Rise of the Fallen: Ascensionis

by Danny R Negron

  A white light lights up what was once a dark alley two blocks away from the apartment building. A homeless man laying down on the ground covers his eyes with his hand and moans in a drunken stupor. He then becomes startled at the sight of a man and a girl appearing out of nowhere. After rubbing his eyes with his hands, he sees that he is not imagining this.

  He shakes his fist in the air and yells, “Where the fuck is Kirk you son of a bitch!”

  Alexandria cringes at the overpowering bad smell of the alley and covers her nose with her hand. David notices this and tells her, “Welcome to New York.”

  The doorman recognizes the approaching individual as a tenant of the Capitol apartment building and opens the front door. He asks in a state of shock, “A visitor tonight, Mr. Stubbe?”

  “Yes, Charlie. This is my friend's granddaughter, Alexandria. I'm the unfortunate soul that's giving her a tour of the city.”

  As they walk inside, Alexandria tries her very best not to burst out laughing and mouths to Charlie, “He's so rude.”

  David presses the elevator button and wonders why she is giggling to herself. “Fucking kids.” he thinks to himself. The elevator doors open and they walk inside. David presses a button and the doors then close shut.

  Alexandria marvels at the older technology being used as she watches the digital numbers above her. She asks David, “Can we go to the Statue of Liberty tomorrow?”

  “It's going to rain tomorrow, kid. Your father told me that you are to not get wet. You being a mermaid and all.”

  She grins and begins to pull on the skin of her arm. To his amazement, he sees a clear covering being lifted off of her skin and asks, “What is that?”

  “It's a little something me and auntie Indrid have been working on. We call it the second skin. It acts as a barrier to prevent the water from making contact!”

  Unwilling to accept defeat from a child, he informs her, “Do you know how crowded it gets? You need to get there extremely early to even have a chance.”

  Alexandria excitedly takes out her phone and asks David, “At what time should I set the alarm?”

  David groans at the arduous task of waking up at such an ungodly hour. The elevator door opens and he exits very promptly. Alexandria gives chase and demands loudly, “Hey! Tell me what time, David!”

  David opens the door of his apartment and his young guest runs inside. He closes the door and turns on the light. They both look at each other and share an awkward moment of silence. David clears his throat and asks her, “Are you hungry?”

  Alexandria does in fact feel hungry right now. She suddenly feels like she's intruding in David's personal space and becomes shy. He finds her behavior to be quite unexpected and tries to calm her.

  “Come on, now. Let me show you the kitchen.”

  She nods nervously and follows him. David turns on the kitchen light and opens up the refrigerator. He motions to her with his hand to step closer. Alexandria stands next to him and looks inside. The brief silence is broken by the sound of her stomach grumbling.

  “Oops. Sorry.”

  Her good manners take David by surprise and results in his mouth forming a small grin. Wait a damn minute. What the hell is going on here? He hates kids! He walks away treating the situation like ground zero of an infectious virus outbreak.

  “Help yourself to anything you want, kid. Except the imported beer.”

  Alexandria takes this as a cue to raid David's refrigerator and grabs everything in sight. He watches her prepare a monstrous looking sandwich and shakes his head while chuckling.

  On Indrid's ship, Barbara is sitting next to Henry and observes his knee as it rapidly moves up and down indicating the high level of fear he is currently experiencing. She can longer take much more of this and places her hand on his knee rather forcefully. He sees Barbara's annoyed expression and stops moving his knee. She mouths “Thank you” to him and releases her firm grip.

  Dr. Frankenstein stands next to Indrid and views the Pacific Ocean beneath them. It should just be a matter of minutes until they arrive at California. She says while glancing at one of the screens, “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here.”

  He immediately recognizes that as being the Bohemian Club motto. It would be naive of him to actually believe that the most powerful, and influential, men would gather together and not discuss matters of business. Who can forget the infamous Manhattan Project meeting that took place on September of 1942? Dr. Frankenstein says to Indrid, “If only that were true.”

