Arc 1 - Chapter 21: The Dark Angels

(Prominis 21, 58 / 5:28AM)

Two teens walked toward the last gate.

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Trust me on this.”

“Trust you? That doesn’t explain why—”

“Shh.”

Luke and Jack took cover behind a stone wall, as they let their backs rub against the stone. Giving each other a nod, Jack looked over to see, as he was the nearest to the gate.

‘Ah crap…’

Blocking the last door was a militia of zombies, with a steam cloud encapsulating the area needed to cross over.

Many dead trees and stale ponds molded over the stench, followed by the soil and dirt to be emptied with nitrogen. Looking to be an old garden, Jack still had his head out, and yet the zombies didn’t notice a trace of him.

Prior to their visit, both Luke and Jack were soaked with water, meaning…

‘Water does give us a great advantage. Luke was right on the money.’ thought Jack.

They had dosed themselves with a hose, eliminating the chance for any zombie to notice them.

He then glanced around the wooden crates plastered in a uniform system way. Squinting his eyes, he noticed a logo with black and white skulls.

“There’s a lot of those wooden crates.”

“How many?”

“Thirty to forty.”

—Loraine was right…

Luke switched places with Jack, making him the one near the gate. Looking inside the final gate, he saw the dead garden, and he could only give out a small smirk. Giggling a bit, he turned toward Jack, replacing his worry with joy.

“So I've been worrying for nothing huh.”

“Huh?”

“That logo represents the symbol for cryogenic gas.”

“What?”

Jack walked toward the edge of the wall, checking upon the wooden crates again. But it only let Jack tilt his head, and scratch the back of his head.

“I still don’t get it.”

“It’s a deep freeze gas that can turn anything into hard ice. What did you think it stood for?”

“I thought it meant poison…”

Looking away, Jack kept to himself as he put his hands in his pockets, his ears turning red. Signaling Jack, both teens walked towards the gate, seeing all the skinned zompires walking in a programmed pattern.

Once they reached past the gate, all the zompires continued to mindlessly walk, as tar foamed out from their mouths. Feeling like death loomed from behind, the two of them were drenched with sweat, with both of their legs shaking from the pressure.

“Are you positive you know what you’re doing?”

“Yeah … just need luck that’s all…”

Luke glanced at the upper walls, as if he was checking up on something. Turning his attention back onto the wooden crates, he extended his hands out and pointed towards them, making it seem like he was…

Jack pointed the sniper up toward the sky, piercing the air with a single caliber bullet.

All of the zompires drew their heads at the sniper shot, their heads arching up as it tried to sniff. Then came the growl, then a stance, and then—

“Fire!”

Without making a pose, he and Jack pushed the soles of their feet back to where they came. The zompires, sprinting toward them at an abnormal rate, let their peeled stomachs and chest release steam.

On the two walls that Luke glanced toward the top, two groups covered the left and right. And with the cue of Luke’s signal, the five candidates that nestled themselves like snipers popped their heads out like groundhogs. Unletting the portrait of Luke and Jack sprint with their very lives, being a distraction, they placed the barrels set on the crates.

The left side contained Miles, Luna, Hope, Loraine, and Sean, and the right contained Stan, Fred, Gary, Diego, and Cameron.

Like lightning, a deadly rain of bullets rained all over the dead garden, the precipitation being more focused on the wooden crates. As the bullets punctured the crates with holes, it seemed like they used all the ammo they stored up to this very moment.

Loraine wasn’t like the others, as she wielded nothing but an RPG, firing shell after shell at the sprinting zompires. The recoil shook the entirety of her body, and every shot made her lose balance, but she kept going, as her support thinned out the zompires one by one.

For Luna and Miles who had close range weapons, both of them wielded something different—

Both helped each other set down a gatling gun.

The heavy machinery firing hundreds of bullets per second, Miles’ hands were drained by just firing the gun, the recoil sick enough to blur his vision. Yet for some reason, Luna felt fine, considering she was the one who carried the thing. Taking in most of the recoil, every bone and muscle within her body felt ripples of shockwave by every round it fired.

“Jack, get back!”

As Luke and Jack ran, Luke looked behind and saw the absolute peak of destruction… once all the wooden crates began to break. A gas, being a degree or two above absolute zero, circled the garden like water.

“Shit, don’t let it touch you!”

Jack was the first to reach the same cover they peeked out from. With the zompires suffocating and indulging in the frozen gas, Luke pushed all the muscles dwindling within his feet and legs. Without looking back, he kept pushing.

Because the gas was beyond perfect… no … it was overkill.

“Everyone get down!” Yelled Stan.

The gas having nowhere else to go, it traveled up, rising to the top of the walls where they all stood.

“Shit! Use the poles!” Yelled Miles.

One by one, each candidate slid down metal poles to escape the gas. Gripping the pole tightly, clinging onto it like a lifeline, they let the metal squeeze and scream.

“Don’t slip off!” Yelled Stan.

