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"Go, bid the soldiers shoot."
–Shakespeare, Hamlet, iv, 2
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The Baron
At that moment one of my elites barged into the library, flanked by two other aides; all in hazmats due to the radiation from the home. We all rose and by the looks on their faces it was serious. The elite COMMANDED me (no-one commands me unless it's serious),
"Suit up, everyone."
Aw, gawd...
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We, suited for war, flanked behind them to meet the glare of my own floodlights. My men in hazmats were running around like chickens with their heads cut off to defensive positions, but four of them were dragging a boy to me; sloshing around in the mud and rain. I commanded,
"Everyone go to your corners," pointing in stride, "AllFall, take a sniper and hit the roof. Do whatever we say."
They went on about their thing and it was me, Alien, and AoDD going towards the boy. I gripped the runt by the collar as Alien scanned him and AoDD listened for any lies. I was just the guy who asks questions with my special voice,
"Who are you?"
He grunted but said, "I am the son of a clandestine revolutionary," all of us rose a brow in disbelief, "I'm-I'm a cybercriminal."
I glanced at AoDD and he said nothing but then Alien's tablet dang,
"Mr. Runt John Allison, well met."
"I have found-" he tried to counter but I cut him off,
"Why are you here John?"
My emotionless mask and creepy voice did the trick,
He was surprisingly calm in my hand, "The Dragoons have slipped nanotechnology into the poorer districts' water towers, the group and I are probably infected."
"What kind of nanotechnology?"
Alien interjected.
"Nanites, mind-control, you and I know that the changes take longer in children than adults-"
"How," I cut off again, "do we know that you aren't being controlled?"
Alien reassured me, "He wouldn't be able to speak clearly otherwise, Baron."
"Baron," the boy said with hopeless tears hiding behind his eyes, trying to get out, "my father is infected."
I tried to think rationally, but it didn't work. The look in the boy's face reminded me of Dan. Begging me to make my life count...
"Take him to be treated for radiation," I ordered, "Alien find a way to-"
Then part of AoDD's head came off as he rolled through us. That's not good; especially since AoDD is practically bulletproof. Alien dove for cover and I was next to take a shell to the head; sending me flying and rolling backwards.
Everyone scattered around for cover. Then Waya came to me making a electro-magnetic force-field and AllFall landed next to me. The eight-inch 50. Cal bullet was centimeters (but felt like millimeters) away from my face; crunched up half its size. AllFall, from cover, grappled me and began pulling me inside.
"Get Angel! Get Angel!" I kept saying but only when I pulled my helmet off in the halls of my home did AllFall hear me and she sprinted at my command. Several of my infantry came to safeguard me and probably take cover, and as AllFall ran off I wondered about her. How did she get down a four story building so fast?
One of the men gave me an extra comm.
"I'm trying to perform surgery on AoDD now," Alien said and I spoke directly after him ordering,
"Stop, find a way to shut down the nanites."
"Baron, it could be him or them," he yelled at someone to go get fluids, "we're rolling him to the infirmary now. He took a few extra shots to the torso after you disappeared and he's not regenerating well..."
"Do what I say," I ordered, "I know you're trying to help but your a machinist, not a brain surgeon."
"(Tch)," and I heard the muffled words, "AllFall! Get him to the infirmary! I gotta go to the lab-"
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Elisabeth
Alien strode away and some hazmat soldiers spoke to me; only their eyes visible,
"Do you know your way to the Infirmary?"
Before I could think I said yes, but he wasn't convinced,
"You don't have to lie to me; we don't have time to waste."
I finally gave-up and told him but as they were leading us to the Infirmary a thought hit me. Won't I need to lie to perform my duties as an undercover agent? Isn't the Angel of Death and Doom their lie-detector? At the Infirmary the doctors shooed the soldiers away and used special needles to get IV's into his skin. His head and other wounds were slowly regenerating in a hideous fashion. The doctors were gone and syringes, scalpels, and other medical tools were ready for the surgeon who was gonna help remove some of the metal but without thinking I took a syringe.
Before my bravery left I filled the syringe with air and stabbed it into the IV line. In a few minutes the air will get to his heart and kill him. Guilt stabbed me viciously as I set the syringe back; this man had saved my life and got me into the group. I tried to justify myself with the thought that he had sided with those wanting to kill me, but it didn't work. I tried to say he'd jeopardize the mission, in order for me to survive and bring these criminals down he must die. It all reminded me of Mafia just a few minutes earlier...