  Alexandria is sitting next to David on the couch and thoroughly enjoying her sandwich. He is confounded by the massive appetite of this skinny little girl. She notices his stare and blushes with embarrassment. David takes a sip of beer and tells her, “No. Actually...this isn't the nightmare that I expected.”

  Alexandria swallows and asks, “Why do you hate kids so much?”

  At this point, David thinks to himself the word that she just used. Hate. This one human emotion is the primary cause of wars and racial tension throughout history...and he should now. He looks at her and takes another sip of his beer.

  “Well, Alexandria. I wouldn't go as far as to say hate. A more accurate term would be...afraid. As you know, kid, I am a werewolf. This curse has passed on from one generation to the next. And now...the bloodline is going to be cut.”

  “You're the last one?”

  “You got it.”

  David raises his wrist to look at the time. Ten-thirty. He stands up and finishes what's left of his beverage. Alexandria, he thinks to himself, is a sweet girl. It boggles the mind that someone that has had so much hardship, in regards to her father hardly being there for her, managed to keep herself together.

  “I'm hitting the sack, kid. The TV's all yours. My laptop's over there if you need the Internet.”

  She smiles and replies, “Thanks. Good night.” She then squeezes Fluffy's ear and he immediately wakes up wagging his tail.

  All of a sudden, on the ship, Dr. Frankenstein's phone is heard ringing. He thinks to himself that it may be his daughter wanting to talk. This is, of course, the first time she has visited the upper world. His reaction changes from that of fatherly love to concern when he sees that the phone number is not familiar. He answers the phone.

  “Hello?” There is nothing but silence. He repeats, “Hello?”

  Dr. Frankenstein then hears a familiar middle-eastern voice ask, “Dr. Frankenstein?”

  The doctor pauses for a moment and replies, “You're Mr. Jaeger's bodyguard. Sajjad.”

  “Yes, doctor. I'm afraid that I have terrible news. Mr. Jaeger is....dead.”

  Dr. Frankenstein slowly walks toward the white sofa and sits down. He then asks, “What happened?”

  “He suffered a heart attack just after you left. I need to speak with you, doctor. I want to discuss the circumstances of his death.”

  “Of course. Where would you like to meet?”

  “Central Park. Tomorrow. Six AM.”

  The call disconnects and he looks up at the entire team in a state of bewilderment. He says, “Joseph Jaeger is dead.”

  Henry steps closer and replies, “Huh? But he looked as healthy as a horse!”

  “I fear, Henry, that his death may have been caused by something...deliberate.”

  Dr. Frankenstein rises to his feet and twists his goatee with his finger. He says to everyone, “While Henry infiltrates the Bohemian Club meeting early tomorrow morning, the rest of us will meet with Sajjad.”

  Barbara asks him, “Doctor? Would it be okay if I stay with Henry? In case he needs help?”

  “Fine. Let's all get some rest now...tomorrow is a big day.”

  Hours later, Alexandria is in bed and staring at the ceiling of David's guest bedroom. This bed of his feels so uncomfortable when compared to the one in her room at Atlantis! She sighs and rolls over to her side while whispering, “It's the same thing here, dad. You always leave me alone.”

  She is awakened several hours later by the immensely loud a
larm coming from her cell phone. She takes hold of the device and touches the screen. The room is quiet once again which tempts her to continue sleeping. Not willing to miss the opportunity to visit a popular landmark, she sits up and stretches her arms while yawning. Fluffy is next to her licking her arm and wagging his tail. Alexandria gets out of bed and walks into the bathroom.

  Moments later, she gradually opens the bedroom door and looks down the hallway in hopes of seeing David getting prepared. To her dismay, the only noticeable occurrence is the sound of snoring. Just as Alexandria is about to knock on his bedroom door, she changes her mind. It would make her feel guilty to wake him up from his sleep and make him hate kids even more. She looks down at Fluffy and whispers, “You look ready. Let's go.”

  Alexandria opens the front door and she holds the dog leash tightly so that Fluffy does not escape from her. She does her best to make the least amount of noise possible as the door makes a clicking sound when it closes.

  A light flashes above Monte Rio Avenue. Shortly afterwards, Barbara and Henry appear. They nod at each other and Henry fades away until he is completely invisible. It still manages to make her feel a bit uneasy when he does that. She tells him, “Let me know the second things go bad, Henry. Good luck.”

