boy can barely feed him self." I laughed.
"anything for you..." he whispered. Dylan squeezed me tightly and then turned away. He sighed deeply before whipping back around.
"something wrong?" I asked, puzzled. He never acted this way; happy then sad then happy then sad. Dylan was never moody.
"good luck," he said, seeming as though he'd just backed out of something. I nodded calmly, though my heart was racing, and walked away. I padded over to the iron gate and took a deep breath. No turning back now. No chickening out. With a great deal of effort, I pressed down on a small button.
"here to sign up for the red cape competition." I shuttered.
"additional screening!" it chirped. I jumped backwards, startled by the high pitched squeal. "come foreword Astor Penski! Come foreword and prove yourself."
"d-do I have to?!" I cried.
"yes Astor, it's necessary!" the intercom piped.
"o-okay... H-how do I p-prove my self?" I stuttered. My attempt at being fearless had miserably failed by now.
"doge the lasers." it answered.
"what?" I asked. They weren't any lasers around this area.
"dodge the lasers!" it screeched. Something large and bulky slid out of the heavy stone walls. It whirred incessantly as it began to power up. The huge machine made a quirky purring sound before sending a pillar of red light straight at me. I screamed and went flying out of the way. I slammed into the ground and my cheek split open again, letting my scratches seep. The area I had just been standing in was now a small crater, sizzling and smoking slightly. the same mechanical whirring broke the silence and I once again went jumping about. This time, I wad able to avoid it pretty well. But I still landed on my head.
"ROUND TWO!" the intercom sang. For such a disdainful place, I wouldn't expect such a happy voice. Another laser came bursting over the top of the wall and I gulped. In unison, the two powered up again. I winced as if to prepare myself and then went hurtling off to the side. At the same time, the large machines fired beams of brightly colored light at me. I skittered away, hoping to evade their massive blasts. The sound of the beams hitting the ground nearly deafened me. I peered over my shoulder, opening one eye, and glanced quickly at the space behind me. A monumental hole was lying, slightly smoking, in the ground. It was only inches away from the bottoms of my feet which were now severely burnt and blistered.
"fast feet! Speed up!" the whiney voice giggled. I squinted up at the small black box, willing it to explode. Nothing happened as the whirring sound filled my ears again. I stood up carefully, cringing as many of the blisters popped on the sharp rocks beneath my feet. I wiped the blood out of my eyes and then waited motionlessly. Just as the whirring ceased I cartwheeled out of the way, bounding up and the landing brutally on my feet. Finally, I had easily avoided the lasers. Another whirring blasted the air. They fired immediately, knocking me onto the ground. Tricky bastards. I should have expected that. A searing pain stabbed into my side. The same noise hit my ears and I hauled myself off the ground. Blood dripped from my abdomen. I must have fallen onto a large rock in the heat of the moment. Luckily, I was still in shock so most of the pain was dull. I hurled myself forewords, shooting away from the bright sparkling beams of light.
"WINNER!" the intercom cheered.
"ima i-I wanna go in now..." I muttered, face burrowed in dirt.
"acceptable! Please make your way through the gates and into the main building!" it remarked.
"that's gonna be a challenge..." I groaned. The large iron gate squealed open slowly, allowing my passage. I clawed my way inside, in too much pain to walk. My feet burnt and singed from the earlier struggle. After crawling through, I was greeted by a terrifying sight. In front of me lay a huge obstacle course. Fire jutted in timed pillars from one side, a set of small slippery stones lay precariously over shark infested waters, a large cage filled with failed experiments stooped at the end, and a large clock hung above the entire scene.
"ASTOR PENSKI. WELCOME TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK." something boomed. I pulled myself up, clinging to one of the bars on the gate. My feet ached and I was in severe pain all over. Both of my wounds seeped continuously, turning my gray tank top red.
"thanks for the oh so warm welcome..." I grunted.
"PLEASE STAND ON THE RED PLATFORM AND AWAIT THE BUZZER." it blared. I shook my head vigorously, as if to ward off a bad dream, and then released the bars. I limped over to a large red platform that hung above the water. Sharks snapped their mouths viciously and glared up at me. They created a tight knit circle and then swam away. I should have noticed, they weren't the normal type of sharks. They were also the product of a radioactive explosion. We called them sels. They were basically the aquatic version of a hel. Long sharp teeth, claws, large eyes, occasionally furry. That's how a sel went. The devils version of a dolphin. A large buzzing noise jolted my head. It stumbled about for a moment, before regaining my stature an taking off. Each stepping stone I landed on made my feet sizzle. They were burning hot, another trick. I quickly hurtled from one stone to another. Hastily, I prepared to jump to the last One. I shot off of it but something pulled me down. A large clawed flipped was digging into my skirt, ripping me into the water. I kicked and flailed, not knowing what else to do. I managed to kick the sel in the face but that did nothing. It threw me into the water and then swarmed around me with others. If I could have, I would've given up right then and there. Let the beasts feast on my carcass. They deserved it, it's not like the Reapers showed them any kindness. In desperation, I jumped into the head of one. It slashed about, ripping my clothing and legs to shreds, before running into the second platform. I kicked away from the frenzied creature, barely managing to cling to the side of the platform. I hauled myself up, and glanced at the clock.
"TWO MINUTES LEFT." it said in monotone. Alarmed, I started to sprint across the long, skinny, floating, island. My legs stung in the hot air. I peeked down at them to see large gashes running lengthwise down my calves and thighs. My skirt was absolutely ruined and the tank top I wore was now so blood stained it looked as though it had always been scarlet red. Blood pulsed from my multiple wounds, giving me a massive head ache and weakening me. I collapsed into a heap, seconds away from the fiery pillars, and began to weep. It seemed like it would be so easy. Just run in and pass a few tests. Kill off a couple of people in the arena and then be done with it all. But I was wrong. More wrong than I'd ever been in my entire life. I never should have left Dylan, I never should have left my family. It was all a terrible mistake. Heart racing, I drifted off.
"ONE MINUTE!" the clock hollered. I flew from my place immediately. This was NOT the time to give up. It never would be. If the Reapers wanted to take me. They'd have to put up with a he'll of a fight. My l
Another group does exist. a group dedicated to stopping the reapers, and ending their reign of terror. Sadly though, it's only a group of disgruntled orphans. It's only me and six others. Children of unknown origin and of poor homeless people. We live down in Brooklyn, a tiny run down orphanage on reaper way. No one here has a full name, nothing more than a first one. None of us have any education whatsoever. But the school system failed years ago. Back when THEY first took over. And none of us have any plan or direction other than stopping the reapers.
"can I help you?" a man growled from behind the store counter. He was dressed in a large black cloak and none of his flesh was visible.
"yeah you can," I grumbled, emptying the food stored in my light blue backpack. I'd stolen it a while ago from REI. "ring this up."
"hey would you like to-" he began.
"hey! Would you like to show a little respect to me! I'm not showing your scum any courtesy! Freaking reapers. You think you own this world don't you?!" I snapped, cutting him off.
"if you don't clean up your act, the penalty is death." he said calmly. People like him made me sick, believing they owned everyone. Believing they owned the world.
"sorry," I said fakely. "please ring up my purchase."
"that's more like it. This will be twelve devs. Enjoy your day." the man sighed. He threw the assortment of fruits, vegetables, and hostess snack cakes into a plastic bag. Impatiently, I swiped the thing up and strode out.
"and you yours." I snarled, throwing a few pieces of paper at him.
The walk back to my mundane and rotting orphanage was like every other; painful. Each homeless man and drug addict lay on the gray streets. They begged for money and food. But that didn't matter to me, the only thing that did was stopping the reapers. I knocked on the door and a large chunk of it fell off. Maggie ripped it open from the inside.
"did you bring me coke?!" she cried.
"Maggie, you can't buy cocaine at a grocery store. Plus, you need to stop doing that stuff. It's bad for you." I replied. She pouted and then dropped to her knees.
"but I need it Astor! I need it!" Maggie begged.
