Arc 1 - Chapter 23: The Blood Eagles

(Quintiles 22, 59 / 2:36PM)

Two years later.

The hilly city of Lagefor bustled with growth. Business, prosperity, money; everyone walked along the white paved sidewalks in sync, unletting fate to stop them. As the old saying goes, time is money.

There lay a huge bank in the center of it all, its walls inside and out built by hardened white bricks. Inside of the city’s skyline, and in front of the highest tower in the country, it was tucked away; shadowed even. And near the bank doors, a group of guards wearing brown thin jackets all wielded ARs, watching man cladded in tuxedos enter into the modem bank. The guards looked too gruff for simple city folk, with scars and tattoos on display right below their throats.

Inside the bank, dozens of bank tellers talked with the noblest of men, detailing the riches and rags they acquired through—

“Look I just wanna withdraw some money.”

“Listen Mr. Zirardge. Your father specifically told us to not give you any more allowance, so I’m obliged to respect his decision.”

“You don’t understand! If I don’t have the money withdrawn, how am I going to support—”

“I’m sorry sir, but thank you for your time. Can I help the next person in line?”

A blonde haired boy, looking to be in his late teens, sulked as he walked away from the bank teller.

The bank was spotlessly clean, with many boots and high heels clacking the white marble underneath their feet. From the center where the boy walked away from, was a large circle of bank tellers, all helping out the rich and fortunate with iron bars separating them and their customers.

Massive golden pillars stretched high into the ceiling, showcasing statues of many different animals. The mammoths from the Kepputhan glaciers, the saber toothed tigers from the Aizzonia tundra, and the ground sloths from the Khazuan jungle…

The boy glanced at it all, seeing the pillars stare down at him like they’re watching a simpleton. Curling his fingers into his palms, he turned his eyes to a large portrait of his father, who had turquoise hair and a bushy moustache.

‘Is it wrong to be in a relationship?’

Just as he was about to exit the building, he saw a large group of guards stationed abnormally near the door. All of them wielding ARs, and all of them wearing thin brown jackets, they looked to be his father’s guards; yet…

‘They look different.’

They began putting on masks, causing the boy to raise his right hand up to his chin. Analyzing the large group, he trailed his eyes to the parked white van, a van the guard’s used for transport and hauling. But it didn’t look like it was hauling anything, in fact, it looked like it was hauling people…

‘This can’t be right … they’re going to …’

Putting the pieces together, he hid himself near a large fake plant, placing his back against the wall. Just as he did this, all the guards that stood near the door with masks…

Broke down the glass door.

With two to four men doing the deed, they were the first to enter, crushing the bits of glass beneath their feet. Wielding their ARs, they stormed through the hallway, causing everyone to stop what they’re doing and look at them. One man, who wielded nothing but a handgun, raised it up to the ceiling with his finger on the trigger.

And shot three times, rippling the air and their eardrums.

“Alright! This is a robbery!”

“On your knees! Now!”

There were ten of them, ten bank robbers who pointed their barrels at citizens and bank tellers alike.

Following their command, everyone dropped to the floor, laying flat on their stomachs and chests on the white marbled floor. Shutting their eyes, many of them started to pray, while the bank robbers walked toward the center.

Continuing to hide behind the fake plant, the boy peeped his head out.

‘Are they robbing my father’s bank? What are they, stupid?’

The group of bank robbers pointed their guns to the bank tellers, which made them raise their hands up high.

“Alright, take me to the Zirardge mine!”

“W-What mine!?”

He had the barrel of the AR pinned onto the teller’s forehead. Despite the iron bars separating them, the robber moved his finger to the trigger, caressing it with ease.

“We’re not stupid. It’s at the bottom of the bank, and we need someone to help us get in there. It’s sixty feet under our boots, but I’m happy to put you six feet under my boot.”

The bank teller looked at his co-workers, his face drenched with sweat while his body shook violently. Having no choice in the matter, he nodded, and tried to regain his breathing.

“Alright … I’ll send—”

“Nah, nah, nah. Just you. We only need you, no one else.”

“What makes me so special?”

“I think you know why.”

He opened up the little gate, leading himself to be in the hands of the armed robbers. Pointing the AR on the back of the teller’s skull, a foul odor spewed out from him. Even though his body was drenched with sweat, he pushed his frail legs forward.

“F-Follow me…”

“Alright. Three of you, follow me. The rest of you, make sure no civilian gets any funny ideas.”

“Sure thing.”

