After Darkness II

by J. F. Johns

  Terra expected Petra to lash out, to scream and yell, punching and tearing at her flesh. The silence was worse. All Petra did was stand there, watching Terra with amusement flickering through those blue cold eyes. It was disturbing.

  'You think I'm jealous?' Petra asked after a few minutes of silence. She laughed, her head tilting back as her fingers stroked the edge of the metallic chair Terra was strapped to. 'What should I be jealous of, Terra? The fact that you're human and breakable where I am not?' She circled Terra like a predator, her lips curling into a menacing smile. 'Perhaps I should be envious of those eyes of yours. One blue and one white.' Cocking her head, she leaned in real close, her lips brushing Terra's cheek. 'Or perhaps your disfigurement.' She pointed towards the missing ear. 'You're right. There's so many things to be jealous of.'

  Petra stepped back, lifting her arm up. Her hand twisted and turned on itself, bones breaking as it transformed into the claws of a crow. They shone beneath the bright lights of the room like daggers. Terra knew their cut was sharp too.

  In one quick movement, Petra's hand slammed forward into Terra's side, the claws tearing through skin. Terra cried out from the unbearable pain. Petra dragged her hand out slowly, making the pain last longer. Blood spurted out. Petra didn't seem at all disgusted, instead she licked her fingers which were coated in blood. The agony in Terra's stomach made her lean forward, gagging and coughing. The room began to spin, twisting and stretching.

  'Don't worry,' Petra said. 'I made sure not to puncture any organs. I need you alive. So don't you dare die on me.'

  Terra leaned over to one side, heaving. The pain was so unbearable, her eyes fluttered, the little strength left in her screaming at her to stay awake. She couldn't fall unconscious with Petra in the room. Nation knew what she would do to her.

  But with no strength left, Terra's mismatched eyes shut and everything disappeared from sight.

  Chapter eight

  Camille had never enjoyed being the centre of attention, but throughout the years she had learnt to deal with a crowd. A long time ago she would've shied away, red as a tomato from standing in front of so many others. Now, now she kept her chin up high, her eyes narrowed with determination and her hands on her hips for further encouragement so they would think that she knew what she was doing.

  She didn't really.

  Her eyes travelled along the kitchen at the many faces gathered there. There wasn't room for all of them, but what really mattered were the numbers when they were outside sneaking into the Government's Headquarters.

  Hooky was sitting on one of the wooden chairs, watching her carefully. His belly was so huge no shirt could stay tucked in. His orange mechanical eye shone with interest and curiosity.

  The cyborgs that had stayed in the home to sleep were now scattered around the kitchen, waiting intently for someone to take charge. And that someone was Camille.

  'Okay, listen up,' she said, clearing her throat. 'My son, Kalem, has been watching the Government's Headquarters for the last few days and has found a way for us to get inside.' She gestured at Kalem, who stood at the other side of the kitchen, hidden in a corner with his robotic arms crossed against his chest and his almond shaped eyes narrowed. He clearly hadn't expected for Camille to pass over leadership as he stared at everyone with a harsh unfriendly expression.

  Camille knew how much Kalem hated crowds and how much he especially hated people. But this was his plan and his rescue mission and she wasn't going to take it away from him. Even if he tried shoving it back at her.

  Every single head turned to look at Kalem. Frustration flashed across those silver eyes, but was quickly replaced by determination. 'I found a backdoor that Watchers use to enter and exit the building,' Kalem explained, his voice a low deep growl that made a few cyborgs step away nervously. 'I've memorised their schedules. Every two hours the Watchers will switch. If we create a good enough distraction out front, I can sneak in through that door and get Terra.'

  'We can make that happen,' Hooky said, nodding. Others joined in agreement.

  'Right then,' Camille said, unable to keep her eyes off of Kalem. She didn't want to smile proudly at him and make him embarrassed, so she tried thinking of things Kalem had done to piss her off. 'We'll meet at four. It's the busiest hour and we'll be able to hide amongst the citizens. We don't have that much time so you better get going. Get as many people as you can, gather your weapons and start moving.'

  After everyone had filed out, Camille made her way over to Kalem and squeezed his robotic arm. It wasn't really possible to squeeze it as there was no flesh, just robotic parts and wires. It didn't matter. She did it to be close, to feel his contact. 'We're going to do this.'

  'What about Petra's crows?' Kalem asked.

  'As long as the distraction is grand enough, you should be able to sneak in without alerting Petra.' Camille's stomach twisted at the thought of Petra waiting there for Kalem.

  'She must know I've been watching the headquarters.'

  'Even if she did, how would she know that today we're planning on getting Terra out?'

  'I don't trust her. She will know. We need to get in and out as fast as possible. No lingering. You need to distract them long enough for me to get Terra out.'

  Camille nodded. 'I will. But... Kalem, just remember that if Terra isn't-'

  'Don't.' The warning in his tone was enough to make Camille clamp her mouth shut. He must've seen the hurt in her green robotic eyes because he reached forward and hugged her. The gesture surprised Camille. Kalem had never been a very affectionate type of cyborg.

