Post by shadowknight on Feb 27, 2015 20:22:41 GMT
Chapter 1: Falling Sky
A crisp breeze blew gently across empty overgrown fields, the long grass swaying to an invisible tune. Thunder rolled off in the distance; moon light shown down on a desolate, blackened, highway. The land was silent, save for the whispering wind and echoes from the coming storm. A low mechanical hum broke the tranquility of the night. A speck of light appeared on the highway, drawing closer, the low hum swelling into a rumble. A silver truck cruised through the night, its headlights barely holding their own against the void that enveloped them. The truck jolted as it slammed through a pot hole.
“Shit!” The words were out his mouth before his mind had processed what just occurred.
“You kiss our mother with that mouth Bobby?” A playfully snide voice sounded to his left.
“Shut up.” Bobby barked back, his hand rubbing his throbbing temple as he looked out across the seemingly endless expanse of night. “Where are we anyway?” He asked groggily.
“Bumfuck Arkansas,” His sister responded with a sigh, “You’ve been out cold for three hours now.”
‘Great.’ Bobby though as he groaned at the news, It wasn’t his desire to go on a road trip with his sister, Tammy. He had just graduated high school and wanted nothing more than to kick back with his friends and do whatever….then Tammy, with their parents blessing, snags him for this surprise trip and refuses to give the slightest hint about the destination ; simply saying “You’ll see.” When asked.
Rain began to patter on the wind shield, breaking the silence in the truck’s cab. Moments later the bottom fell out, water poured down in torrents as thunder shook the void, chasing brief flashes of lighting.
“I hope that forecast I hear-“Tammy began, stopping suddenly as the truck died. A bright streak of orange ripped through the clouds above them, slamming down in a field with a ground rattling explosion as their truck coasted to a stop.
“What the hell was that!?” Bobby shouted in shock, his face pressed against his window, squinting to see the orange glow through the storm.
“I don’t know.” Tammy said, frantically trying to get the truck started with no success. “Shit!” she said slamming her fist against the steering wheal. She pulled her phone from her pocket; however, it was as dead as the truck. “Bobby,” she said, pulling his attention away from the window,” do you have your phone on you?”
“Somewhere,” He replied. A short search ensued, eventually f8inding that it had fallen to the floorboard. Bobby held the power button down and shook his head, “Mine’s dead to. What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know, “Tammy said, annoyed, “But we’re stuck here till the storm lets up or someone comes along, so get comfy.”
“Screw that noise,” Bobby said as he unbuckled, his curiosity getting the better of him“Something crashed into that field and I’m going to see what it is.”
“Don’t you –“Tammy’s words were drown out as the passenger side door flung open and Bobby bolted towards the glow. “Fuck!” she screamed and unclasped her belt. Moments later she was out in the drenching rain, hot on Bobby’s heals. She caught up to him at the lip of a crater out of breath; she caught onto his shoulder to balance herself on the slippery lip.
“What the hell are you thinking!?” she shouted through ragged gasps, Bobby didn’t even flinch; his eyes were wide, transfixed. Tammy fallowed his gaze, her own mouth hanging open. A glowing meteor sat at the bottom of the hole. Tammy felt uneasiness tugging at her gut, “We have to go Bobby.” She said, he didn’t seem to hear her. Tammy jerked hard on his shoulder, attempting to get his attention. Bobby’s foot slipped, end over end he tumbled down the muddy slope, a sharp cry of pain escaping his lips as he came to rest near the glowing rock, an orange shard stabbing through his hand. Blood ran from a gash above his left eyebrow as he rose to a sitting position and looked at the shard; blood had begun to run down it.
“Are you ok!?” Tammy shouted down to him.
“What do you think!” he shouted back angrily, gritting his teeth.
“I’m coming d-“
“Don’t,” Bobby interrupted, “go back to the truck and find the first-aid kit.”
Tammy Vanished from sight. Bobby’s hand was on fire; however, Bobby no longer cared. His eyes were wide with fear and wonder as the orange shard began to dissolve into his hand, completely vanishing as his sister returned with the white plastic kit she kept for emergencies. Tammy tossed it down to her brother, watching from the lip as he wrapped his hand in gauze. Something near her foot caught her eye; Tammy snatched an orange shard of meteor about six inches long from the muddy ground. She turned it slowly in her hands, inspecting it.