"Maggie! Your ten! Stop!" I threw her down to the floor. Standing above the girl I could see the pain, the hopelessness, the hurt, flooding through her eyes. Her body was shaking constantly, vibrating from years of drug use. Maggie was small, very frail and jittery. She had long blonde hair that fell to her waist and normally kept it in one large ponytail.
"it helps me run faster!" she would say, bouncing about. but that was back far before the reapers lost their heads. I suppose that happens to people who have to much power. Soon, their thirst for world domination became clear. Recruiting signs were posted everywhere. Anyone who came to their main office, a huge building in the shape of a pentagon, was accepted and given a job. Those are the ones with black capes, mundane, boring, brainwashed into doing nothing but ordering people around. Aside from them are the ones with red capes. You don't see them around town, they stay in the main office. The red capes are the highest ranking ones. Ones that can kill you with the blink of an eye or the twitch of a finger. They rule this world. It used to be called earth. But now, it's known as pandora's box. A name that signifies hidden insanity covered up by a beautiful and attractive outside.
"I know... But I-I run faster with it." Maggie whimpered, breaking my train of thought.
"you can run fast enough now Maggie. Come on then," I lifted her up, glancing at her blue eyes quickly. "let's go tell the others it's dinner time."
"okay... Thanks." she mumbled. I patted the girls head slowly and then we strode up the stairs.
Ecstatic pings and beeps came flying out the crumbling door. I knocked a few times before coming in. The boys, Jackson, Mitchell, robert, and Dylan, were happily playing a racing game. I glanced down at the shiny system. It was called an 'xbox'. I had stolen it from a random store years before. The glistening metal reminded me fondly of the way they had reacted. Smiling, happy faces, hugs and joyous shouts.
"food?!" Robert clapped. He was the youngest, a tiny boy of five.
"yep, food Robert." I smiled. He clapped ecstatically and then grabbed the bag out of my hand.
"cool, food." Dylan yawned. He is fifteen, my age. So are Mitchell and Jackson.
"so... I have, a twinkie and a cupcake for everyone, some sandwich materials, and I stole some mayinose? Mayoniss? Mayonnaise? And some... mooseturd?" I grumbled staring at the labels on the cans. I'm not exceedingly smart or educated, none of us are. Except Dylan, he's a techo-nesis. Or someone who can control technology with their minds.
"mustard and mayonnaise." Mitchell corrected. He pushed the goggles up the bridge of his nose and stretched his arms out. Mitchell can talk to animals. He's constantly chattering with squirrels and raccoons. They get in our "house" pretty often. We barely have walls anymore.
"right... So, let's eat I guess. Anyone seen mica?" I asked. Mica was the other girl in our group. She could tell a lie and it would come true. But she never talks anymore, Mica was a compulsive liar. She couldnt stop whatsoever. So we cut out her tongue one night. Now, she just sits around and sleeps. Robert thrust his hand out and the bread went flying into it.
"no, haven't seen her today actually. Probably working the corners." Dylan smirked.
"stop!" I laughed, pushing him backwards.
"that's what she should do man, she's a whore!" Dylan cackled. He put his hands up as if to say "I'm innocent".
"she's only done it twice! And we need the money. The only people who have that now are reapers." I growled. Robert greedily spread the white contents of the mayonnaise jar onto a piece of bread. He then pulled out another piece and coated it with mustard and meat. Robert lifted the sandwich up, using his mind of course, and took a bite.
"but it's okay because she has a rockin bod." Dylan winked. I kicked him in the groin and stared at him blankly.
"great! So now Maggie and me can become prostitutes too! Robert! Don't you think about that! Forget I said anything!" I smiled. Dylan always had a way of making us all feel better.
"I know Maggie could, but you? No chance of that." Jackson interjected in between ravenous bites of sandwich. I smacked him over the head and tried to give my most intimidating look.
"I was wondering about your silence," i grumbled. "now I know, you were thinking about something mean to say!"
"oh come on Astor! Dont be butt hurt! We're just screwing around with you." Dylan grinned. He smoothed down his jet black hair and then yawned.
"I'm thirsty..." Robert mumbled, toying idly with a crumb.
"alright, who wants to go down to the abandon school yard for some water? The fountains are down but the tillers there still work. We'll have to take our chances with disease... But at least we won't be thirsty." I sighed. The water fountains there used to work, but recently we'd been having to drink from the toilets. Maggie and Jackson had gotten stomach flu last week. That had extremely hard on them and Maggie nearly passed on.
"not again..." Dylan rolled his hazel eyes.
"it's a possible stomach flu or it's dehydration." I huffed. Dylan slung a bright red back pack over his shoulder and cracked his knuckles. I readjusted the blue pack on my back and grabbed Dylan's arm.
"you guys stay here, we'll be back soon." he grumbled. I could tell he didn't really want to go, but I needed backup. If any reapers caught us hanging around there, sucking water out of toilets, they take us and kill us. In pandora's box, every crime is one punishable by death. I ripped the front door and it snapped off it's hinges. The crumbling heap of wood fell to the ground and I cringed.
"you just had to break it didn't you?" Dylan said blankly.
"I didn't mean to! This goddamn place is just so unstable!" I snapped. Bad things always happened to me. Broken doors, abandoning parents, murderous actions, I was always around to either cause or witness such things.
"it's fine, I'll just grab a piece of plywood at the dump. Let's get out of here." Dylan said reassuringly. He put a hand on my shoulder and led me out.
We walked for a while before reaching a drab, gray, schoolyard. Trash littered the ground and walls were falling apart. A few street lamps hung vacantly, lightbulbs missing. The two of us quickly surveyed the area, to assure there weren't any black capes around.
"we're good, I'll go first." I whispered. Dylan nodded and glanced about.
"make it quick... I'll keep watch outside." he replied softly.
"alright, if you see any black capes, say something." I ordered. Silently, I dashed over to the nearest bathroom. Tile was falling off the walls and the roof had nearly caved in. I knelt down near a toilet and filled up a few bottles of water.
"Astor! Get your ass out here!" Dylan screeched. I flung the water back into my backpack and then clumsily threw it over my shoulder. Dylan snatched my hand and ripped me along. Murmurs and hushed curses rippled through my ears. Behind our fleeting bodies were about three reapers, scythes drawn. Every black cape carried one, it was necessary for them. The reapers broke into a sprint as Dylan hauled me along. One of them slashed at me, cutting a strap on my backpack and creating a gash in my shoulder. Blood poured from the new wound, soaking my mud covered tank top and floaty skirt. I growled to myself and peered at Dylan. The two of us were streaming around the desolated school yard. His hair was flying in the breeze and for a moment, I smiled a little bit. The gravity of the situation soon brought me back though.
"GET THEM!" a black cape shouted. He threw his hand into the air and a dumpster came flying at us. Dylan jerked me to the side as the heavy metal box slammed into the ground.
"why aren't you torching them?!" Dylan grunted in between exasperated gasps.
"because! I can't get a good look at them!" I shrieked. He was referring to my power. It was a very rare one, it was the power over fire. If the conditions were right, I could shoot fireballs out of my hands. It may sound ridiculous, but we humans have learned that some minds are so strong they can concentrate all the heat in their body to one dingle point. That's exactly what I can do. However, it's a little hard to focus like that while you're running at full speed, stumbling over debris, and being attacked by reapers.
"well get a good look at them!" he cried.
"hey! Why don't you kill them instead?!" I snapped.
"because there's no technology around here!" Dylan growled. Another dumpster went flying for us. Dylan pulled me to safety once again. If it weren't for our predicament, I probably would have kissed him. That was twice now he'd saved my life. I suppose I'd better start keeping a count. We continued sprinting about before reaching a fence.
"it's to tall to climb! Theyll get us for sure! I can blow a hole in it if you stall them!" I shouted.
"okay, let's do this." he nodded.
Dylan ripped a pole out of the side of a building. He swung it around to test the strength and weight before running off. I could hear growls and swipes of scythes screeching through the air. A scream broke my concentration and I jumped back.
