Judgement (The Twelve)

by Jeff Ashcroft

  The box felt heavy in Chris’s hands, “Thank you.” The words choked him.

  Anvil nodded towards the box, “It also contains a letter from me to both you and Edge. If I die and you both still live. Please see Edge somehow gets his letter and the necklace.”

  Chris could only nod in agreement. Anvil stepped back into the dark and was gone. His voice echoed around the warehouse floor, “When you’re ready meet us downstairs. We need to plan our first attack.”

  Chris shouted into the darkness, “What attack?”

  The lifts steel mesh door slide shut, “The one you will be leading.”

  Chris stood there clutching the box as he listened to the lift descend. Silently he lifted the lid with one shaking hand. The first thing he saw was a strip of four small photos resting on top of the boxes contents. It was of a happy looking, smiling young woman and a happier looking Anvil, each one was of them smiling or striking a different pose. In the last photo, Anvil was kissing her. Chris could see he was wearing normal street clothes. The woman looked pretty and he saw that her hair was cropped short and white like his own.

  “Mother,” He whispered.

  Chris slowly closed the lid. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes. Absently he wiped them away and sniffed. Then Judgement took control, ‘It is time.’ The voice inside him stated. He placed the box back within the pool of light, hesitated for a moment before retrieving something and placed it inside his trouser pocket. Chris strode grim faced through the patches of light towards the lift.

  Chapter Eight

  Anvil had the group gathered close together and was speaking when Chris arrived. He fell silent when he saw the look on Chris’s face.

  Chris allowed Judgement to speak with that clear deep commanding tone that instantly captured there attention, “Today will be the start of a war that has been waiting to happen for several thousand years.”

  Priest cut in, “But we’ve time to prepare. Edge has to find the Chosen One first and….”

  Judgement interrupted him taking command again, “No time Priest. The Chosen One has found The Dark.”

  Priest fell silent and waited passively for Judgement to explain.

  But Slash defended his thinking, “How do you know? Besides even if that is correct we have time on our side. Edge has to instruct her as the Chosen One.”

  Judgement shook, his head, “I am Judgement and know when my opposite has arisen. The Chosen One needs no training. She has taken charge of her new body and The Dark. They are planning there first full scale attack on us.”

  Priest rubbed a hand across his huge belly, “A female!”

  Judgement nodded, “Night and Light, Evil and Good, Ying and Yang, male and female. All things are balanced. As Edge chose his moment to call a truce with Anvil, now it is Anvils turn to call a truce with Edge.”

  Hot Cross nodded, “So that the Chosen One…”

  Speed finished, ”Will be revealed to us, just like Chris was revealed to Edge!”

  Anvil bowed solemnly to his son, before looking to Priest, “What do the prophecies say about this?”

  Priest thought for a moment, “That night shall meet day and a new dawn shall rise! I’d forgotten that one. Sorry.”

  Chris smiled, “It’s not that you forgot. It’s more like the Creator allowing you to remember.”

  Priests eyebrow shot up, “Never thought of that. How amazing!”

  Anvil looked to Huntress, “Can you find them for me?”

  Huntress nodded, “With fast boy here I should be able to find out soon enough.”

  Speed grinned from ear to ear, “Just point me in the right direction!”

  “No need.” Judgement stated matter of fact, “I know where they are.”

  “What?” Slash asked.

  “…..Are you?” added Huntress.

  “….On about?” Priest finished.

  “Can someone please explain my heads hurting?” Of course this was Rage.

  Even Anvil looked puzzled, “Yes please explain your self son.”

  Chris who had become Judgement replied in a deep voice, “Today night shall meet day. The Chosen One shall meet me. I think if I try hard enough, I will be led to him. For it was prophesied.”

  “Just like that!” Heartless stated sarcastically.

  Huntress shook her head, “I’ll start tracking with Speed we should…”

  But it was Patch who suddenly surprised them all. Gripping Chris by the hand she boldly faced the others, “If Chris, sorry, Judgement tells you he can lead us to The Dark and this she bitch. Then I say we believe in him.”

  Anvil looked from Patch then to Chris, “Lead the way son.”

  Speed let out a rebel battle cry and vanished from sight. Huntress ran for the lift, “Speed bloody well wait for us!”

  The others quickly checked there weapons and gathered themselves for what lay ahead. Priest finished with a solemn prayer, “Lord above and almighty Creator of the Protectorate of mankind. Grant us, thy chosen twelve humble servants the power and strength to see your will done. Amen.”

  Anvil slapped Priest soundly on the back, “Cry havoc!”

  Priest grinned, “Aye and let slip the dogs of war!”

  To every ones surprise Rage added, “That this foul deed shall smell above the earth, with carrion men, groaning for burial!”