  “Thanks. I'm gonna head on up to Bohemian Avenue.”

  Barbara's thermal imaging sensor in her eye picks up Henry's body heat and watches him run towards the aforementioned avenue. She then proceeds to run into a heavily wooded area and lifts her wrist to speak into it.

  “Henry's on his way right now, doctor.”

  She hears him reply, “Good. Keep me posted, Barbara.”

  Dr. Frankenstein is sitting down on a park bench at Central Park and begins to read his newspaper. He looks at his watch and it shows ten minutes past six. Could something have happened to him? A tall man sits down next to him. He crosses his leg over the other and his backwards foot can be seen.

  “Sajjad.”

  Sajjad takes a deep breath from his inhaler and says, “As you are assuming, Mr. Jaeger's death was not a natural occurrence. I found a minuscule reddish entrance wound on the back of his neck which resembled the puncture of a needle.”

  “The icy projectile.”

  “Doctor?”

  “In 1975, it was discovered that the CIA developed a poison in the form of an icy projectile that could be fired from a gun. It was, and still is, untraceable.”

  Sajjad takes a moment to think about his present situation. He has lost the person that he swore to protect. The person that provided not only himself, but all of the Abarimon, the freedom to travel anywhere around the world.

  “I must avenge his death. I want to help you.”

  “You are fortunate that they did not kill you, Sajjad. They do not see you, nor myself, as a threat. However...I will be traveling down a path that will place everyone that I know in danger.”

  “I am aware of the risk involved, doctor. And I accept it.”

  Dr. Frankenstein grins and extends his hand. Sajjad nods and shakes it thus confirming the new addition to the team. The doctor closes the newspaper and rises to his feet followed by Sajjad.

  “Follow me, Sajjad.”

  They both begin walking toward a nearby alleyway. Upon entering it, a bright flash is seen and the two men disappear.

  Chapter III

  Joshua opens the front door of his house in Westchester County and exits. He knows that his mother is in California enjoying a summer encampment with the wealthy rulers of the world. As he closes the door, he sighs and wonders why his mother has always put her job before family. While walking toward his blue 2012 Chevy Silverado, he takes out his phone and makes a call.

  “Grandpa. It's me. I'm on my way.”

  The pickup truck used to belong to his grandfather. After getting hit by a drunk driver, instead of repairing the damage, he just purchased a newer model. Joshua offered to buy the vehicle and repair the damage with his own money. His grandfather agreed and now he is the proud owner of his very own pickup. He steps inside and turns the ignition. After revving it several times, he exits the driveway and makes his way toward the city.

  Joshua looks at his phone and becomes upset with the fact that he completely forgot to charge it. He opens the glove compartment and tries to find the car charger without having to take his eyes off the road. Not being able to locate it, he decides to take a quick look inside. As soon as he finds it, his worst fear is confirmed as he hears a girl scream, “Look out!”

  He looks ahead and sees a small puppy in front of him. The tires screech as it comes to a stop...but it's too late. It felt like his front tire rolled over a speed bump. Joshua rests his head on the steering wheel as he prays that all of this is just a terrible nightmare. Realizing the harsh reality of what has happened, he opens the door and steps out to find a mangled puppy underneath his Silverado.

  Alexandria has her mouth covered with her hand as she looks upon the horrifying scene. She walks toward the pickup truck to give the driver a piece of her mind. It is true that she lost control of him as she was looking at the directions being provided by the GPS of her phone, but she feels angry at whoever was controlling that huge machine. She becomes paralyzed as soon as his face comes into view. He's the same guy that she met last night! Joshua slams his fist on the hood and yells, “Fuck!”

  Not knowing what to say, she tries to comfort him by touching his shoulder. This startles him and he asks her, “Is he yours?” All she can do is stare into his eyes. She finally nods. He looks down at the dead animal and says, “I am so sorry. This is my fault.”

  “It's my fault, too. I lost control of him.”

  “I can take you a vet...but, honestly, he looks dead.”