"Dylan..." I whispered. His screams weren't unfamiliar to me. Way back, when we were both young, we would spar for fun. He wasn't much of a match for me though, you can't really beat the girl that breathes fire. I jumped over to where he was. Dylan lay on the ground, clutching his leg. The black capes were cackling over his body, grinning ear to ear. Scythes raised and tension in the air, one swung down. Something went flying from my hand. A bright ball of fire slammed into his chest and he fell back. I raised my hands, sticking two finger out on each. The last two reapers dropped their scythes and ran off in the other direction. Dylan moaned in pain and I Dropped down next to him.
"they got my leg..." he winced.
"let me see..." I sighed, removing his hand. Scarlet liquid bubbled out, making me cringe. A large gash traveled down his calf.
"it's bad isn't it? I can tell." he grumbled.
"I'm going to have to do something really painful. But it's going to save your life." I frowned.
"do it. We can't afford to be any weaker than we are already. Plus, then we'll be equal." a light smirk graced his lips and he shut his blue eyes.
"I'm going to cauterize it, okay? It'll sting like a mofo but it'll keep you from losing anymore blood." I took a deep breath and then shut my eyes.
"do it. Fast. More are coming, it's obvious the others just left for help. We have to get out of here soon and I'll leave a trail of blood if you don't cauterize it now." Dylan grunted. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth were clenched.
"one," I groaned. "two, three!" my hands slapped down on his legs and I carefully ran them across his wound. Dylan shrieked extremely loudly and I jerked back. The wound looked terrible, blood soaked and now burnt.
"thanks..." he gasped.
"anytime- oh shit." I said. Over the horizon hundreds of black capes were headed straight for us. Scythes raised high as possible they were sprinting towards me. I ripped Dylan off the ground and threw his hand over my shoulder.
"what?! What's going on?!" he cried. I slapped a hand over his mouth and pointed. Dylans jaw dropped and I hauled him over my shoulder.
"why are there so many?!" I shrieked.
"they want you! God! You shouldn't have shot that one! They're gonna be tracking yo down now! They're gonna use you as a weapon!" Dylan smacked his forehead. I hobbled away as fast as I could.
"hang on tight Dylan!" I gritted my teeth and bashed through the rusty fence. The sound of hundreds of reapers flooded my ears.
"no! I was going to let go because that just sounded like so much damn fun!" he shouted.
"don't have time for sarcasm right now!" I protested, sprinting off.
"obviously." he whispered breathily.
"I'm going to try and high jack a car okay?! We can move faster that way!" I suggested, not really thinking it through.
"no! Don't! If you highjack a car they'll have a description and they'll find you easily. It's going to be smarter to just make a run for it." dylan panted. Thoughts raced through my throbbing head and I glanced about. Nowhere to hide so far. We were in the middle of a four way intersection, reapers advancing from all sides. In desperation, I held both my hands out. Concentrating all the heat in my body to the two points I breathed steadily. A small burst of fire left each and bowled over a small group. Behind them lay the meat packing area. The perfect place for us to hide. Lots of people hung out there, constantly bargaining over prices and getting high in corners. Maggie used to hang out here a lot. Plenty of cheap cocaine to get at. I threw myself through the tiny gap. Scythes cut through the air around me, whistling before hitting the ground. A hand gripped my left shoulder but I threw it off. Dylan was being jotted about like a bag full of wet cats and he winced with every bump.
"made a run for it happy now?" I screamed, running away. The black capes followed us in high pursuit. Every step made my heart jolt out of my chest.
"no, I'm really not!" he cried. I slipped through the door to a busy market and looked around.
"where to go?! Where to go?!" I cried nervously. Reapers flooded the marketplace and any escape attempt seemed pointless.
"CAPTURE THE CHILD!" a black cape roared. He lifted his scythe into the air, brimming with ecstasy and fire. The others cheered and screeched at the top of their lungs. They came pouring in at every angle, cutting any path I had off. Dylan suddenly went limp and his weight nearly crushed me. He had fainted and his eyes lay wide open as if waiting to catch a glimpse of something. They seemed glazed over and just looking at them scared me. Their hands grabbed at my clothing and ripped at my limbs, like zombie fighting for the last human alive. Something began to buzz inside me. An uncontrollable vibration that rippled through my weak body. Light seemed to dissapear and I lost all sensation in my body. It was like being underwater. You can't hear, you can't talk, you can't breathe, you can't open your eyes. At first, I figured it was just some new futuristic weapon they were using to stun me. But then, something happened. A tremendous amount of heat went flying out from my body. Warm wind flew through my hair, entangling it with dylans. A smile perked at the edges of my thin and unattractive lips. I opened my eyes blissfully, expecting to see god. If anything, I had just died. Unfortunately, something else reached my eyes. Hundreds of reapers were lying on the ground, either on fire or unconscious. Immediately, my legs collapsed underneath me like jelly.
Had I done this? It was hardly in my range. The most I'd ever done was shoot fire from my hands with the occasional exception of breathing it. I couldnt have singed over fifty black capes in one blow. Could I have? I pressed myself to stand up, leaning on one of the scythes that lay discarded on the floor. It slipped out from under me, causing my face to hit the floor. I spat out some blood and then coughed. The area around me was even more ruined than I had expected. Meat carts lied vacantly on the ground, their vendors peeking over them with singed eyebrows and fearful expressions. A little girl near me burst into frantic tears at the sight of her dead father. People were very carefully sneaking out. Acting as though if they were seen I would slaughter them like the meat so frequently sold here. I looked up only to see Dylan laughing maniacally.
"that was awesome!" he screeched. "I saw the whole thing man! You totally just exploded into fire! It was so cool!" Dylan trapped me in a gratuitous hug and then grinned. His eyes were bright and happy, as if Jesus had just given him a giant ice cream cone.
"I-I'm a monster..." I whimpered. It was the truth. I had killed innocent people as well as people who deserved it. But that aside, I had killed people. People with families, people with lovers, people with hearts. And all because the reapers stormed me.
"your not a monster," he cooed, stroking m hair. "you're fantastic!"
"Dylan..." I sighed, swiping his hand away. "I killed all these people. These people can't be replaced Dylan. Reaper or not, they're dead now... All because of me..." a tear rolled down my dirt smudged face.
"don't cry, you're going to make me cry... Come one then, let's get back home." he said, smiling sympathetically. His black hair and blue eyes shone in the bleak light. I returned the smile and then he pulled me up.
"but this is really bad..." I said, suddenly realizing everything. hundreds of reapers lay dead because of a mysterious girl with extra special powers. They were going to be after me. No doubt they would be tracking me like a pack of blood hounds. My legs collapsed again and I burst into tears.
"it is... It's terrible. Come on, you can cry at home. We have to get out of here now. Before they catch us." Dylan persisted. He grabbed my hands and pulled me up.
"how's your leg?" I sobbed.
" it feels great right now. I don't know why though. Just a few minutes ago I passed out from pain." he shrugged. Dylan pulled me along as I feverishly wiped tears off my face.
"that's weird..." I huffed. Right now, my priority was to get what had just happened off my mind. We continued to jog back to the orphanage, hiding whenever we saw a reaper.
"you're back!" Robert screeched. He flew into me and trapped me in a hug.
"what took so long? What happened to you two?!" Jackson cried. He stared at us like we were ghosts. But, we probably did look like them. Pale, bruised, dirt covered, mournful expressions. I'm sure if I were looking at me right now, I'd die of fright.
"reapers happened..." Dylan growled.
"they caught us over at the school yard. I hit one with a fireball after they hurt Dylan. Then the big stuff happened." I sighed, tearing up again.
"big stuff?" Maggie piped. She shot us a curious frown and then Dylan and I sat on our mattress. Spring were shooting out of it and it was covered in dirt. The two of us had dragged it out of the junkyard years before.
"I think everyone should take a seat." Dylan said, extremely serious. The TV and Xbox flicked off and Dylan sighed.
"what exactly happened?" Jackson frowned. He furrowed his thick bushy eyebrows at me.