“Tammy,” Bobby called up to her as he closed the kit, “You won’t believe what just ha-“ a flash and defining boom cut him off as Tammy was propelled backward, lighting striking the now vanished shard she held. Bobby’s ears were ringing as he scampered up the muddy walls of the crater, the kit forgotten by the time he reached the top and raced to her side.
“Wake up!” he cried as he shook her to no avail. Bobby scooped her up and darted back to the truck, yelping as it roared to life while he slid her into the passenger seat. Not caring why the truck started, Bobby climbed into the driver seat; flooring it before his door had even shut. His pulse pounded in his veins, only one thing on his mind, getting out of there and getting Tammy to a hospital. In moments the trucks tail lights vanished into the black of night.
[5 hours earlier and a hundred miles away]
The afternoon sun gleamed brightly, its light tempered somewhat as the rays slipped through a thick leafy canopy. A faint wind slithered through the underbrush, chilling the small woodland creatures that lived in this domain. The forest was alive with the sounds of nature, the chirping of birds, the cry of pray being ambushed by a predator, mating calls, growls of warning, and the chorus of a trillion insects blended into an ancestral song that has played since time immemorial; a harmonious melody lending itself to the forest’s terrible majesty…its savage beauty. A new call added itself to the primitive orchestra. A music, a voice, that didn’t quite mesh with the others; a voice from a different world, yet from the same as the rest of the ancient quire.
“Duke! Here Duke!” David called out, his voice met with nothing. He scanned the underbrush for movement and shook his head. ‘Why does he always do this’, his eyes studied the world around him looking for any sign of his companion.
“Du-“an explosion of fur and leaves flew towards him, a startled yelp sprung from his lips. A warm, wet tongue slapped rapidly across his face as two large paws pinned him to a tree. David’s shock was replaced with laughter as he scratched behind the Great Dane’s ears.
“Damn it Duke,” he said, adding a stern edge as he pushed the dog off of himself, “How many times have I gold you never to wonder off?” He turned and gave a sharp whistle, “Come on boy, let’s see if our trap caught us some dinner.”
[5 hours later]
The darkness that filled the forest was humming with the life of night; the primal song of the day was replaced by a soothing nocturnal rhythm. Silver moon light show down on cooling ashes, a lone ember glowing dimly in the dead fire pit. A lone tent stood in the center of a small clearing, David lay on top of his sleeping bag, head propped on a rolled up pillow, his old hat pulled down over his eyes. Duke’s mass was sprawled across David’s sleeping form, the dog’s breathing in sync with his master’s. A low growl rumbled from Duke’s throat as his ears perked up; David was awake in an instant.
“What is it boy?” David asked sitting up, hands snatching up his hunting rifle that lay a few inches away. Duke was crouched by the tent door, snarling as the hairs along his back stood on end. Cautiously David unzipped the door, his companion launching out into the clearing, eyes searching for predators. He was startled when Duke stopped; his gaze fixed on the sky, and began barking savagely. David trained his rifle up, his jaw dropped as he saw it, a bright orange ball of fire rocketing through the heavens. As the pair watched, a small fire ball split from the larger one, its angle was much steeper. David’s eyes widened as he realized the smaller object was getting closer.
“Duke I think we should-“the burning mass roared low overhead, a gust of warm air nearly knocked David from his feet. The sound of trees snapping like twigs was followed by an explosion that shattered the night’s tranquility, leaving only silence in its wake. The dog bolted towards the glowing crash site with unbridled determination.
“Get back here!” David screamed, sprinting after Duke, “God damn that fucking stubborn-“his words trailed off into angry mutters as he jumped over fallen trees and danced around thick thorn bushes. Ten minutes had passed by the time David had caught up with Duke; Thick sweat ran down his body, his eyes burned as they tried to see through the growing smoke from a dozen small fires, his muscles ached, his chest felt as if it were going to cave in on itself with each ragged breath. Blood oozed from small cuts on his legs, arms and feet. Duke stood at the lip of a large hole in the forest floor, snarling at the bottom of the glowing pit.
“Would you shut the hell up?” David shouted, the dog falling silent save for a few grumbles. David looked at the meteor, the hairs on his neck rose. “This isn’t right…come on Duke.” He said, turning to leave; there was something about the place that made him uneasy. David had gotten ten meters from the crater when he realized Duke had stayed behind, digging something from the earth.