  Alexandria knows full well that Fluffy can be repaired so she is not too upset. She cannot tell him that, though.

  “It's sad...but don't worry about me.”

  Joshua senses something familiar about her. He sniffs and catches her scent. Has he met this girl before? He puts the thought out of his mind and looks into her beautiful eyes.

  “Ummm...Can I give you a ride?”

  She glances at her watch and agrees by replying, “Okay.”

  “I'm Joshua Garrison, by the way.”

  “I'm Alexandria...Schultz.”

  He waits for the usual reaction from introducing himself, but sees that she is unfamiliar with his relation to a certain corporate executive. Either that or she just doesn't care. He scratches his head in a state of confusion, and grins afterwards. Joshua reaches into the back of his Silverado and takes out a blanket. He then kneels down and proceeds to scoop the carcass into it. After placing the wrapped up puppy into the back of his pickup, he motions to Alexandria to approach the passenger door. She walks around the front and Joshua opens the door for her. She smiles at him as she enters the vehicle. He closes the door and runs toward the driver's side door. Alexandria watches him enter and close the door behind him.

  “Put on your seat belt, Alexandria.”

  “Seat belt?”

  Joshua replies, “Yeah, y'know....”

  He makes a gesture with his hand as if he's pulling an invisible object over his chest. She looks over both shoulders and then down at the belt on her waist. He dismisses this peculiar behavior to the fact that she may very well still be in a state of shock. He reaches over her right shoulder and Alexandria catches the scent of his cologne. She closes her eyes as she sniffs his neck and imagines herself kissing him passionately. Her eyes open upon hearing the sound of the clicking of the seat belt and turns her head to look at Joshua. He turns the ignition and shifts the gear to the drive position. The Silverado accelerates and disappears into the morning traffic.

  In the meantime, Henry finally arrives at the majestic black gate which is the entrance to the Bohemian Grove. There are two guards on each side wearing black suits. One of them is a short, Hispanic looking man with a mustache and the other is quite tall, and muscular, without any hair on his head.


  A black limousine with darkened windows slowly approaches the gate and the guards make their way toward it. The passenger window opens slightly and the Hispanic guard is heard saying, “Welcome, sir.” The gate creaks as it opens and the limousine accelerates. Henry takes this opportunity to run inside and successfully enters just before the gates close.

  As Henry walks down the path, he marvels at the tremendous height of the redwood trees. They must be at least three hundred feet tall! The sight distracts him and he almost gets hit by the oncoming limousine. He jumps out of the way and whispers, “Jesus.”

  Henry arrives at the parking area and observes the wealthy elite greeting each other while smoking their cigars. Weren't there warnings by the California Forest Service if his memory serves correctly? They all seem to be dressed in classical attire from the fifties and their faces painted white with colorful designs. He almost laughs out loud as he watches one them completely remove his clothing and run into the woods screaming like a raving lunatic. He then whispers, “That has to be a high level jarhead.”

  While walking along the dirt path within the Bohemian Grove, Henry is astounded by the amount of camps that are scattered throughout the redwoods. He then notices a campfire pit in the middle of a circle and the presence of carved redwood log benches. Two men are sitting down and kissing passionately while holding each other's hands and drinking beer from huge mugs. They are interrupted by an overweight man (completely naked) that arrives behind them, releases a thunderous fart and quickly runs away laughing hysterically. Henry smiles and comes to the conclusion that this little retreat resembles a frat house party more than a place where conspiracies are conceived. The unearthly sound of a trumpet can be heard. It makes Henry's hair stand on end because it bears a strong resemblance to what has been reported on the news as unexplainable noises that have occurred around the world. The Grovers suddenly rush toward another area and are heard mumbling something to the effect of, “Her initiation.”

  Henry follows them until they all arrive at an amphitheater which runs up the hillside. This must be what is referred to as the Grove Stage. Mostly every single member is dressed in Celtic robes and either wearing Venetian masks or white makeup adorned with designs. At the center of the stage, there is one member dressed in a red robe and holding a long wooden staff. His face is painted in a way as to resemble a human skull. Henry whispers, “Okay. What the hell is this?”