"well, you know how the reapers have been posting signs up recently, asking for a hero?" I muttered. Everyone nodded in unison. "well, Dylan and I ran into about three reapers back at the school. I accidentally fired a fireball at them and killed the first. The other two ran off. I figured they were just scared. But no, they went to get help from others. Before we knew it, hundreds of reapers were chasing after us. I had to carry Dylan around on my shoulder because of his foot. I ran into the meat Market and then... IT happened..." something grabbed the hand that I had placed insecurely on the bed. I snapped my head over to see Dylan giving me a sympathetic and worried smile. His hand was folded over mine and I could feel it's warmth spreading through me. My cheeks flashed bright red and Dylan laughed a little bit.
"basically, Astor let out a HUGE plume of flames. It killed a TON of reapers and even a few innocent people. Note, they will be dearly missed and I give my sincere apology to their families. But aside from that, it was epic. This giant puff of flames just went rushing out of nowhere. It knocked the hell out of those reapers!" he smiled enthusiastically.
"but here's the thing, after that, they are going to be searching everywhere for me. They want me to be their secret weapon. If any reapers capture you guys and ask for information, give it to them. If you don't, they'll slaughter you. I'd rather it be me killing hundreds than you guys dying." I said, trying to mimic dylans care free smile. I failed completely and the attempt came out to be a fearful looking grimace.
CHAPTER TWO
A PLAN
Me and the rest of my troop lay out on the worn mattress in the middle of the room. Everyone seemed to be asleep but me by now. I blinked at the disgusting pink watch wrapped around my wrist. "12:00" it read. A blank stare graced my face. It had been reading that for the past two days. Life for us was definitely going straight downhill. Something tapped my right shoulder blade and I whipped my head around. Dylan was waving sarcastically and pointing to Maggie. The little girl was clinging to his shirt like a wet cat and sucking her thumb. It too everything in me not to burst into hysterics. I pointed down at Robert, whos mouth was hanging open, and then to jackson, who was gripping my waist. Dylan rolled his blue eyes and tried to pull Maggie off. She held on tightly. Maggie was most likely dreaming about her mom. None of the others knew about theres but Maggie's had abandon her in cold blood. Apparently, she had just left Maggie out on the streets. Maggie had become the "bitch" of a nearby drug dealer. She started to steal cocaine from his stash. Once the dealer found out, he started slashing her up. Even raped her once. But that didn't slow Maggie down, she continued to live on the streets for a few more years. Then I found her. The tiny little bright eyed girl had begged me to take care of her. I didnt really have a chance to say no to her. And thats how Maggie came to be. I watched Dylan closely as he ripped at the girls tightly wound fingers. He cursed a few times until she finally released. Dylan angrily flopped back down, now facing the other side, and growled. Maggie's tiny hands grabbed the back of his shirt this time. Dylan grabbed her shoulders and started viciously shaking her until her eyes snapped open. Maggie burst into tears and she went flying down the stairs. Dylan shrugged and then shut his eyes. I jabbed him right in the face and then frowned.
"you dick! Do you know how long it's going to take for me to get her back up here?!" I half whispered half screeched. Robert stirred a little in his sleep and then flopped upside down.
"look! I need my mattress space to you know! We only have the one!" he protested. Robert and Jackson both stirred in their sleep and then groaned in unison. Mitchell was passed out on the foot of the bed, still snoring loudly.
"I'm going out." I grumbled. Perhaps a brisk night walk could help clear my mind. Dylan snapped to his feet and bounded over beside me.
"not without me. I don't want you to get caught with those reapers snooping about."
"hey! I have this fantastic idea, how about you guys go find your back pack and bring us some water! I'm dying of thirst!" Jackson cried. Mitchell raised a hand and slammed it into his head.
"how about you stop complaining about everything? I'm trying to get some sleep..." he growled. Jackson glared at him and then stood up.
"get your sleep then! I'm going to find Maggie." he sneered. An icy tension filled the room as Jackson whispered curses under his breath. The blonde slumped out of the room, leaving an unsettling presence. Robert flopped back down, brown, short-cut hair, ruffling softly. Mitchell stretched out his arms and smacked his lips. It didn't take very long for Dylan to rip me out of the rotting room and shove me down the crumbling stairs. Everything in the old orphanage was like that. Old, mundane, broken, rotting, and infested with pests. But, it wasn't exactly like we had anywhere else to go. Maggie was sitting on the floor, bawling intensely. Jackson was curled around her, patting the girls head and grumbling kind things. It wasn't like him to act parentally. I waved half heartedly and walked out to the desolated streets. Homeless men and women were digging through trash cans, hoping to die. No one in this town liked life anymore. It was hard, rough, and unkind. A lot more than it used to be. Dylan and I strode off, shuffling down the middle of the street. I noticed the present of a slight limp in his leg, but Dylan didn't say anything. He nearly never complained. And when he did it was about stuff that mattered. We walked until we reached a solemn bridge. Cables hung vacantly under the light of the stars and half of the large metal bridge was missing. I sighed, life was not what it used to be. People ran rampant and those who dis obeyed the law were slaughtered mercilessly. That was the world now, just a spinning ball of death and insanity. It was exactly what lay inside pandora's box. Dylans hand appeared on my shoulder and he frowned. His unkept black hair glistening in the moon light.
"what happened? Back at the market." he asked.
"I don't know. They made me made and I thought I'd died." I sighed.
"obviously you hadn't. So what did it feel like?" Dylan replied.
"like being pushed underwater. I couldn't breath or scream or move."
"that sounds..."
"terrible."
"I was going to say cool but okay."
"it wasn't cool whatsoever. I wake up to hundreds of dead and injured people and you say it was cool?"
"I just meant the fire thing..."
"think about what you say before you say it." I snapped, unintentionally. Dylan moved his gaze back to the water. Another wave of tension hit the air. I was lost. Nothing sounded right, even in my head.
"I know, this is going to sound stupid but..." he trailed off. I rolled my eyes and glared at him. Dylan shifted his feet uncomfortably and then pursed his lips. I turned away and then tapped my foot. A hand reached out to touch my shoulder but then retreated. Dylan finally spun me around, hands clasped around me. "I'm joining the reapers." he finished. My heart skipped a beat and I slapped him right across the cheek. Dylan skittered back wards and my hands heated up. I sneered at him , fire in my eyes, and then I grabbed his shirt.
"why, in a million years, would you join those conceited, inconsiderate, dumbass, cowardly, foolish, dickwads?!" I screeched. My heart began to pulse extremely quickly and I growled.
"just let me ex-" he cried.
"no explaining!" I cut him off. "you are dead to me."
"it's not what you think!" he protested. I flipped around and started walking away. If I didn't leave now, I'd probably kill him. He reached out to grab me but I slapped his hand back.
"I will give you ten seconds to tell me exactly what you mean. If yo don't explain to me something that makes a great deal of sense, I will kill you." I hissed. What an inconsiderate bastard. Who just drops something like this on their friend?!
"you know how theyve been posting signs up for a new red cape?! Well, the red capes have complete Access to all files on their computers! If we both sign up to participate in their tests, we can find their weaknesses and problems! We can begin a rebellion! We can win! All seven of us!" he shouted. I stopped in my tracks. For once, he'd actually though up a half way decent plan. I whipped back around, staring him straight in the eyes. Our faces were centimeters apart and I jabbed my finger into his rib cage. He looked desperate and out of breath. I had to fight every urge to just trap him in a hug while I spoke.
"but there can only be one winner. The red capes would have no exception for that. If anyone is signing up to get themselves thrown into this, it'll be me." I sighed, losing my head in his bright blue eyes. A slightly loopy grin pecked at my cheeks but I dismissed it. Never before had I been so close to Dylan. So close that I could feel his hot breath rippling down my chest. I felt almost dizzy, standing there, right in front of him.
"no, if anyone does it, I'm going to be sacrificing myself." he protested.
"why?!" I cried. The thought of him being killed or dying striking my mind. That would be a terrible thing. I would be devastated without him. He was more than my best friend. He was like a brother to me. No, he was more than like a brother to me. I had spent my entire life with him. Since I was three the two of us had been playing around together. I couldn't just let him do this. It wasn't even a sane plan yet. Just something he had recently thought up. Right?
