Crimson Judgment

by Robert Lyons

  John later learned that an enormous drug deal was taking place inside of the empty warehouse amongst three different gangs about two hundred yards away from their position. All of the thugs were armed to the teeth and were paranoid as is.

  When the fight broke out between the Chroma and the HAWK, the near-distant gunfire spooked the members of the three gangs. Thinking that the deal had gone sour, a three-way battle among the gangs inevitably erupted. Eighty percent of the people attending were dead within minutes.

  All of this gunfire drew the attention of people who lived close enough to the battlefield. The authorities were alerted.

  Captain Kubovics led the HAWK team to quickly dispose of the red-eyed Chroma, who gave little to no resistance to the monster hunters. Once their objective was cleared, the HAWK team stayed idle as they observed the complete stillness overtake the warehouse where all of the secondary gunfire was going off.

  “Looks like they figured it out.” An armored figure walked up to Captain Kubovics, weapon in hand.

  “It would seem like that’s the case, wouldn’t it?” John began to walk toward the structure.

  “Sir! I strongly advise against going there,” another armored figure voiced his opinion. “The Chroma are dead. We have no business looking into gun fights.”

  “I won’t be long. Cops will be here soon.” The captain nodded.

  The captain entered the massive open doorway. As he strode up to the entrance, he could already see two corpses riddled with bullet holes. The captain twisted up his face in disgust, not able to fully comprehend why humans turned on each other at the drop of a hat. Then again, he had been fighting against monsters all his life, so the captain was raised to refute differences with other humans. His solution was to find where others and he shared traits instead of focusing on what made them different from him.

  He spotted the stacked boxes of product that were used as a makeshift cover between the different gangs when their fragile meetup was disturbed by the battle outside. Hundreds of small, black pills were spilled out of containers that were damaged from bullets penetrating the thin packaging.

  “A drug deal gone bad … not surprising,” John said under his breath. Just above where he was walking was a metal walkway about fifteen feet off of the ground. The captain, known for his attention to detail, quickly looked up to make sure there were no surprises waiting for him. As expected, the walkway was clear.

  “Shame. So many of them were young.” The captain shook his head, observing the many corpses lying about. Over half of them were most likely not over the age of eighteen. “Well, that’s enough for today—”

  BRRRAT!

  Kubovics’ armor rang like a bell as bullets slammed against the reinforced plates that covered his thigh, ribs, and arm on the right side of his body. Out of instinct, the captain side jumped, attempting to run for the closest cover that he could reach.

  Before he walked by a nearby crate, his eye caught one of the corpses moving. More specifically, it was the arm of the supposed dead body that was moving and firing the small, modified weapon with automatic fire capability.

  What the hell is that?! The captain swung his rifle around in front of him, placing the target within his sights.

  Suddenly, the arm was not the only part of the body that was moving. Using her small yet explosives muscles, the young teenager suddenly jumped up, strafing and shooting as she moved in a circle.

  Even with all the scars to prove that he overcame so many battles in the past, John was shaken by the unannounced confrontation. He never had many chances to engage in a firefight against humans in the past, but within the first three seconds of that fight, he could already surmise that the black-haired teenager was no ordinary child who picked up a gun.

  The warehouse grew eerily quiet as both parties held off firing their weapons. Straining his ears, the captain was trying to pick up any possible indication of where the youth had relocated. It was also possible the girl used the opportunity to escape.

  “Everything all right, Captain?” the team located outside of the warehouse called Kubovics on his headset.

  “One hostile,” John replied quickly, sticking his head out momentarily. The warehouse returned to a subdued state now that the gunfire had ceased. There was no audio or visual indication that the youth was still present.

  “You sound tense, Captain. Need a hand?” one of the team members called back.

  “Stay clear of the warehouse. This one’s trouble.”

  “This one? What the hell did you find, Captain—”

  BRRRAT!

  “Shit! We’re taking fire!”

  The gunfire was originating from the third-story window.

  How did she get up there? Without me noticing? John growled, stepping out of cover and pointing his rifle up into the sky. Even though he had an approximate location of where she was, he still couldn’t locate her. A second cry of pain was unleashed in the distance. One of his HAWKs was hit.

  Frustrated, John pulled the trigger with his weapon set to automatic firing mode. The metal structure above flashed here and there as sparks flew from the bullets striking the structures. Smoke rolled out the end of the barrel as John dropped out the empty magazine.

  That should do it—

  Kubovics froze. The spot he assumed the teenager was picking off the team from was vacant. He knew this from the fact that the impossibly quick insurgent was throwing her legs over the railing from the second-story walkway as she kept her firearm pointed down at the captain. She let out a screech of anger and desperation. She was a cornered animal, making her will to survive known to the world.

  John slapped the fresh magazine into the receiver as he led his target. He pulled the trigger right before the rain of bullets could come crashing down around him.

  When the smoke from the attack died down, the captain advanced to the downed fighter, after he kicked away her weapon far out of reach. He peered at the teenager with curiosity in his eyes.