________________________________________________________________________

Finishing the last flight of stairs, the bank robbers and the bank teller let their eyes graze the wide open space. All of them saw a vault, wrapped in titanium with iron-like bars. Walking toward the large enclosement of iron, they noticed a 36 numbered locked code, meaning they needed someone to unlock it.

Which left them to stare at the bank teller.

“Punch in the code loser.”

One of the robbers, who sounded female, grabbed the bank teller by the nape and pushed him firm onto the vault. His right cheek being crushed, another robber held her back, by placing his hand onto her shoulder.

“You can have your fun after he punches in the code.”

“Does it look like I want to have fun with this loser?”

Letting go of his nape, she let the other robber take the lead, as he placed the barrel onto the back of his skull.

“Just give us the code now. I don’t want to paint the white marble red, you know? I’m not in a patient mood.”

He slumped down, staining the metal with his sweat drenched hands. Crying, he whispered faint tears while not looking back, making the bank robber release the barrel from his head. Bending down on one knee, he placed his arm around the bank teller’s nape.

“Now look. We need that code for the vault. I know you look like you have a family, believe me, I used to have one, but it’s better if you just cooperate with us.”

The bank teller swiped away tears with his right hand, his arms motionless and drooping alongst the ground. Unable to look, he sniffled once before lowering his voice, along with his breathing growing hoarse.

“ I … I can’t … you need the chief manager to do it … he’s the only person to have the 36 numbered code—”

—“Do I look like a fucking joke to you?”—

Blood gushed from his right hand, making him turn around to see a large knife cradling through his knuckles. The female robber, who had already taken it out prior, lifelessly stared at him through her mask.

“AAAH!!”

His vocals strangling each other, the bank teller curled himself like a ball, whilst blood spurted across the marbled floor. As he screamed bloody murder, he felt the wind from his throat cease, once he felt his body rise up.

“I know all about you. Everything. We know that you’re the chief manager of this bank, so drop the bank teller act. We even researched what foods you liked and disliked. You’re kids, wife, height, weight. You’re not a bad dad … but you’re not a good husband.”

The chief manager started to choke, leaving him to raise his hands despite a knife sticking out from one of them. Letting him go, the bank robber returned the barrel of his AR back onto him.

“If it takes you one minute or more for you to open the vault, then we’ll make you a headless chicken. Clear?”

His body odor was pungent, yet his breathing calmed, he slowly stood up with blood gushing out from his right hand. Digging his left pocket with his left hand, he took out a wrinkled napkin, a napkin looking like it was used for ‘expired milk.’ And placing the napkin onto his bleeding hand, he used his healthy one to punch in the code. Hearing the lock twisting and turning, the vault’s locks slowly went undone.

And with a click, the doors opened, letting the contents from within the metallic prison to reveal…

“Well what do you know…”

Mountains upon mountains of gold. Reflecting its chromatic colors onto them, their mouths opened wide at the momentous sight.

“They weren’t kidding when they said The Zirardges had more money than Aizzonia.”

“Yeah, and we're only robbing 1% of it…”

“No … I would say .1%.”

Three of the bank robbers ran toward the mountain of gold, switching out their guns with large black bags. Grabbing handfuls of gold with their secondary hands, the robber that had his barrel on the manager’s skull put his right hand on his shoulder.

“Do you see those black bags?”

All those bags had a symbol on them, which was an eagle being pinned upon by two shotguns. Widening his eyes, the manager began to break down, his face and body convulsing a hideous odor.

Looking like he was trying to break free, his strength was weak; far too weak for the common man.

“And it looks like you know us all too well.”

Holding the grip of his AR with his left hand, he walked around the manager so the barrel pointed straight to his forehead. His finger on the trigger, he saw the man’s eyes push up and quivering.

“Now tell me, do you love your wife?”

“I do! I do! I love my family more than anything!”

“Oh, really? Then why do you have a little love affair with a woman 10 years younger than her?”

The manager began to stutter, leaving his teeth clattering relentlessly like he was pecking on wood. Gulping down whatever saliva in his mouth, he succumbed to his parched throat to moisten.

“From where I’m from, we have a little saying. Anyone that hears evil…”

His life flashed before his eyes.

—“Speaks no evil…”—

His skull was caved, as a single bullet swished through the inside of his head.

Without uttering a single groan of solace, the newly made corpse tumbled to the floor. Bits of brain scattering the floor, blood swept around the corpse’s neck and upper body.

The three other robbers looked behind, with the smell of death already assaulting their nostrils. Stopping what they were doing, the three of them tilted their heads, and lowered their hands.

“I was going to have some fun with that loser…” Said the female robber.