  The hug didn't last long enough and Camille felt tempted to grab on, not letting go. But she couldn't do that. She needed to learn that sometimes, she just had to let him go.

  Kalem opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. Camille knew him well enough to know that he wanted to thank her. She watched him turn away and leave the kitchen behind.

  'You're welcome,' she whispered to the empty room.

  ...

  The girl once known as Scarlet stood on the ledge of one of the tallest buildings in the capital. From up there she could see most of the city and its chaos; the screams, the engines, the lights, the smoke, the cries and the laughter. She could hear it all even though she was closer to the clouds than to the ground itself. No sounds, no matter how far, could escape her.

  A sudden pain in her side brought her to almost tumble off the edge, and she glanced down at her stomach, frowning. Something was happening, but she wasn't quite sure of what. Nothing could harm her.

  Except...

  The monster's black eyes searched across the city until landing on the Government's Headquarters where Terra was being kept. A part of it was being held in that building. A fraction of the Destroyer was there and it was being hurt.

  The monster was now eager to get there, to tear apart anything that came across its path and claim what belonged to it. It would be whole again. The desire dripped from it eagerly. But within the monster, Scarlet cried out, trying to fight against the cage she was being kept in.

  As always, the Destroyer won.

  The creature made of nightmares dropped from the edge of the building. As it fell, its white blonde hair began to slowly vanish, as well as the pale skin of its body which began to disintegrate into black particles that became a mist that floated up, up, up into the sky.

  It travelled across buildings, sometimes even through them, causing the people to jump and scream at the sudden darkness that rushed through their offices or living rooms.

  The mist began to form again, turning slowly back into the Destroyer as it landed gracefully on marble steps in front of the Government's Headquarters. The girl with black veins and eyes glanced up at the building in front of her with distaste.

  The Watchers at the front door didn't part to let the monster through. One of them even lifted his weapon, aiming. With the flick of its right wrist, their bodies imploded, turning into particles of skin and blood withi
n seconds. They didn't even have time to scream.

  Another flick of its wrist and the door slammed open, the glass shattering and cracking from the force. It marched right through, stepping over the shards as the screams from the workers filled its ears. The inside was enormous and scarcely decorated with a reception area to the right where a girl dressed in government clothes stood shaking, her face pale.

  The girl's eyes bulged in fear, and she was about to scream when the Destroyer lifted its hand and balled it into a fist, silencing the girl. The human clawed at her throat trying to breathe. When the monster finally let go, the girl fell to the ground. Dead or unconscious, it didn't know.

  By the staircase, dozens of Watchers thundered towards the Destroyer. It waited for them, watching those white helmets approach with disinterest. Fear was in the air. The monster sniffed at it, intrigued.

  Bullets began to rain down upon the girl with veins as black as coal, but she disintegrated into mist, floating up until reaching the last level. The Watchers turned on their shiny white heels, searching for her.

  Once again, the Destroyer watched in delight as one by one their bodies exploded, leaving blood across the reflective surface of the floor. It wanted to stay and smell the blood, but the pain was increasing and so the monster turned around and continued on its journey.

  The two parts of itself were close; the one that lived within Petra and the one given to Terra. It was the human girl who was suffering, so it would go to her first.

  And it would destroy as much as possible along the way.

  Chapter nine

  Kalem had always been good at becoming invisible. He would enjoy running through the city, unseen and unheard. While everyone else was fighting each other to be seen, he would move from one place to another, invisible. Never in the picture and never remembered. He could watch the world and yet, the world didn't even acknowledge his existence.

  The thought had saddened him many years ago, but he had learned to deal with it. It was best to travel alone like a shadow.

  And that was precisely why he hated working in a team.

  Kalem paused at the end of an alleyway, glancing over his shoulder at the others that were meant to be following him. Too slow. It was making him nervous.

  Someone bumped his shoulder, startling him.

  'Think you could outrun your mother?' Camille muttered, smirking. Only a few more roads ahead and they'd be at the Government's Headquarters. Kalem felt giddy with excitement at being so close to Terra and finally being able to get her out of there. He'd worry later about the condition she was in.

  'Come on.' Camille rushed ahead as soon as the other cyborgs reached their side. Kalem followed, keeping an eye out for crows. No matter how relaxed his mother felt about the subject, he didn't trust Petra and knew to look out for the birds.

  They made it to the headquarters and their faces fell at the sight of what lay ahead. Citizens rushed down the streets screaming as Watchers marched towards the building. Blood was spluttered all over the marble steps as well as the entrance, and the glass doors had been shattered. People were rushing out of the building, screaming for help.

  'What the...' Camille's green eyes scanned the area, then turned towards the others. 'The distraction might already be in place, but we need to get Kalem through that door.' She pointed towards the side of the building where some Watchers were rushing towards.

  The cyborgs nodded and ran into the main street, firing their weapons to distract the Watchers making their way into the building. Before Kalem could run off, Camille grabbed him by the arm. 'Be careful,' she said.

  Kalem didn't have time to reply as they headed down the street, fighting their way through the screaming crowd. Watchers were filtering through the side door and Hooky managed to blast them with his weapon, allowing them access to the inside.