  They all stared open mouthed at him, “What?” He asked. “I liked Shakespeare, a good drinker too, even if he had help writing those plays the lad had promise back in the day.”

  A double metallic cocking sound made Chris turn his head. Bulls Eye had just levered a round into a big old fashioned rifle, with a long brass telescopic sight running full length along the top, “You all be Shakespeare’s dogs of war. I’ll put my faith in my 50-90 Sharps Buffalo rifle. You want me out playing long field as usual?”

  Anvil nodded. It was the first time Chris had seen Bulls Eye with anything other than his six shooters and a knife. The gun looked lethal.

  Bulls Eye glanced towards Chris, “You won’t see me but I’ll be out there protecting your back.”

  Chris nodded and with a last quick smile directed to his father and with Patch holding his hand, headed for the elevator, Speed and Huntress waiting impatiently. Five minutes later they stood in a half circle in the In Between space out on the cobbled warehouse roadway. Typically it had started to drizzle lightly with a grey overcast sky and a slight cold breeze was blowing.

  Chris closed his eyes and thought of his half brother and The Chosen One. ‘welcome.’ came the unspoken greeting.

  “This way,” Chris instructed and set off down the road.

  They travelled along narrow cobbled back street alleys, between tall disused warehouses. The buildings stood close to each other or were joined by bridging iron walkways.

  Speed ran up besides Anvil a moment later reporting the way ahead was clear. “Huntress and Bulls Eye are following via the roof tops.”

  “Tell them Judgements leading the way and they’re to follow. Report back in five.” Anvil instructed and with that Speed was gone.

  Chris found himself thinking back, the alleyway reminded him of his old home ground, ‘Had it been such a short time since poor old Wally had been murdered? He remembered how scared he’d been when he saw his body.’ He found himself doubting his abilities.

  ‘Be strong!’ Judgements voice spoke within his mind. ’She is trying to undermine you.’

  ‘How can I, I’m just a sixteen year old vagrant with no education. No prospects and no life to call my own. You even tell me what to do!’

  ‘You are Judgement and I am you, together we are more powerful than you can possibly imagine.’ The voice remained silent as they carried on trudging along the wet cobbles. Soon they came to a cross roads and turned right following the Thames towards Battersea Park. He could feel the pull drawing him onwards.

  ‘Not far now.’ Judgement informed him.

  This was good, because he hated this grey In Between place. They passed peop
le going about there everyday lives, oblivious of what was taking place around them. But at least they lived and moved in a world full of colour, light and warmth. Maybe Chris would have felt different if he’d just become Judgement but he hadn’t. They lived side by side in one body. The human half hated the In Between place. It felt like a dead zone to him. The real world was just as much his as any one else.

  Speed suddenly re-appeared, panting in front of Anvil.

  “Water!” He gasped. The rain was actually steaming from his body.

  Rage handed him a bottle he had been carrying, “Thought you’d need this.”

  Speed glugged it down in six seconds flat. A flushed redness faded from his face, “Ah better.”

  Anvil looked past him, “Where’s Huntress and Bulls Eye?”

  “Bulls Eyes up on a hill top overlooking the park. Huntress is by the childrens zoo in the park.”

  Chris closed his eyes and nodded, “Huntress is very good. They are in the park. I can feel it.”

  Anvil turned to his son, “How do you want to play this?”

  Chris had been to the park several times and knew the layout from heart, but Judgement wasn’t playing.

  Chris blinked in surprise, “Over to you father.”

  Anvil nodded. “Okay everyone we head for the Park.”

  Priest asked, “Yes but what if they’re in the zoo area? The animals will kick up such a din. The parks police will come a running. We can’t take all the animals into the In Between.”

  Judgement re-appeared for a second taking over Chris. He watched as Judgement dropping them all back into real time, “We have no need of this grey world, we like colour and light.”

  Chris looked surprised with as Judgement mirroring his own thoughts. This entity wasn’t trying to take over from Chris, he realised this was a strange form of an apology for taking control.

  Anvil and the rest also looked surprised at finding themselves exposed. They glanced at each other with puzzled expressions, before turning to stare at Chris.

  “No more hiding.” Chris answered.

  Then Judgement spoke to Chris who stated, “The animals.”

  Anvil asked, “What’s that about animals?”

  Chris’s voice sounded so sad, “All dead, every single one killed by The Dark just for fun.”

  Anvil slapped Speed on the shoulder, “Speed, pass on my orders to Huntress. She’s to hide in the band stand. That will give her a clear shot of the area. Take up a location near her and protect her flank. Be prepared for anything.”

  Chris asked, “Bulls Eye?”

  Anvil started walking, “He’ll be watching.”

  Patch stayed at Chris’s side, “I’m guarding Chris.”

  Anvil simply nodded as he realised a bond was forming between them that not even he could separate.