“Doesn’t he have a wife though?”

“He does have a son.”

“But his son’s eight…”

Back to putting gold within their black bags, the bank robber that shot the manager quickly ran toward them to do the same. Once they finished, all eight of their hands were occupied with gold-stuffed coins, leaving their shoulders to bulge from the weight. Not bothering to close the vault, they ran up the stairs, their legs quivering under each step.

“Hey, can someone help me here?” Said the female bank robber.

“No.”

“ sighs … if you can carry one of my bags, then I’ll let you do whatever you want…”

“Deal.”

And because they left the vault open; anyone can enter and take a few bits of coins…

Reaching the top of the stairs, they barged out of a door that led to the main floor. Seeing the rest of the robbers, all maintaining order amongst the civilians, they walked toward them. The robber that killed the manager reached one of them, their voices meek yet serious.

“How’s the situation?”

“We’re in the middle of a standoff. Police, Zirardge guards, and some military personnel are outside the doors.”

“Don’t worry. The boss had thought of that beforehand.”

The robber he talked with glanced at the laid down civilians. Seeing them continue to pray, continue to cuddle up like armadillos, he had his AR flow low to his thigh.

“What about the civilians here?”

“Did they hear evil?”

“No.”

“Then they won’t speak no evil.”

As their conversation ended, all the blood eagle members hurdled up like cattle, waiting for an unknown entity to come. One of the robbers, glancing up at the center clock up high, noticed the time was…

‘It’s almost 2:42…’

Then came the sound of raining bullets…

“Right on time. Alright men, let's move!”

All ten men and women walked toward the front, huddling themselves like a pack of wild elephants. Just beyond the glass door, police, Zirardge guards, and military personnel were all being rained upon by a vulcan of bullets; as if God had sprinkled lead on them. These bullets appeared to originate from the top of most buildings, or top story windows, and they were scattered in a uniform cascade.

And with little time to prepare, some of them got shot through the stomach areas and legs. Firing their handguns, assault rifles, whatever weapon they had, most of them felt hot pieces of metal lodge into their bodies.

All the while the main group had swiftly sneaked inside the van, with the police occupied with the distraction. The engine revved up, but softly, the ten robbers had already settled nicely, leaving the driver to slowly back up but not so much to be seen.

Turning his attention to the passenger next to him, he began his descent down the alleyway roads.

“How much money did you guys get?”

“With eight bags, I would say we probably have over 16 million dollars worth of gold coins.”

“And how many coins did the Zirardges have in that vault?”

“That vault alone contained 16 billion. And there’s more vaults or mines similar to that one…”

The van being out of sight, the rest of the decoys, or rather the blood eagles, began pulling back from their windows and rooftops. Like shadows in the night, their noise and presence dwindled, leaving the sounds of gunfire to cease.

Every figure of authority had one or two bullet wounds, but they weren’t deep enough to be fatal. Blood sunking deep into their clothes, all of them looked around the gunsmoke air and cracked pavement.

“Was it just a distraction? It didn't feel like a standoff…”

Out of the glass door, swayed out a blonde-haired boy, who wore a thin brown jacket. Both of his pockets were filled with coins, as if the fabric of his pants were about to burst out open.

Looking like he took a swipe of gold, he tossed a gold coin up and down with his right hand.

‘Why did they only target the chest or stomach areas?’

Examining his surroundings, his face was calm and neutral, despite his eardrums feeling like they might burst. But when he turned to his right, he noticed a beast-human running toward him, leaving him to widen his eyes.

Looking to be a cat-human, a girl the same age as him, she was practically sprinting at him with all her might.

“E-Elizabeth?!”

She ran up to him and held him tight, her arms and body shaking as she looked up at him. Seeing her on the verge of crying, he had his hands lowered to his waist.

“Johnny?! Are you ok?! What happened?!”

The boy named Johnny raised his right hand, his fingers opening up to reveal a gold coin he had enclosed. Her face widening, she let go of Johnny and took a couple of steps back.

“Did you just…”

“I didn’t rob the bank. Someone else did … d-don’t worry; full-course meals will be given to you today, tomorrow, and in the next couple of weeks.”

“You know I can live off of trash cans, right?”

“sighs … oh Ellie …”

Johnny patted her head, rustling along her brown hair that was as smooth as silk. Looking up toward the afternoon sky, he let his arms wrap around her body, leaving her no choice but to succumb to his will.

As both ignored the chaos and misery around them.

‘I pray that one day … my father gets taught a lesson by someone stronger than us…’