“What are you-“he started, stopping as Duke sauntered up to him holding a long stone fragment in his mouth that glowed with a faint orange light. “Drop it Duke.” David ordered, the large dog wagged his tail in response. “Damn it! I said drop it!” David’s hand sprung forward in an attempt to snag the shard from Duke’s maw, the dog’s head jerked away in response. “This isn’t the time to play keep away.” David grumbled, missing a second time, “give it here!”. Hands moving fast, David caught hold of one end and pulled hard. Duke gave a playful growl, wagging his tail faster as he pulled back.
“God dam-“The two of them seemed to freeze, their eyes glassed over as the shard glowed intensely for a moment. A warm tingle swept through David’s body as the shard melded with him, absorbing into his hand. David dropped to his knees, his eyes wide in fear as his senses were overwhelmed by….everything. Smells and sounds flooded his system; he rose shakily and took a step, his foot bumping something large and soft. Duke lay on a pile of leaves, his breathing shallow, body stiff. Suddenly aware of the closing, David’s body flooded with adrenalin. In one motion David scooped the large dog form the ground and ran for back through the tangled underbrush for his truck parked at the edge of his camp. Sliding Duke’s body into the tailgate, David hopped into the cab and gunned the engine, roaring down the narrow trail as he left his camp and the meteor hunk in a cloud of dust.
[At that same time fifty miles away]
The city pulsed with life. The constant flow of traffic and people, music of all types echoing from apartment windows, the sounds of a whore plying her trade in the back of a car parked in an ally. The city was as much a person as the denizens whom dwelled within, and like many of them, it was most alive at night. Honking cars and wailing sirens reached up to touch a starless sky. A lonely moon reached down to touch the star scape of the earth, its light glinted off the glossy black paint of a Chevy Camaro as it slowly prowled the winding back streets. Cool blue light cruised ahead of the car, eventually illuminating its destination. A cool damp wind swept in from the nearby docks as the Camaro pulled up to a security gate which silently slid open. The Camaro continued on, eventually finding a parking spot near a cluster of other vehicles.
The driver walked quickly towards the closest warehouse and gave a sharp knock on a thick metal door.
“Password.” A muffled voice said from the other side.
“Blackout.” The driver replied, lowering her hood and glancing around to make sure no one was watching, the sounds of heavy locks moving emanated from the door.
“Well,” a voice said as the driver slipped inside, “If it isn’t the queen bitch herself. I didn’t think you’d show up considering the beating you took last week, Janis.”
Janis glared down the dimly lit grimy corridor at the talking mountain of muscle who was smiling wickedly at her, his tongue visible through gaping holes where teeth should have been. She smirked at him, “At least I still have all my teeth Murdock,” she hissed, “which reminds me.” Janis slipped her hand into her pocket and held up a small white object, “You left this in my fist last week.” With one flick the tooth cleared the distance, bouncing off of Murdock’s chest. He snatched it from the air and squeezed it tightly as Janis walked past. “Maybe someone could slip it under your pillow after I lay you the fuck out.”
Janis left him sputtering in rage and continued down the corridor. Her pulse quickened as she neared the end. The walls vibrated with the sound of enthusiastic screams and stomping feet. She took a sharp right, entering the make shift locker room and glanced at a clock on the wall and nodded to herself, ‘ten minutes to get ready.’ It didn’t take her nearly that long, tape around her wrists and lower hands and pulling her raven hair back was all she really needed. The rest of the time was used to center herself, she breathed deeply, saving her energy for the fight to come. A knock broke her concentration.
“Its time.” A voice called in. Janis moved back into the corridor and turned; the large double doors swung open, a wall of sound slammed into her as her bright emerald eyes scanned the crowd; Eventually stopping on the makeshift ring in the center. A man stood in the middle, his fist in the air, sweat gleaming over his bloodied and battered body. Two other men were lifting a second bloodied figure from the floor, moments later the ring was cleared and a man in a dark suit with a megaphone quieted the crowd.
“And now for the main event!” he shouted, the crowd parted as Janis moved forward, across the way she saw Murdock climb into the ring, “Here we have the meanest bastard this side of Raven City! Built like a brick shithouse with fists like wrecking balls, there have been few who could hold their own against this behemoth! You know him, you love him, let’s hear it for the Bone-Crusher!” The crowd gave a roar that shook the building. Adrenalin flooded Janis’s system as she slipped into the ring, the man in the suit pointed a fat finger at her, “But tonight’s event isn’t ordinary, far from it! Tonight we have a GRUDGE MATCH!! Here’s a woman with steel on her bones and ice water for blood! She’s cold, she’s ruthless! Not many have faced the queen bitch and waked away….for few can survive…..The Iron-Maiden!” The thunder that surrounded them was almost overwhelming. The announcer lowered the megaphone and spoke to the fighters as they closed in.