"because, the only way to win is fight to the death with others from across the globe. The tests to get in are rigorous. They get inside your head and from the entire population, only twenty or thirty live to actually participate in the war. It's the bloodiest and most terrible fight to the death ever known. You want to know why the reapers aren't slaughtering people constantly? Because of this annual fight. The arena is monumental and the reapers make tons of cash off this. The cost to watch the first unit of the game, which is only three days, is forty dives. Thats a lot more than a lot of people have ever even seen. So basically," he put his hands around my neck. "I don't want you to do it, because I don't want you to die. At least not this way. A lot of the kids in there go crazy and start eating the dead ones flesh it's terrible."
"how do you know so much about this?!" I shrieked. How odd was it that Dylan knew everything about this. It seemed like a horrid thing. Had he payed to watch it?
"I watched it once..." he whispered. Appalled, I smacked him once again. "okay the first one I deserved but you're over doing it now!"
"how could you?! You payed to see children slay each other?!" I said angrily. The thought of being able to suffer through such a thing made me sick. I couldn't believe Dylan had watched such a thing let alone paid for it.
"I'm sorry... I was just curious..." he frowned.
"whatever just explain this plan to me more so." I mumbled, hoping to change the subject. Murderous crazed children wasn't something I enjoyed talking about.
"alright, here's my idea. I sign up to be a contestant, I try my absolute hardest and get accepted. I win the war and become the next red cape. I hack the system and find out their weaknesses and secrets. Finally, we create a rebellion and declare war! After we win, you and I rule the world. Kindly, fairly, happily. That's how it should go." he smiled expectantly. The plan was more insane than anything I had heard before. Probably none of it would work out and the people I'd be up against in that arena would kill me without regret. No matter how talented either of us were, I could never do it. I just didn't have the power or strength to do so. But I did have one trick up my sleeve. I was determined. Most of the kids there would have no other want than to be the next red cape. But me, I'd be working towards an inspiring goal. One that ultimately may possibly be executed. It was a lot to take in in one day. But I had to get back at these reapers. They had ruined the entire world and they didn't give any care whatsoever.
"you are insane," I replied seriously. "but, in the words of many, the plans just crazy enough to work. Dylan, I'm in." he swept me up I a giant hug and pecked my cheek. This caused me to turn a color so red it was nearly unbelievable. Like a ripe tomato that's been painted fire engine red and then colored on with a bright red crayon. Dylan sensed my embarrassment and put me down. A perky smile danced on his face and he flipped his hair out of his eyes. I smiled too. after all, we would die young anyway. And if I was going to be killed, id want to be killed on a mission to reclaim pandora's box. to take it and bring forth a hail of prosperity and joy! To rule with power and meaning like no other! If all went well, which I doubted, Dylan and I would rule the entire world! Together, like an empress and an emperor. So romantic...
"let's do it then, let's do it!" Dylan shouted. His blue eyes shone so brightly in the dark night they were almost like two beacons of light, illuminating my life. Dylan had always been my friend. My best friend, more than a best friend. I had liked him for a while now. But saying anything might make life a little awkward for us. What if he didnt like me the same way? He probably didn't... I looked over my scraggly appearance as Dylan continued to beam at me. I was short, and bland. No more than five foot four and I was skinny as hell. Tiny arms stuck out of my body like branches on a snowman. I had an absolutely flat chest and my gray dirt smudged tank top only exaggerated that fact. My legs were large though, strong and toned from years of running. The tops of my thighs were covered by a rather floaty blue skirt, coated with tears and snags. My feet were bare and callused, I'd never worn shoes before. The orphanage couldn't provide them for me and after the owner left, I didn't want to drop perfectly good dives on them. To me, shoes seemed useless.
"let's," I replied, after going over my disappointing body. Dylan smirked cockily and then stared out over the bridge.
"we can sign you up tomorrow, it's the last day they're calling for submissions. Be sure to tell them about your power, it's much better than mine or mica's. Thanks for helping me do this... It means a lot that you accept my plan..." he sighed. I joined him, leaning my arms on the tattered edge of the large metal chunk.
"I will. And don't worry about it Dylan, what else would I do in life? I want to help, Dylan. I really do want to save this planet. That's al I want to do anymore... I want to give the people hope again." I grinned. The water beneath us lapped ever so slightly up against the pieces of metal and cable, making a beautiful sound. It was smooth and organized yet rough and chaotic. I liked it, I liked it a lot. It provided something to fill the awkward silence Dylan and I were experiencing. He looked blissful, as if he'd just won a huge award. The slight smile set me at ease, it made me feel like everything would work out, and everything would be okay. While the endeavor I would be put through would actually be terrible and completely un-okay.
"did you ever wonder... What waters like?" he interjected.
"all the time, I've never been in it before. I've drank it but swam in it, never." I said calmly.
"me too, but the waters too polluted here. We'd probably die if we tried." dylan chuckled.
"we probably would," I sighed, returning the laugh.
"I bet if you get in, you'll get to take a bath." he remarked. I shrugged and then puckered my lips slightly.
"most likely. I heard that at the beginning there's a beauty competition. Is that true?" I cocked my head. Every tiny fact had to be known for me to even have a chance at this thing.
"no, but at the start there's a dance competition." Dylan answered.
"'dance competition'? That doesn't sound right." I grumbled. Dancing was another one of my short comings. I could barely carry a tune and I was clumsy.
"they like dancing I guess," he said and shrugged innocently. "I don't really know. However, in those you have to get a partner. A lot of people stay with their partner throughout the fights so, hope you get someone good."
"I will... This is all happening a bit fast but... I don't have a huge choice here..." I huffed. It was true, how else could we possibly overthrow the reapers unless we became one of them? At the moment, it seemed like the only way.
"no." he growled sternly. "I'm not letting you do this." I could sense the fear in his eyes. Fear that I would die. But the feeling was mutual. What would I do without him?
"well you are NOT going under any circumstances. Its me that'll be in that blood bath." I replied. There was no way I could let him go. He'd be slaughtered and if Dylan died... I think I probably would to. Inside at least.
"I'm not letting you do this. In the one that's going to be out there!" he sneered.
"no! Dylan, you're not getting yourself killed for us! If anybody's out there, it'll be me!" I shouted. He looked taken aback by me raising my voice. In slunk down a little bit as if to silently apologize.
"I can't let you do this... I shouldn't have told you. Why am I such a Goddamn idiot?!" Dylan slammed his hands into his head.
"you are not an idiot and you are NOT participating in this." I snapped. Dylan rolled his eyes and then licked his lips.
"I can't let you do this, Astor!" he shrieked. Why such force? I know he doesn't want me to die but... He doesn't have to screech about it. And Dylan almost never used my name, Astor. I hated that name. But that's what the owner called me, Astor penski.
"why Dylan?! Huh? Why can you bare not to see me try and win this?!" I stamped my foot. Dylan grabbed my wrists and stared me straight in the eyes.
"because, you are the best friend I have ever had and I you die out there... I might as well be dead too."
"Dylan... I promise you, I will not die. I will do my hardest and try my best. Dylan, I won't just win to overthrow the reapers, I'll win for you." I sighed.
"but there's a chance. You know I have complete faith in you but there is a chance... A chance that you'll be the one being devoured on television... The chance you won't walk out of that arena holding a red cape above your head. And if that were the case, id just die." he said, completely serious. That's when I realized how much I liked him. He was the most wonderful person I'd ever met. Sometimes, he was a jackass. But for a lot of the time, he was perfection. Perfection in the body of a fifteen year old. We'd been together for so many years. If I lost him, I'd be devastated. If he lost me, he'd be devastated. But out in that arena, fighting to the death, I'll be better. He can only control technology, I know he'll die. But I, I have power. A spectacular power no matter how little credit I give myself. The meat market today was an exact example of how powerful I am. And I wasnt even trying to do that.
"Dylan... I swear to you, I will win this competition. No matter what. Whether I'm up against a red cape himself, I'll win. You saw me today, what I did. I'll win Dylan," I whispered. He leaned in and hugged me tightly. I flashed bright red and giggled a tiny bit. "I'll win for you, I'll win for me, and I'll win for our mission. I will win."