  “You almost had me.” John narrowed his eyes. “If you would have stayed up on that railing and found some cover, I would’ve been a goner. I should thank you for being impulsive.”

  The young teenager’s body was shaking with a blend of anger and agony.

  “Your superiors are a piece of work. Having you do the dirty work of delivering their drugs for them.” John curled his lips in a quiet rage.

  “What the hell are you?” The young teen’s face twisted up in confusion as she looked at the armored figures that were thoroughly doused in black blood. Never before had she ever felt a group of people with such an intimidating aura surrounding them.

  “You don’t get to ask questions. Now, what were you transporting?” John asked with caution. Confiscating narcotics wasn’t part of the HAWK’s job description, but John knew of the other parties that were involved in the transaction. The nature of this deal that went south in the bloodiest way possible was starting to raise suspicion in the captain’s mind. It was no mere accident that the Chroma and the drug dealers were so close to each other.

  “I don’t know.” Her voice lowered.

  “What the hell would your parents think if they saw this?”

  “They wouldn’t think much about it. They’re dead.”

  “Oh, so you’re orphan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Nothing … just wondering where you come from. No one fires a gun like that or moves the way you do without the corresponding training.”

  “Huh?”

  “Everyone else here is dead. Those who survived already ran off.” The captain nodded. “Not a lot of people could keep their composure like you are.”

  “Bite me.”

  “Well then, how did you get into this business?”

  “Hey!” the youth cried out, capturing the attention of the other HAWK members who were standing nearby. “What’s with the fucking questions? If you’re going to kill me, then do it!”

  “Why would I kill you?”

  “I
just tried to kill you! Why wouldn’t you?!”

  “I was going to ask about why you attacked me when you could’ve just hidden yourself.”

  “Aren’t you some kind of armored police unit? You would search the whole building and find me anyway!”

  “Oh, missy. We ain’t that,” one of the armored up figures answered. “Hell! On paper, we don’t even exist.”

  What? The youth’s facial expression shifted to neutral.

  “We have a medic who can tend to your wounds,” John offered, extending a gloved hand to the youth. “Fix you right on up.”

  There a small murmur coming from the surrounding men, as if the sudden Good Samaritan gesture was taboo. The captain looked over his shoulder with a hardened expression. The chatter stopped instantly.

  She swatted away the helping hand. “Get away from me!”

  John’s chest became unexpectedly tight. There was so much rage inside of her. Her flushed cheeks, reddened eyes, and flowing tears made the youth appear to be nothing more than a vulnerable girl whose heart was devastated by tragedy after tragedy and lashing out was the only response she was conditioned to use.

  The captain was sure that she didn’t grow up wanting to be a part of this world. She was thrown out into the turbulent sea and she had to do anything to stay afloat amidst the crashing waves.

  I wonder if she would’ve been like this girl…

  John lowered his weapon, no longer able to point his firearm at the mess.

  She could barely breathe from the sharp pain that stabbed through her chest every time she took a gulp of air. The black-haired youth half-blinked a couple of times, a feeling of heavy fatigue casting over her like a cold, wet wool blanket.

  From what she could see of the blurry image of her opponent, he had a concerned look on his face. His soft eyes shimmered with sympathy.

  Why don’t you just kill me? Why? Why are you doing this?!”

  “Because…” John paused, reaching for his headset with his free hand. “You make me think of what it could’ve been—if she could’ve lived.”

  There was a sparkle in her forest-green eyes, right before they began to slowly shift out of focus.

  Who is this man?

  “What’s your name?” the captain asked, raising his voice slightly. The sounds of approaching sirens were growing louder and louder. The HAWK team was departing to avoid any confrontation from other humans. The youth had a vague awareness of her surroundings, but she could sense that her broken body was lifted off of the ground. She was safe in his strong, protective arms.

  “I-I don’t know,” the girl replied as her eyes grew heavy from the crushing fatigue. “I never had a real name…”

  Her consciousness slipped into a dark void. The cold fingers had finally taken hold of her and dragged her down to that dark world. She began to ponder as she floated in the darkness. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her face.

  A faint glow made the darkness around her recede, starting at the very center of her vision, and then slowly expanding around her until no matter where she looked, an endless space of white stretched for an infinite distance.

  “Zoe … Your name will be Zoe.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. For as long as she could remember, she was an object used for someone else’s ends. She was a tool with no name.

  Zoe? That’s pretty. I like that.

  8.

  “…So how about it, John?” Zoe grinned, still holding out her extended hand. “Isn’t it time I pulled you out of the shit-hole?”

  To this day, John could clearly recall the details when he met Zoe Arsenault. He was glad that he exercised restraint and didn’t pull the trigger on the shivering girl who tried to assassinate him. He looked up to the girl who grew up to be a beautiful, mighty warrior.

  “Yeah, it’s about damn time!” John chuckled, but quickly grimaced from the stabbing pain of his pierced lung. His vehement coughing that followed resulted with him spitting out droplets of blood onto the floor. “Damn … how did she get me right between the plates?”

  Zoe grabbed a hold of his forearm, steadying her captain.