The gas reached the top of the walls. All of them looking up as they slid down, they held in their breaths, as they saw the frozen gas hover over the area where they originally stood.

One of the poles creaked and splintered.

“Huh?”

Stan’s group was the pole that broke, sending them tumbling down to the ground hard. Even though the walls were thirty feet, and they were halfway sliding down, all of them sprawled the ground with sprained ankles.

Miles’ group was fortunate. As all of them safely landed on the ground, they looked at each other with mustered grins.

Until they remembered Jack and Luke—well … mostly Luke.

““Luke!”” Yelled both Hope and Luna.

Both girls ran toward the gate, letting their feet thud the concrete. Breathing heavily, which sended a jabbing sharp pain to strike their frontal lobes, they pushed faster.

“Wait, Luna! Hope! … I guess we’re following them.” Said Miles.

“I wish I had that type of concern for me.” Said Sean.

Miles ran to the sprinting Luna and Hope, having Sean and Loraine in tow. Once the three of them catched up to them both, the five of them saw Luke and Jack…

“Oh shit, they’re still alive!” Yelled Miles.

Luna and Hope reached Luke first, who hovered over him like a pair of vultures finding a pile of bones. Sean took a good look at Luke, seeing him drown in love while he died in thirst.

‘Damn…’

Sean took a glance at Luke’s hands, seeing he had a couple of stage 1 frostbite marks along his fingers. Blisters sprouting from the center of his palms, it looked like he had placed his hands on a black metal skillet.

Even Jack took note of Luke’s minor wounds. So did Luna and Hope, who hovered over him more intently.

“So this is the price for doing things the easy way?” Said Jack.

“Better this than someone dying. Good thing that Loraine told us about that little wooden crate spoiler.”

“What spoiler? I thought you said you knew it was frozen gas?”

Luke remained silent, as he let his eyes trail to the ground below. Being silent, Jack let his right temple twitch.

“Did you just gaslight me?”

“I-I had to make you trust in me, otherwise—”

“No way you actually used me!”

“Shut up!”

Luna slammed her fist onto the top of Jack’s head, making him squeal. Raising both of his hands up to his head, he massaged the bruised area, followed by his eyes closing shut from the pain. Using his fingers, he pressed against his scalp, eyeing Luna with a couple of tears in his eyes.

“B-But he used me…”

“He used you because you were useful to him, dumbass.”

“D-Don’t call me a dumbass…”

“Idiot.”

“Stop calling me curse words!”

“Nincompoop.”

“Not you too Hope!”

While Jack was verbally assaulted by both girls, Luke found a piece of cloth from the inside of his jacket. Wrapping it gently onto his palms, he wiggled his fingers, hoping it would recover his freezer burns.

—It ain’t much, but it will do.

Turning his feet, he trailed his steps toward the frozen garden. Passing through the gate, he noticed Sean and Loraine sprint through the frozen wasteland, as they avoided the zompires that were stuck in time.

With the trees having frozen icicles, the dead grass frost bitten to the max, and the soil turning permafrost; the garden looked … more alive than dead.

—Why is Sean running towards … oh no…

Luke covered his right eye with his hand, as he looked down.

[... was to only give out seven white bananas.]

A remnant of Boris’ voice trailed in his mind.

He kicked his legs off the ground, as he ran toward Sean and the final gate. The others saw him, and they all had that same ultimatum ringing loudly against their skulls.

“The bananas!” Yelled Miles.

“Fucking dork!” Yelled Luna.

“Wait Luke!” Yelled Hope.

“Sneaky bastard…” Said Jack, who trailed his words.

Luke heard a number of shouts from behind, which made Luke glance back. Pushing up his eyes, he turned his head back forward. He wasn’t heartless, but his goal was in front of him, a reason for him to live just like his mother wanted him to do.

And as he ran, Luna pushed Hope hard, making her fall on the icy soil. Landing on her right arm, an immense crash of pain traversed her bones and muscles, but she hissed through the pain. Slowly getting back up, she looked up to see Luna continuing running.

“Y-You whore!”

“Catch me if you can bitch!”

She pushed her thighs to work, but unlike Luna, her legs weren’t her strength. The difference in height, the difference of muscle mass, she was just an ordinary girl with normal strength and speed.

Meanwhile, Sean and Loraine were the first to reach the door. Standing in front of it, they slowly opened it, as a blast of warm air struck their faces.

“Well, I’m not waiting.” Said Sean.

“Piggyback!” Shouted Loraine, as she suddenly jumped onto his back. Taking a few steps forward, the soles of his feet loosened with the floor.

“Hey why so—”

“Don’t care! Charge!”

Punching his back with fake punches, he scoffed and continued his run into the building. Giggling, laughing, playing with his hair like an animal, he narrowed his eyes. Unwilling to look back, he clenched the back of his molars as his body shivered.

‘I don’t care who makes it, as long as Luke doesn’t’ thought Sean.