“Ok, you know the rules. No eye gouging, no killing, fights over when one of you is taking a nap on the floor. Other than that, anything goes….understand?” The nodded and dropped into fighting stances as the announcer scampered away.
“Ready bitch? Cause this time I’m gonna break you in half.”
“Bring it on mother fucker!” Janis barked with an evil smirk.
Time slowed to a crawl, her heart beat fast but her mind was clear; A bell sounded……..
[Two hours later]
Janis groaned as she pressed the icepack onto her left cheek which was already starting to swell. She sat on the floor in the filthy locker room with her back against the wall. There was a knock at the door.
“Come in.” She said painfully, a rough looking man with greasy slicked back hair walked in and tossed a large satchel at her. “Your winnings.” Was all he said before he turned and was gone. Janis chuckled despite the pain it caused her, ‘Murdock would never live this down’ she thought as she shakily stood and snatched up the cash. She was the last one to leave; the place was already cleaned up, looking as if nothing had happened. ‘The cleanup crew works fast.’ Slowly she made it back to her Camaro and slipped the cash into the passenger seat. Her mind was already formulating a story to explain her bruises to her coworkers, though she knew it would do little good. The faculty and many of the students at South –End High think she is in an abusive relationship. ‘And in a way,’ She thought, ‘they’re right.’ Janis was in love with the ring, no matter how badly it beat her, ‘Thing is, I give as good as I get.’ Her mind flashed back to the look in Murdock’s eyes as he collapsed at her feet, a wide grin crossing her busted lips.
Janis had just reached the gate when her car died, along with what seemed like every light in Raven city. For the first time in years the stars shone brightly in the sky. That’s when she saw it, a large streak of orange ripped across the skyline heading right for her. She froze, her mind blank as the fireball roared overhead, the earth shook as the warehouse was turned into a smoldering ruin in a blinding flash. Janis was out of her car in moments, she moved as fast as she could away from the sight. Suddenly she stopped; something was calling out to her…..something in pain. A voice that was not a voice implored her to come back. Slowly she turned around and moved towards the burning ruin, the fire’s glow the only light for miles. As she neared the flaming crater her eyes widened, flames reflected against a metallic hull. A mass of tangled metal sat in the ruin, its shape an echo of the elegant design it once had. As Janis approached the wreck’s port side, a hatch slid open. A being fell from the dark, sparking, interior of the ship. Janis managed to catch the person before it hit the ground despite the pain of her injuries. She carried the being out into the parking lot and laid it gently on the cement.
“What are you?” she thought out loud as she looked the creature over. It’s body was roughly human in shape, it’s face was long, it’s skin felt like that of a snake and was dark red. A large horn adorned one side of tis head, the other was missing with dark purple blood oozing from its stump. The creature’s breathing was shallow, a large jagged hunk of metal jutted from its abdomen.
‘I….am Tow’san.’ Janis heard the creature whisper; a twinge of fear filled her when she noticed it didn’t have a mouth. Blood ran from two tiny nasal slits as it opened two bright orange eyes.
“Wha-“ she started, a weak voice in her head cut her off. ‘No time,’ he said, a three fingered hand grasped tightly around hers, the other pulled a small orange crystal pendant from inside his tattered flight suit. ‘H-he is coming, destroyed my planet,’ he wheezed, ‘my people.’ The crystal began to glow brightly as a warm feeling flooded Janis. ‘Take this,’ Tow’san slipped the pendant into her hand as a series of images flashed in her mind, ‘It….will….h-,’ and he was gone. Janis felt him slip away; slowly she reached down and closed his eyes. In his last moments Tow’san had attempted to impart what knowledge he could but only succeeded in giving her what amounted to a mental slide show. The stars overhead vanished as power returned to the city. Janis jogged awkwardly back to her car, tripping on a hunk of debris. Blood trickled from her arm as she got up and bobbled the rest of the way. Sliding into the driver seat, Janis pocketed the pendant and floored it. She knew the government would be crawling all over the place soon and she wouldn’t be here when they arrived. Janis’s Camaro streaked like black lightning away from the dead messenger and into the cool city night.