  A long hallway awaited them. There were no doors or windows, just brightly illuminated lamps. The silence inside was uncanny. It felt wrong and the urge to turn around and run was making Kalem sweat with nerves. The contents of his stomach were slowly rolling up his throat.

  A scream broke the silence.

  They reached the end of the corridor and Kalem hesitated by the door, unsure of what lay ahead. He was surprised to discover that another hallway appeared on the other side. And another. And another. They seemed to be in some kind of endless maze until finally the space opened up into an enormous room with sofas and chandeliers.

  And dozens of Watchers.

  There were a set of stairs towards the right leading up to the higher levels of the building, but unless they fought their way across, it would be impossible to reach the staircase without being detected.

  Camille readied her gun. 'We've got your back,' she said, a gleam of excitement sparking in those green eyes of hers.

  Hooky and Camille lunged forward, firing and kicking away like death itself. It was mesmerising to watch. Kalem had always known his mother was a great warrior, but it was still shocking to see her in action.

  'Hurry!' Camille grunted as she fired a bullet into a Watcher's head, kneeing another at the same time.

  Kalem didn't hesitate. He rushed up the stairs, leaving his mother and Hooky behind.

  Another scream tore through the air.

  Kalem had no idea where to go. There were doors everywhere, leading into different rooms. Where was Terra? Did he need to go up another level? Or perhaps down?

  The flap of wings froze him to the spot. Slowly, he turned on his heels and found a crow perched on a white armchair in a small sitting area, its head cocked watching him with interest.

  'You really should be more careful,' a voice purred into his ear. The hairs on Kalem's neck rose. 'Did you really think you could barge into my territory and get away with it?'

  Kalem turned around, his shoulders tensing at the sight of Petra standing mere inches away, her lips curled into that nasty grin of hers. 'Come on, Kalem. I thought you'd be smarter than that. You came all this way for sweet Terra, but you never stopped to wonder whether she wanted to see you?' In one clean movement, her hand snatched Kalem's throat, her nails digging into his skin. His breathing was suddenly cut off and Kalem struggled under her force.

  'I'll take you to her. I love reunions! And this one is going to be exquisite. I cannot wait to see your face when you realise-' Petra shut up, glancing up as she listened to something Kalem couldn't hear. His vision blurred as oxygen was cut off.

  Petra made a sound deep within her throat, a mixture between anger and irritation. Her grip on Kalem tightened for a fraction of a second before it loosened and he was able to breathe again.

  'I'm afraid this little reunion will have to wait.'

  Before Kalem could react, she swung him around with such force he was almost certain something cracked in his body. Then she let go, sending him crashing against a wall. Kalem's head took the fall, and the world began to spin and swerve uncontrollably. The last thing he saw were Petra's white heels walk away as she transformed into a crow and flew off.

  ...

  Terra could hear the gunshots as well as the screams, but her body had lost too much blood and her head had lolled to one side. She kept her eyes slightly parted, watching the door in case it opened. It didn't really matter. If someone came in to kill her there wasn't much she could do strapped to a metallic chair.

  Her right leg had gone completely numb and Terra knew that probably wasn't a good sign. It looked badly infected. Her stomach was a whole different mess. Any little movement she made brought a wave of agony to strike through the entirety of her body.

  Her dry mouth parted, the need to scream for help keeping her awake. Surely someone out there would be willing to help her? But the moment she tried screaming, no sound came out.

  At some point she must've lost consciousness because when she looked around, the tiles on the walls were twisting up as if they were made of rubber, floating off and falling against the ceiling. Everything around her bega
n to disintegrate except for herself and the chair she was strapped to.

  She watched in amazement and fear as the walls and floor began to melt away, first the tiles and then the cement. She tried screaming again, but the effort caused her to fall back into unconsciousness. When she awoke, she was startled at the sight of Scarlet standing in front of her. The room was still slowly vanishing layer by layer, but none of it seemed to affect them, as if they were in a protective bubble.

  'Scarlet,' Terra croaked, her mismatched eyes watering at the sight of the girl in front of her. She wanted to warn her about what was happening, then realised that probably all of this was being produced by Scarlet herself.

  The girl with black veins and hair as white as snow crouched down in front of her, her head tilted to one side. Something flashed in those dark eyes, but Terra knew it wasn't recognition. No. This girl didn't know her anymore, but there was definitely something there.

  'I felt your pain,' Scarlet said in that sinister deep voice that was hers and yet not hers at all. 'You are connected to me. A part of me. I couldn't let them hurt us.'

  The straps keeping Terra in place disintegrated and she fell forward, unable to hold herself up. 'You must leave,' Scarlet said, catching Terra before she dropped to the floor.

  Terra wanted to tell her that she couldn't. Her legs were too numb, her body too destroyed. Even though she was finally free it was too late. She would die in Scarlet's arms.

  A finger brushed her cheek and Terra glanced up at the girl holding her. The touch was as soft as a feather and it made Terra want to shut her eyes and sleep. Maybe death wouldn't be so bad if it felt like the brush of a feather. 'It's okay,' Scarlet whispered. 'He is coming for you.'