  “I’ll lead the way.” Steeljaws threw Medical Officer Belfer up over his shoulder. Using his free hand, he extracted a small flare. Zoe ducked under John’s arm and took some of his weight onto her own frame. There was a slight pause as she nearly popped a vein in her forehead from the exertion.

  “Captain … why is your armor so heavy?!” Zoe cursed under her breath.

  “Smokey uploaded all the prints to this place to my HUD, including the environmental control pathways.” Steeljaws pulled the pin on the flare canister, rolling the orb to a corner. “The duct to our way out is here!”

  A small spark crackled, growing into a flash that consumed the orb. The room was filled with a blinding light. Members of the team turned their faces aside.

  The goop creature, which was expelling the fumes while it consumed the corpses of the Intel Gathering Team, suddenly let out a drawn-out hiss. The sound of bones cracking echoed in the small space as the creature came to life.

  Withdrawing to the opposite corner of where the flare was thrown, the goop monster compacted itself into a smaller size. Its hasty retreat didn’t mean that the “meal” was going to go to waste. As the monster moved, it dragged the corpses into itself, compressing them for a better fit in the corner.

  Zoe shook her head, pushing away the emotions that threatened to come to the surface. Ruminating on those emotions was a luxury she couldn’t afford. If she survived, she would have the opportunity to properly mourn. Until then, the fight for survival was still on.

  “There it is!” Steeljaws said, spying the concealed slots in the concrete wall. “That will lead us back to the climate-control ducting.”

  Although the faceplates concealed their expressions, John could almost feel Zoe’s burning gaze melt through her helmet.

  “I will cut them down … every last one of them.”

  John’s eyes were filled with awe as he witnessed Zoe’s shift.

  This was the Zoe he met on that rainy day all those years ago. She was everything that John could ask for as a fighter.

  Maybe she’ll have your eyes, Johnny. The captain felt a pang of guilt shoot through him. It was his wife Adrianne speaking to him from a distant memory. Her soft voice soothed his ringing ears. No matter what, she will be our daughter.

  John gazed at Zoe the way a father looks at this daughter when he realizes that she no longer needs his guidance. Zoe was the answer, not only to the Forces, but also to John’s hardened heart.

  PHASE 07

  Exposed Potential

  March 17th, 2037. Local Time; 18:00

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Moody Concert Hall

  1.

  The dead body that fell from the ceiling was violently ripped off the ground. The red-eyed humanoid held the old man’s corpse high in the air as his fingers dug into the nape of the neck. His face was twisted up with an uncontrollable rage.

  The monsters before Zayde Maddox were the dreaded Chroma.

  The weeklong disclosure presented by the United Nations a couple years before made the world acquainted with the fact that the HAWKs, a previously secret organization, were the ones fighting against the man-eating fiends who mostly lurked in the shadows.

  The HAWK’s protocol to surviving an encounter with a Chroma seemed as effective as hiding under a school desk in the event of an atom bomb exploding nearby. Nevertheless, there had to be some sort of procedure in place. Whether the method was actually effective was never up for debate. Zayde was about to be given the chance to put that standard operating procedure to the test.

  Just an hour before, Zayde was kicking back, enjoying the festivities of the concert. Without warning, Chroma had flooded into the concert hall, eating those who were not fortunate enough to get out of the way fast enough. His best friend Wade and Jessica were nowhere to be found. The only thing Zayde could do was hope the couple made it out safely
.

  Why are they here? I’ve never heard of the Chroma attacking with such a large group! Zayde thought before witnessing the second Chroma group arrive.

  This second unit wasn’t at all focused with the corpses of the humans cut down by the first group. It was impossible to conjure up a reason for the infighting against their kind, but Zayde couldn’t devote much thought to it, since he was far too busy keeping himself concealed. That was, until the dead body fell from the ceiling right next to where he was hiding.

  Zayde was staring up at the second group’s leader. The face of anger the giant Chroma wore had completely vanished, replaced with an expression of pure elation upon the monster’s discovery. Whatever the Chroma saw in the young man brought the demon overwhelming joy.

  “What’s this? Rutem energy … from a human? Well, if you are leaking a Rutem trace, you could be very useful.” A wicked grin was painted across his pale face, his voice coated with a strange accent.

  Rutem? Use me?

  “You wait here.”

  Wait! What?!

  He was significantly bigger than any other Chroma Zayde had ever seen on the images attached to news articles. Long, raven-black hair reached down to his mid-back. After grabbing a hold of the corpse, the Chroma turned back around, losing interest and leaving Zayde behind for now.

  There were only a couple of Chroma from the first group remaining. The assumed leader of the first group was brought down to his knees before the giant Chroma. The last of the savage, man-eating red eyes stood still, his pale skin more void of color than before. The expression changed from an empty-eyed, mindless predator to that of a sentient creature that was aware of his existence and the threat of dying.

  “So, you’ve finally come to your senses!” the bigger Chroma thundered. “You won’t serve your master, either? Hmm?”

  “I couldn’t help it!” The smaller Chroma’s voice was shrill.