  Chapter Nine

  The rain was falling heavily now, a typical late autumn day, cool and wet. The wind was blowing faded brown and gold coloured leaves across the park grass. Heartless and Slash checked on the Parks Police hut. Slash glanced in through a side window. Three policemen and one police woman were on duty and enjoying coffee. The childrens zoo was very quiet, Speed reported back, it was as Judgement had stated, every animal ripped to pieces.

  Anvil looked to Chris, “Where are they?”

  Chris turned and pointed to the pump house down by the lake, Judgement spoke clearly for all to hear,” She is waiting for me.”

  Anvil lifted his weapon up onto his shoulder, “Time to go.”

  They were almost at the wooden red front door, when Chris or rather Judgement called a halt. At that exact moment, the door was flung wide. Like rats rushing from the darkness within. The Dark rushed out. It was the first time Chris saw them all together.

  Edge was at the front, stopping twenty feet away, a blade in each hand. To his left stood three of the Dark he recognised, Claws, Shadow and Leach. To his right stood Ghost and others he didn’t know.

  Anvil whispered in his ear, “The ones on the right besides Ghost are Retch, he’s the massively fat elderly man dressed in that worn monks smock. He can vomit all sorts of horrible creepy crawly things that can eat you down to the bones in a matter of a few minutes, or suffocate you where you stand. They attack on his command. He’s also the thinker and planner for Edge, although you wouldn’t know it. The other one is Screech, she’s as old as Retch, which is pretty old. She has a scream that can shatter glass or eardrums for that matter.”

  Chris felt extremely uneasy when he recognised she was wearing what appeared to be an old worn nuns habit and high healed black shoes.

  That left four Dark, two of which where sliding around towards Anvils right hand side. An arrow suddenly thudded into the earth before them. Both stopped and went into a crouch. To Chris they looked and behaved like wild cats. Each had wild unkempt red hair, long canine teeth that showed when they both let out a hiss of hatred. Chris also noticed that they had razor sharp taloned claws.

  Anvil introduced them to Chris with a whisper, “Those are the twins, Cougar and Panther. They look and act like big cats and always attack together.”

  Another figure lurked in the shadows near the tree line behind the twins, “The one hanging back slightly is Sling.”

  Chris could see a tall muscular shouldered black man dressed in a loan cloth and nothing else except a leather pouch worn around his lean waist. Sling was covered from head to toe in self inflicted tattoos. He had what appeared to be a sling shot in the grip of his left hand.

  “He’s as deadly with that thing as Huntress is. He uses solid steel balls as ammo, watch out for him.”

  Chris nodded to a shadowy figure moving through a clump of bushes over to the left, “What is that?”

  “Good question. All we know is its called Venom. It’s neither male nor female. The thing has yellow slit eyes and its skin is covered in reptilian scales. I’ve never heard it talk.”

  “Am I imagining things or is it naked?”

  Anvil nodded, “Skin like a snake, no sign of any sexual organs. Oh and it only has three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. The index fingers on each of its hands are razor sharp hooked claws. It also has a small hooked claw on the heel of each foot. It can rip you open with either, and it’s poisonous.”

  To Chris it was like he was looking at a freak show through nightmare eyes. He waited for something else to happen and didn’t have to wait long.

  Edge was whispering something to Claws but suddenly stopped in mid sentence. He turned his head quickly to glance over his right shoulder, Bowing awkwardly he moved to one side.

  “What have we here?” priest whispered.

  A blond haired shoulder length female teenager dressed in skin tight shiny black latex and high heeled stiletto boots moved forwards sensually to stand just to the right hand side on Edge. She appeared to be wearing black lipstick and was extremely beautiful. This was not what Chris had expected.

  “Hello Judgement, or can I call you Chris? I do hope so. Apparently my name is The Chosen One but my name before I died was Coffee. You can call me that if you like.”

  Chris was rooted to the spot, her words dripped like honey from her lips, her voice full of sexual promises yet to come.

  Patch squeezed his hand so hard that Chris risked a glance down at her smiling face. He returned the smile plus a slight nod of the head. Taking a deep breath he returned his attention to Coffee. She was visibly looking irked, something had annoyed her.

  Priest shouted over to him, “Watch out Chris! Her voice has power. Can’t you feel the pull of it?”

  Edge snapped back, ordering him to shut his fat mouth but the woman placed a hand on his arm.

  “It’s alright Edge, he’s there prophet. It’s his job to know.”

  “Priest would you like to explore my body? I bet you would. Many a so called holy man would visit me in the night. Paying like all the others to have there way with me. Hypocrites one and all! I died underneath a fat bastard like you. He stran
gled me! Can you believe that? He blubbered and cried like a baby when he realised what he’d done, prayed to your God for forgiveness as I was re-born. You should have seen the look on his face when I broke his fat neck!”