As the two ran, Luke was the third to reach the door, but he stopped to look back. He noticed Luna, Miles, Hope and Jack catching up, but what he saw far in the distance…

—There’s Stan’s group! Wait … why did they take so long!?

Seeing them push every ounce of muscle within their legs to work, they panted, as sweat soaked their bodies like sponges.

Luna was the fourth to reach the door, and she stopped right in front of Luke. Without giving him a choice, she took his hand, and dragged him to—

He pushed her hand away.

“Excuse me?”

“There’s something I want to say to Stan and the others…”

He knew they were dead last, and no denial was going to change that.

She tilted her head. Folding her arms underneath her chest, she got close to him, her eyes as sharp as daggers.

“Get moving.”

“Just please let me talk to them … all I’m asking is this.”

Both her knuckles quaked, as she began grinding her teeth back and forth like metal. Her nostrils fuming imaginary steam out of her body, Miles and Jack ran past the two of them, but both stopped to furrow their brows.

“Come on you guys, your goals are right there!” Yelled Jack.

“You guys better make it before they do.” Said Miles.

“It’s ok, you guys could go. I’ll speak with Stan on this…”

Both men nodded, before entering into the building, not looking back. Hope, being the 7th person to reach the door, wheezed all the air out of her weak lungs. Barely keeping her head up, she stared at Luna, as she daggered her eyes intently at the already frustrated girl.

“What? Going to cry?”

“ … slut.”

“Take that back!”

She grabbed the top of Hope’s hair, yanking it hard enough for Hope to have tears in her eyes. As both girls fought, Luke finally saw the last group of boys finalizing their sprint.

Stan, Fred, Gary, Diego, and Cameron all stood on the staircase, looking down at the icy floor.

“So I guess this is it…”

“I know you guys really wanted to pass, you all do…”

Instead of feeling doubt, Stan let the corners of his lips push upward. Looking up to Luna and Hope, who stopped their meddlings, he focused his brown-irised eyes onto tanned beauty.

“Tell me Luna, remember that conversation we had at the van?”

“pfft … can’t remember.”

Stan trailed his eyes toward Luke, who began scratching the back of his head with his brittled fingers.

“So me and Luna had this talk, when we were crossing the—”

“Shut up!”

Luna’s cheeks started to fluster a crimson red, leading her fists to shake and clench with vigor. His eyes gentle and calm, he placed his hands inside his pants pockets, his smile continuing to warm his face.

“Come to think of it, all five of us aren’t really ready yet. Putting myself on the frontlines? Fighting to see another day? A man has its limits. So that’s why…”

Stan balled his left hand, and thumped it onto the left side of his chest. Gliding it across, he stalled it onto the right side of his chest, showcasing the Dark Angel salute. As he did this, so did Gary, Fred, Diego, and Cameron, displaying their loyalty not just to Luke…

But to the group that raised them when no one else did.

“Me and my boys will continue working with you all, but more or less behind the scenes. You’ll be part of a team now, so you don’t have to do it on your own.”

His scleras began to strain a pinkish red, but he cleared his throat and looked away. Holding back his emotions, the rest of Luke’s friends took a couple of steps forward.

“We’ll be picked up at noon. I believe they said they could use some of our intellect.” Said Gary.

“And they said the pick up zone will be near the outskirts of the city.” Said Diego.

‘I guess I have to wait another four years…’ thought Cameron.

“Hey Luke!”

Fred’s arms started to shake, his eyes focused solely on Luke as he felt his body quiver. The sun, finally breaking through the dark morning, shone through the dark clouds and fog.

“I’m … sorry for what happened back at the storage room … I don’t know what got over me…”

Fred arched his back to bow down, his eyes looking downward as his ears perked up. Seeing Fred in a state of guilt, Luke rubbed the back of his head with his left hand.

“I'm sorry too … I don’t blame you for overreacting …”

“Come on, what type of best friend does that?

“And what type of friend leads their best friend to do that?”

“Hey Luke!”

He already straightened his back, and looked up to see Luke with a pushed up smile. Taking a couple of steps back, he gave him a thumbs up, as the sun from the horizon…

Finally began to shine and thaw the frozen iceland.

“Don’t die you hear?”

Luke saw the five boys all stand behind the sun, creating an oscar worthy image of them basking in the sunlight. In that single instant, Luke clenched his left hand, as a single tear rolled down his right eye.

And dropped onto the solid pavement.

“Try to take care of Hope Luke, oh and be sure to take care of Luke Luna.” Said Stan.

Hope’s cheeks flustered red, as she fiddled with her fingers shyly at Stan’s statement. As for Luna, her face reddened a pinkish red, with many veins popping along her forehead.

“He’s my pet!”

‘My point exactly’ thought Stan.

And by then, the five boys walked off.

Luna grabbed Luke’s hand, finally dragging him into the confines of the building. As Luke held Hope’s hand, he had no choice but to drag her as well, since he went along with Luna’s motion.

“We’re going in!” Yelled Luna.

After six hours of survival hell, seven candidates were then chosen as …

—The Dark Angels—