"I know... I trust you, Astor. I do. But I can't get over it... I can't bring myself to let you go. What would I do with Maggie and Robert? They'd die without you there. Just keel over and puke up their hearts. Astor, it was a stupid idea I'm sorry I ever mentioned it." he said, back peddling. There was no time for that. I dismissively released him and then stared up at him.
"no, I'm going tomorrow. Whether you like it or not I'll be gone by the time the sun rises. Gone like a fret train." I barked. Dylan's eyes seemed to change color, going from a bright blue, like the sky, to a depressed gray, like what the sky was now. I hated to see him sad. To see Dylan unhappy or less than overjoyed. He placed a toned hand on my shoulder, causing a shiver to ripple through me. His hand warmed the exposed flesh that lay between my tank top and bra strap. My face turned bright red and I looked away quickly. Dylan grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look at him. His tan face, unkempt hair, and perfect nose. A sigh escaped my lips as Dylan stared me down.
"if you leave, I will kill the others and then myself." he mumbled gravely. Dylans tone made me understand just how serious he was. Normally, Dylan joked around with this kind of stuff but now, that was not the case.
"you can't do that Dylan, then I'll kill myself." I retorted sassily. Dylan craned his head foretaste and stared at me. The two of us remained unspeaking and silent for at least two minutes. Dylan's dark stare continued as he seemed to survey every part of me. Finally, a sigh broke my lips and I turned around. He snapped me back to face him and I rolled my eyes.
"are you sure you want to do this?" Dylan asked, more serious than I'd ever seen him before.
"yes," I nodded. "I'm positive I want to do this."
"it could mean death, do you understand that?" he replied, pointing a finger at me and raising an eyebrow.
"I do, I absolutely understand. And I'm willing to put my life on the line for this. It is my only chance to overrule those bastards." I placed a tiny hand on his shoulder. Dylan pursed his red lips and then looked down. I could tell he wasn't happy about this. But if he had wanted to go, he shouldn't have told me. Dylan knows it's my dream to ruin the Reapers. Now that he's given me the chance to do so, I have to take it. I heard a faint growling noise but ignored it and continued to stare at Dylan. He shifted his gaze about, still looking at the ground. I cocked my head to the right and then frowned.
"Dylan," I whispered. "is something wrong?"
"don't make any sudden movements." he instructed. Something hissed in my left ear and I jolted backwards. I slammed into another human body and we fell to the ground. A loud howl went spewing out of it's mouth. My ears began to burn and I jumped off the person. Dylan slapped his forehead and gripped my arm. We hurtled off into the night and as we went speeding away, I got a glimpse of what had been behind me. They were called hels, a horrid species born from a radioactive plant. One day, it had exploded, soaking everyone and everything in radioactive waste. After a while, the Reapers got reports of large wolf like creatures attacking civilians. Of course, they didn't care. No action was taken against these beasts and now, they ruled the streets.
Dylan and I Slipped behind a dumpster and caught our breath.
"this day just gets worse and worse..." he grumbled.
"I know... It's gone terribly..." I muttered, still huffing. We had ran at least a mile if not more and that takes a lot out of us.
"I guess, since you're leaving tomorrow... I ought to tell you something..." Dylan gasped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his mouth. Another howl came screeching through my ears and I snatched him up.
"later! Now we gotta go!" I cried. I hauled Dylan up and pulled him onto the dumpster as fast as I could. A pole stuck out of a deserted bar in front of me. I grabbed on quickly and scaled my way up. Dylan followed clumsily, falling and asking for my help often. After we'd climbed onto the roof, we made our escape. I forded gaps in between buildings and sprinted across roof tops. I was just about to clammer up another deserted home when something jumped in front of me. Huge, bulky shoulders, a stocky body, large muscular legs and a wolf head stood in front off me. It snarled, almost as though it was laughing and then scratched the ground. It had rotting yellowed fangs and bright red eyes with no pupil or cornea within them. I clenched my eyes shut immediately. Rumors had been passed around that staring straight into ones eyes could turn you to stone. It cackled in a gruff and hoarse voice. I was too exhausted to summon up any fire, it seemed that the end was neigh. The large hel slashed it's claws across my face, leaving a bloody gash. I fell to the ground, eyes still squeezed close. No, I couldn't die now. Too much was at stake, Dylan could never survive that arena. I had to live, I had to survive. A loud hiss pounced on the nights silence and then a blood curdling howl struck the air. Popping and fizzing noises filled my ears as blood dripped from my face. I was so tired... Just tired enough to fall asleep. That would be nice, I could use a nap. Yes, I should take a nap. And with that, I drifted out of conciseness.
My peaceful sleep was interrupted by a loud thump. I snapped my eyes open to see Dylan slamming the door. He kicked a small and tattered chair that went flying across the room. Alarmed, I sat up quickly and stumbled over to him. My legs gave out and I collapsed at his feet. Dylan hauled me up and pushed me back onto the mattress. He murmured a collection of nasty curses and then punched the only remaining window in the orphanage. The glass shattered as if on command, slicing his hand and fingers. He stamped his feet and then slapped his forehead, leaving a bloody smear. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Dylan continued on with his tantrum, throwing down a bookshelf and stomping on it until the wood snapped. I had no idea what was upsetting him at the moment. And to be honest, I probably never would. Dylan snatched my hand up and dragged me down stairs brutally. Finally, he spoke.
"you passed out," dylan pointed at my face where a large gash lay. "during a fight with a hel. I had to drag you back here and we only have five minutes left until the deadline. It's over. It's absolutely over."
"no," I croaked, caressing my wound. "we can make it."
"NO WE CAN'T!" he snapped.
"we can make it Dylan... Or at least... I can." I sighed.
"JUST SHUT UP! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" he shouted.
"WHAT?!" I shrieked. Robert, Mitchell, Maggie, and Jackson came jumping out.
"SURPRISE!" they all cried in unison. The five trapped me in a hug and then giggled ecstatically.
"dear god! What a terrible way to surprise me! And be careful, my cheek hurts." I laughed. A warm sense of joy floated through me. Making my blood pulse happily and my heart beat to a tune. I loved these guys. They were my family. Screw flesh and blood, family is where your heart is. And this is where mine lays. With Maggie, Jackson, Mitchell, Dylan, and Mica. Those guys are the best friends anyone could ever want or ask for. And I love them with all my heart.
"sorry! We heard you were going away and wanted to send you off!" Maggie chimed.
"it's cool, what your doing. I want you to know," Jackson said, placing a hand on my arm. "I'm going to be there for you if you need help."
"thanks," I smiled, giving him a hug. "but that won't make a huge difference in the arena."
"youre so brave, going off like this. I want to be like you when I'm older." Maggie beamed. That struck my heart intensely, she idolized me. She looked up to me, like I was a goddess.
"haha! Im afraid that I'm a terrible example of someone to look up to." I grinned, patting her head.
"well that's a lie! You are doing something pretty brave." Dylan winked.
"I'm doing something pretty insane!" I piped, sitting down on the floor. Maggie giggled joyously and then hugged my waist. She smiled blissfully and then snuggled up.
"but it's for a good cause. The right cause." Dylan chuckled.
"hey," I said, frowning. "where's Mica?"
"I don't know, she never showed up." Mitchell shrugged.
"that's pretty weird... Hey Dylan, tell me what the games you watched were like." I mumbled. That probably wasn't my best idea, but sooner or later I was going to find out what the wars were like. And is rather it be sooner, so I know what to do, than later, when I'm completely stranded. Dylan pursed his lips and the settled in as well. He patted my hand daintily and then sighed.
"are you sure you want to know?" he asked.
"yes," I lied. "I'm sure." in truth, I was totally unsure. Who knows what kind of horror stories he would tell me. Terrible things about betrayal and death. The thought chilled me. Dylan took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself, and then smirked.
"thirty go in, one come out."
"more detail please." I groaned, displeased.