.................................
Rain pattered gently against the blackened highway, slowing to its inevitable end. Pale moonlight drifted down through gaps in the clouds, glinting coolly off of a silver ford as it plowed relentlessly through the darkness. Bobby’s eyes searched desperately for any form of civilization. He cursed himself in silent rage, blaming himself for what happened, re-running the events in a hundred different ways.
‘If only I’d stayed in the truck,’ he scolded himself, glancing over at his unconscious sister, ‘none of this wou-‘a speck of light on the horizon broke his concentration. Bobby squinted as he focused on the growing light on the side of the road. A lone billboard stood like a beacon in the darkness. The advertisement had long since faded away save for one small piece.
“Raven city Exit: ten miles ahead.” Bobby said out loud, his heart racing with excitement as he pushed harder on the accelerator, trying to cox out just a little more speed.
“Hold on Tammy,” he said as they rocketed past the billboard, “Just ten mi-“. Bobby jumped as the cabin was flooded with red and blue light, the screaming of a siren reached his ears. Reluctantly, Bobby applied the brakes, slowing the truck to a stop on the shoulder. A million thoughts buzzed through his head as an officer knocked on his window.
“Do you know how f-“The large bellied officer began as the window came down. His eyes narrowed as Bobby peered out, a look of panic on his face.
“I need help!” Bobby blurted as the officer’s gaze drifted past him “our truck died back during the storm, we got out….Tammy…she got hit by lightning!”
“Is she breathing?”
“Barely.”
The officer turned, jogging relatively swiftly for a man of his build. Moments later the RCPD squad car pulled alongside him. “Fallow us, we’ll call ahead to Charles Memorial and let them know where coming.” A second officer shouted out at him.
They made good time, reaching the hospital in less than twenty minutes. Bobby watched as paramedics laid Tammy on a gurney and swiftly pushed her inside, spewing medical jabber as they went. Bobby followed up until the group entered a set of double doors, a man of mixed Asian descent wearing scrubs turned to block his path.
“I’m sorry sir, but you can’t go past this point.”
“But my s-“The man shook his head
“I’m sorry.” His expression softened, “Look go sit in the waiting room, well inform you of any changes.”
Bobby slowly turned and walked back down the sterile corridor, chagrin heavy across his face as he took a seat next to an elderly man who napped silently in a corner. Twenty minutes passed without a world; twenty agonizingly slow minutes. Bobby couldn’t take it anymore, his restlessness getting the better of him; he stood and searched for a restroom. A rush of cool air brushed against his cheeks as he pushed the door open; his footsteps echoing as he moved farther in, placing his gauze wrapped hands on the cold metal counter. Bobby’s body shivered as he breathed deeply, letting the days stress ease. He turned on the water in the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes narrowed as he studied himself, something was off but he couldn’t put….his mind flashed back to the crater, blood was running from a cut over his left eye; A cut that, to his amazement, was no longer there.
Tentatively he looked down at the blood stained gauze around his hands and slowly un-wrapped them. In moments they were laid bare, he thrusts them under the faucet allowing cool water to rush soothingly across the unscathed surfaces.
Bobby returned to the waiting room, his head spinning with questions that only silence would answer.
“Mr. Strider,” a nurse called, grabbing his attention, “Your sister is in stable condition, her injuries were not as severe as we first believed. She’s been placed in patient wing 3 room A-22, she’s still unconscious but is being monitored. You can go see her if you like.”
Bobby nodded at the nurse and moved to an elevator bank. He walked in silence as he moved down identical hallways, past hospital staff quietly conversing with eachothe4r as they go about their work. Finally he came to his sister’s room, hesitating as he reached for the handle, unsure of what he was going to say to her if she woke up.
‘I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.’ He said to himself, giving a low sigh as he entered the room. Tammy lay still on the hospital bed; her chest gently rising and falling in a steady rhythm, her eyes moved behind closed lids. Bobby moved a chair closer to the bed and slumped into it, letting out a long breath. Slowly he leaned forward and gripped her hand.
“I’m sorry,” he uttered under his breath, warm liquid swelling at the corner of his eyes, “I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t….” he let the words trail off into silence. Leaning back in the chair, he shut his eyes, hot tears running silently down his face as the low hum of the air-conditioning lulled him to sleep.