Then he shuddered; I don't think that he was supposed to be able to feel it. He started shuddering more violently, blood sparaticaly squirted from his deformed head, and I covered my ears as he screamed. I closed my eyes; where was the honor in this?! He shook and screamed in pain until he slumped to the dull sound of his heart stopping.
I fled the room and started sobbing.
The smoking-hot Angel of Death and Doom was now dead...
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The Black Baron
"How's the nanite thing going Alien?"
There was a rustling on the other line and he replied,
"Horrible! Even God hasn't been here in ages!"
I laughed and tried to lighten the wearisome air, "Now, now don't be sacrilegious."
"And your religious?" He joked; but I didn't laugh or even answer.
One of my soldiers came to me with a tablet we usually connected to our predator drone, and he said like someone seeing an army pop up on radar;
"Sir, you better see this..."
I followed suit as the officer seeing the army on a radar screen,
"My God."
On the screen, was an army of people. They were coming like zombies to my base, and nothing deterred them. The comm was buzzing and I answered,
"Yes God?"
"Don't be sacrilegious," Alien wisecracked vengefully and added all business, "I need a sample."
"So you need one captured?"
"Yes, I already sent Wayha to save the boy's father."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"Why are you so difficult?"
"Why not?"
I hung up after playfully saying, "You punk."
In a few seconds Wayha came in on his motorcycle and circled the zombies while whipping them. Electric pops sending different ones flying; I hope he's not killing them. Watching and observing I asked, "Obsidian? How are things?"
"Peachy, why?"
"Try to block their path with a force-field."
"Aye-yea Cap'n."
A few minutes later Wayha was back and Obsidian was in the field,
"Enhanced," Wahya said, "the nanites have given them enhanced abilities."
This seemed to put everyone on edge; especially the soldiers.
The zombies were beating on Obsidian's field and I ordered,
"Set up riot control gear and launch tear-gas."
"Alien," I asked on a private channel, "how's it coming?"
"It's coming nit-wit."
Then I heard Obsidian's shield shatter,
"They have enhanced strength!"
The men became even more afraid.
"Use the gear."
They had set up three trigger operated tripods that shoot twenty tasers each at the same time when triggered. Sixty tasers didn't do anything to the zeds nor did the tear gas. They were getting very close and the closer they got the more ansi-pantsi my soldiers were.
"Alien..." Él Doug said.
On the public channel, Alien said royally agitated, "I need more time!"
"Okay, open warning fire."
A goon said, "You heard the Baron-" then my nightmares took hold of me, "OPEN FIRE!"
I tried to scream but I was too late, "NOOOOOO!!!"
People fell, bullets flew, and blood flowed. Those innocent people who had nothing to do with this war of mine died. They just kept walking and my men who didn't hear me correctly kept shooting. I watched in horror as the dirt became mud from blood. A few even launched their underslung grenades, the most horrible Nazi zombies ever.
I couldn't bring myself to stop them, but thank God Thread Walker and Alien kicked up and got them to stop. Everyone who was coming was on the ground; few moving, but a lot of people not moving. Some people were obliterated by just all the bullets that fell upon them.
I slapped the tablet down; cracking it's screen, and covered my face as I fled from the men watching me. Innocent people! I wasn't just some murderer, and I was wanting to live for more! I threw a vase off a marble pedestal and kept walking; fists by my sides. I was wanting to help; but now this! I slammed my room door and went to my master-bath. Leaning on the sink I tried to regain my composure but looking up, I saw my father in the mirror. I reared back and punched into the next room; thinking to hit the cause of my dilemma and all my problems...
I removed my arm and flicked a piece of glass. Normally vandalism would help me calm down. Not this time...
I regained my composure and went down one of the several stairways and halls to the Infirmary. AllFall was sitting on the floor outside it; sobbing, but as I was walking up the doctors whispered something to one another;
"Where is he?"
They went silent, watching my response in worry. AllFall took her head out of her hands and said hopelessly,
"I'm so sorry..."
I felt like I wasn't in my body, I stood there several moments and droned,
"It's okay, you saved my life and the Dragoons killed him."
She dug her head into her hands so hard she seemed to be clawing her eyes out. I unconsciously started walking back to my room. On the way I picked up a pistol that someone kept on top of a drawer and was tempted to 'end' myself, but I didn't. Moments later Alien strode toward me with Obsidian and the team flanking him,
"Where is h-"
I stuffed the pistol abruptly into his neck and stopped everyone. I shoved him away and continued to my room. Outside of my room I used all the force I could muster I threw the pistol down the hall. Sending it sliding until it hit the far wall, the impact causing it to fire a shot. Alien had told me that it was either him or the civilians; I lost both.
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