"hundreds of children are tested, vigorously tested. Only fifty succeed and go to the next round. That is the "dancing" round. But, I should clear this up for you, it's not dancing. What the reapers call a dance is in tune killing. You follow a beat and kill off others. Another catch though, once you choose your spot and beat, a sensor in the floor picks up your every move and if you step out of line, it kills you. An electric shock so powerful it boils your brain. Once the twenty unneeded kids are out, the real fun begins. They get you all dolled up and then throw you into the arena. Oh, I should also mention the bonus round, it's only for the highest ranking kids there but for them, it's not optional. The bonus round is intense, each child gets put in a room with a scythe and they have to slaughter anything and anyone the reapers put in that room with them. You can stop at any point though, as long as it's after ten minutes. So to continue, in the arena it's bone crunching malice. Death, blood, gore, cannibalism, sadism, you name it. it happens in that arena. In the one I saw, a little boy just about roberts age got tossed in for the bonus round. Absolutely sickening what this guy did to him. Insane." Dylan said, turning slightly green. He breathed deeply a few more times and then put on a dazzling smile. "anything else you want to know?"
"I think ive heard enough..." I muttered. The shear thought someone would force people to do that was simply too much. I nearly keeled over and lost my lunch. Dylan was normally a pretty morbid man and he could talk about pretty much anything without turning green. So the sign that He had, meant a lot of bad things. The odds of my survival were so tiny, so slim... But I had to try, I positively had to. After all if I didn't, who knows what would happen. I smiled back at Dylan sarcastically and then chirped,
"no thanks, I got it!"
"oh hey, you guys better get down to the station, wouldn't want you to be late..." Mitchell added.
"yeah," I replied. "I guess we should."
CHAPTER THREE
ROUND ONE
Dylan and I raced off, streaming over to the main base. We often called it hell, based off it's spiky walls and fiery red streaks. Various graffiti was painted about the huge barriers. Things like "screw the reapers" and "death to the world". The jutting spikes and large walls strikes a bit of fear into my heart, but it was nothing I couldn't handle... Hopefully. The two of us stood outside the main gate. A heavy set of iron bars. Each one of those bars was packed with voltage, so much that if you were to touch it, your eyes would pop like hot grapes. I shuffled backwards and stared at the ground. My heart was beating out of my chest as I looked at my large and callused feet. Dylan reached out a hand and poked at the scratch on my cheek. I jumped backwards a bit, not expecting his touch. Dylan smiled and let out a nervous chuckle.
"keep that up, make it a full on scar, it looks badass. Be careful in there. if you die, I die."
"yeah, I know..." I replied inwardly.
"well um... There's something I wanted to tell you... It's um... Not super important but... You should know..." he shifted about.
"what, is it related to the wars?" I asked.
"um... No..." he muttered. I cocked my head, very rarely did Dylan act like this. Normally he was mr social. but right now, he was silent.
"are you... Okay?" I asked.
"y-yeah im fine... Just don't want to leave any loose ends you know... Just incase... Incase this is the last time we ever see each other..." he shrugged. I squinted my eyes at him. Just a few minutes ago he'd been telling me about the brutality of this like it was nothing. What was wrong with him? Did I say something? Was he mad at me? It was probably just that he was afraid to let me go.
"what loose ends?" I said stupidly. Dylan shrugged, still staring at his feet.
"you know... Well... I guess... Uh... Hmm..." he whispered. I lifted his chin up and raises an eyebrow.
"are you on crack? Dylan are you trying to tell me your a junky?" I laughed, trying to make light of the situation. My attempt failed miserably as he just stared at me seriously. I released him and then wiped my hands on my tattered skirt. They were sweating profusely from fear and nervousness. But I couldn't back out now, now, it was my destiny. My sole purpose in life was to defeat those assholes. This was the only way I could.
"look, it would just be best if you got inside now before I do something I'll regret." he mumbled. I looked at him and then sighed.
"Dylan," I said. "it doesn't matter. In a few days, I could be dead. Get it off your chest now so you'll won't have any past tension if I pass away." that sounded incredibly cheesy. I wish it hadn't.
"well... I dont know..." he sighed.
"Dylan!" I cried, grabbing a hold of his head. "tell me!"
"never mind okay?! I'm going to head home. Take care, good luck." he replied. Dylan turned to walk away but I jumped in front of him.
"Dylan," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "don't you dare walk away from me without giving me a goodbye hug."
"heh, I guess I should." he smiled. I trapped Dylan in a huge hug, knowing far well that this could, and probably would, be the last time we saw each other. Dylan smoothed out my hair awkwardly and then whispered in my ear.
"I'm going to miss you. Good luck. Oh, and understand, everything that you do in that arena and during the rounds, I'll be watching."
"thanks, I'll miss you too. I guess this is good bye. I'm off to go betray the world and slaughter innocent people." I grimaced. Dylan released me gingerly and ten smiled as well.
"try not to enjoy yourself too much." he chuckled. I waved goodbye to him and then marched away.
It only took me about half way to the door to turn back around. Tears sprang into my eyes and I suddenly realized my grim situation.
"Dylan..." I called. He turned around and cocked his head to the left.
"what?" he asked.
"I don't want to go!" I cried, sprinting down the hill and throwing my arms around him. Dylan staggered backwards and then fell to the ground in a heap. A tear fell from my eye, threatening to bring more, and dropped onto Dylan's dirt smeared tee shirt. My lips drooped and wobbled insecurely and I burrowed my head in his chest.
"I know," he grumbled, patting my head in a disgruntled manor. Making it obvious that he didn't want the good bye to prolong for fear he may cry too. "I know."
"Dylan... I can't do this... You know I'm not a killer! You know I can't do this!" I protested.
"I know, Astor, I know. Itll be okay Astor. I believe in you." he said.
"you-you believe in me?" I asked and perked up. maybe I could pull this off. It would be by a wing and a prayer but... Maybe I could! If Dylan believed I could... If he and Maggie had faith in me... Maybe I could.
"of course I do Astor! Don't be dumb! You can do it!" he urged. I pulled myself off of him and helped him up. Sniffling, I gave him a crooked smile. Dylan coolly wiped the tears from my cheeks, careful not to touch my scratch, and then smiled.
"Dylan... I-I-I-" I began. Dylan put a finger to my lips carefully and then laughed.
"you go in there, you do your best, and you win. Don't think about the others, they deserve death. They're bad enough to want to be a reaper! They deserve it!" he cheered. "stupid caped asses, thinking they own the world... Anyone who wants to be like that is a traitor in my book! Kill them! No mercy Astor! No mercy!-" I cut him off quickly by putting a finger to his lips as well.
"I will dylan, I will." I grinned. Dylan clapped his hands together and then backed away.
"I have taught you well child! I have taught you well!" he bowed. A smile bounced to my lips and I squinted my eyes.
"it on reapers, it's on." I smirked.
"bye astor!" Dylan cried, waving frantically. I ran over to him and trapped him in a hug again.
"bye Dylan. Take care of maggie and Robert for me. Oh and Jackson, that boy can barely feed him self." I laughed.
"anything for you..." he whispered. Dylan squeezed me tightly and then turned away. He sighed deeply before whipping back around.
"something wrong?" I asked, puzzled. He never acted this way; happy then sad then happy then sad. Dylan was never moody.
"good luck," he said, seeming as though he'd just backed out of something. I nodded calmly, though my heart was racing, and walked away. I padded over to the iron gate and took a deep breath. No turning back now. No chickening out. With a great deal of effort, I pressed down on a small button.
"here to sign up for the red cape competition." I shuttered.
"additional screening!" it chirped. I jumped backwards, startled by the high pitched squeal. "come foreword Astor Penski! Come foreword and prove yourself."
"d-do I have to?!" I cried.
"yes Astor, it's necessary!" the intercom piped.
"o-okay... H-how do I p-prove my self?" I stuttered. My attempt at being fearless had miserably failed by now.
"doge the lasers." it answered.
"what?" I asked. They weren't any lasers around this area.
"dodge the lasers!" it screeched. Something large and bulky slid out of the heavy stone walls. It whirred incessantly as it began to power up. The huge machine made a quirky purring sound before sending a pillar of red light straight at me. I screamed and went flying out of the way. I slammed into the ground and my cheek split open again, letting my scratches seep. The area I had just been standing in was now a small crater, sizzling and smoking slightly. the same mechanical whirring broke the silence and I once again went jumping about. This time, I wad able to avoid it pretty well. But I still landed on my head.
"ROUND TWO!" the intercom sang. For such a disdainful place, I wouldn't expect such a happy voice. Another laser came bursting over the top of the wall and I gulped. In unison, the two powered up again. I winced as if to prepare myself and then went hurtling off to the side. At the same time, the large machines fired beams of brightly colored light at me. I skittered away, hoping to evade their massive blasts. The sound of the beams hitting the ground nearly deafened me. I peered over my shoulder, opening one eye, and glanced quickly at the space behind me. A monumental hole was lying, slightly smoking, in the ground. It was only inches away from the bottoms of my feet which were now severely burnt and blistered.
"fast feet! Speed up!" the whiney voice giggled. I squinted up at the small black box, willing it to explode. Nothing happened as the whirring sound filled my ears again. I stood up carefully, cringing as many of the blisters popped on the sharp rocks beneath my feet. I wiped the blood out of my eyes and then waited motionlessly. Just as the whirring ceased I cartwheeled out of the way, bounding up and the landing brutally on my feet. Finally, I had easily avoided the lasers. Another whirring blasted the air. They fired immediately, knocking me onto the ground. Tricky bastards. I should have expected that. A searing pain stabbed into my side. The same noise hit my ears and I hauled myself off the ground. Blood dripped from my abdomen. I must have fallen onto a large rock in the heat of the moment. Luckily, I was still in shock so most of the pain was dull. I hurled myself forewords, shooting away from the bright sparkling beams of light.
"WINNER!" the intercom cheered.
"ima i-I wanna go in now..." I muttered, face burrowed in dirt.
"acceptable! Please make your way through the gates and into the main building!" it remarked.
"that's gonna be a challenge..." I groaned. The large iron gate squealed open slowly, allowing my passage. I clawed my way inside, in too much pain to walk. My feet burnt and singed from the earlier struggle. After crawling through, I was greeted by a terrifying sight. In front of me lay a huge obstacle course. Fire jutted in timed pillars from one side, a set of small slippery stones lay precariously over shark infested waters, a large cage filled with failed experiments stooped at the end, and a large clock hung above the entire scene.
"ASTOR PENSKI. WELCOME TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK." something boomed. I pulled myself up, clinging to one of the bars on the gate. My feet ached and I was in severe pain all over. Both of my wounds seeped continuously, turning my gray tank top red.
"thanks for the oh so warm welcome..." I grunted.
"PLEASE STAND ON THE RED PLATFORM AND AWAIT THE BUZZER." it blared. I shook my head vigorously, as if to ward off a bad dream, and then released the bars. I limped over to a large red platform that hung above the water. Sharks snapped their mouths viciously and glared up at me. They created a tight knit circle and then swam away. I should have noticed, they weren't the normal type of sharks. They were also the product of a radioactive explosion. We called them sels. They were basically the aquatic version of a hel. Long sharp teeth, claws, large eyes, occasionally furry. That's how a sel went. The devils version of a dolphin. A large buzzing noise jolted my head. It stumbled about for a moment, before regaining my stature an taking off. Each stepping stone I landed on made my feet sizzle. They were burning hot, another trick. I quickly hurtled from one stone to another. Hastily, I prepared to jump to the last One. I shot off of it but something pulled me down. A large clawed flipped was digging into my skirt, ripping me into the water. I kicked and flailed, not knowing what else to do. I managed to kick the sel in the face but that did nothing. It threw me into the water and then swarmed around me with others. If I could have, I would've given up right then and there. Let the beasts feast on my carcass. They deserved it, it's not like the Reapers showed them any kindness. In desperation, I jumped into the head of one. It slashed about, ripping my clothing and legs to shreds, before running into the second platform. I kicked away from the frenzied creature, barely managing to cling to the side of the platform. I hauled myself up, and glanced at the clock.
"TWO MINUTES LEFT." it said in monotone. Alarmed, I started to sprint across the long, skinny, floating, island. My legs stung in the hot air. I peeked down at them to see large gashes running lengthwise down my calves and thighs. My skirt was absolutely ruined and the tank top I wore was now so blood stained it looked as though it had always been scarlet red. Blood pulsed from my multiple wounds, giving me a massive head ache and weakening me. I collapsed into a heap, seconds away from the fiery pillars, and began to weep. It seemed like it would be so easy. Just run in and pass a few tests. Kill off a couple of people in the arena and then be done with it all. But I was wrong. More wrong than I'd ever been in my entire life. I never should have left Dylan, I never should have left my family. It was all a terrible mistake. Heart racing, I drifted off.
"ONE MINUTE!" the clock hollered. I flew from my place immediately. This was NOT the time to give up. It never would be. If the Reapers wanted to take me. They'd have to put up with a he'll of a fight. My l
1. She was a fallen angel
2. Somehow, Saber turned her into and Irken
3. She tells people she is sweet and innocent but she's really quite evil
4. She sleeps in any cave she can find and she doesn't have a real home
5. She has a crush on Demon
6. Her favorite color is black
7. Her favorite gemstone is well....Ambronite
8. Surprisingly, Ambronite is a vegetarian so she doesn't eat humans.
9. Although she doesn't eat meat, she still loves killing people and watching people suffer
10. Ambronite believes in payback
11. She has a twisted mind and sometimes she takes jokes too far
12. Ambronite's favorite game is Death or Dare
2. Somehow, Saber turned her into and Irken
3. She tells people she is sweet and innocent but she's really quite evil
4. She sleeps in any cave she can find and she doesn't have a real home
5. She has a crush on Demon
6. Her favorite color is black
7. Her favorite gemstone is well....Ambronite
8. Surprisingly, Ambronite is a vegetarian so she doesn't eat humans.
9. Although she doesn't eat meat, she still loves killing people and watching people suffer
10. Ambronite believes in payback
11. She has a twisted mind and sometimes she takes jokes too far
12. Ambronite's favorite game is Death or Dare
Zim's House
Morning
-----------
Zim: And then, once the Dib Monkey's head is shrunk, I will-
GIR: DOOM!
Zim: Yes, GIR. Doom indeed.
GIR: I'm gonna go outside! NAKED!
Zim: No! NO!
GIR: YAY! I'M LEAVING!
Zim: GIR! QUICK! YOUR DISGUISE!
GIR: DOOM! (runs outside)
-------------------
Outside Zim's House
Morning Still
-------------------
Zim: (Puts on human disguise) GIR! COME BACK!
GIR: I'm! Too! NAKED!
Dib: PROOF! (Runs to Zim's lawn and snaps photos)
GIR: I WANT THE CAMERA! (Grabs camera and eats it)
Zim: GIR! Get back inside this instant!
GIR: Zim... Equals... (Turns red) ALIEN! Must prove to world!
Zim: WHAT?! NO! GIR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
Dib: Wow! My pictures of proof of Zim as an alien has gotten to GIR's head! Now he's- Uh- GOOD! I guess...
--------------------
TO BE UPDATED SOON!
Morning
-----------
Zim: And then, once the Dib Monkey's head is shrunk, I will-
GIR: DOOM!
Zim: Yes, GIR. Doom indeed.
GIR: I'm gonna go outside! NAKED!
Zim: No! NO!
GIR: YAY! I'M LEAVING!
Zim: GIR! QUICK! YOUR DISGUISE!
GIR: DOOM! (runs outside)
-------------------
Outside Zim's House
Morning Still
-------------------
Zim: (Puts on human disguise) GIR! COME BACK!
GIR: I'm! Too! NAKED!
Dib: PROOF! (Runs to Zim's lawn and snaps photos)
GIR: I WANT THE CAMERA! (Grabs camera and eats it)
Zim: GIR! Get back inside this instant!
GIR: Zim... Equals... (Turns red) ALIEN! Must prove to world!
Zim: WHAT?! NO! GIR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
Dib: Wow! My pictures of proof of Zim as an alien has gotten to GIR's head! Now he's- Uh- GOOD! I guess...
--------------------
TO BE UPDATED SOON!