Chapter 3 - Escape...~PART ONE~

The evening arrived without much warning. The sun was up for one minute, and came crashing down on the horizon the next. The moon was just barely visible in the farthest corner of the sky. Though the hedgehog couldn’t tell from what his own eyes saw; the view from the library window only provided a subpar view of the sky. There were just too many buildings in the way for a good look of the heavens. This feeling of disappointment was not new to Axel. If every disappointment in his life so far took the form of a sandwich, there’d be enough food to end world hunger. The male lowered his eyes away from the window. His hands trembled as they lied upon the glass. Finally he walked away from the window, before anymore emotion could erupt from the crevices of his soul. His silent foot steps treaded down isles of book shelves and he soon came to a long table with a row of machines sitting atop it. Earlier, Miki had told him the machines were computers, which were named for ‘their useful habit of computing things’. She told him that this form of technology was one of the best things humans could create, but that most people abused computers for personal gain or entertainment. Axel saw an example of this as he passed a balding man who was fixated on the screen of the computer he was sitting at. Out of the corner of his eye, the hedgehog could see odd images and naked forms of numerous beings on the screen. He turned away in horror and began to walk faster. At the end of the long table sat the hedgehog’s human companion. She stared at her computer’s screen with annoyance and was frantically hitting the buttons of the rectangular board in front of her. She mumbled something about it being ‘frozen’, but the hedgehog didn’t feel cold at all. Sensing that she didn’t know about the man sitting not too far way, he began to speak in a whisper. “Um, Miki...”[br]
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“Hmm?”[br]


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“T-There’s someone over there...” Axel lifted his arm and pointed toward the individual over yonder. Miki looked down the row of machines and spotted the young male’s source of tension. She quickly stood up and commenced with shouting across the room. “HEY! THESE COMPUTERS ARE TO BE USED FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES ONLY!!!” She obviously caught the man’s attention, for he fell out of his chair and fearfully scrambled into an isle of bookcases. The female sat down quietly and claimed, “That is the third time this week!” Her counterpart of course didn’t fully understand what had taken place. He didn’t get the chance to ask questions as Miki began to rant. “I just can’t stand the things some people do! It is rude and inappropriate, and shows complete disdain for others! Axeleros, if you ever hope to become anything, be sure that it is not a pervert, because once you fall down that road, your life is over!” She waved a finger in his face as she stated her last sentence. She then went back to her previous activities while the hedgehog watched from behind. The display of the machine was filled with many boxes, filled with words and pictures. As they sat there, the human began to explain the mechanics of computers; what are CPU’s, how do modems work, why you should never stick magnets on the computer. It all didn’t make much sense to Axel, but his will to learn kept him listening.[br]
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Eventually, the woman was able to fix the machine’s problem, which led her to introduce Axel to the Internet. Apparently the Internet was invented to communicate with individuals across the globe, but once again, people still used it for misdeeds. Miki soon listed many of these wrong-doings to her companion, despite him not knowing what most of them were. ‘Identity theft’ sounded familiar, but ‘pornography’ was entirely foreign to him. For some reason, Miki was not all too happy about that subject either. She started another rant on how the government was not putting enough effort into their searches for ‘those scum bags’. The young male said nothing as she continued on, but soon wondered what happened when she abruptly stopped. He looked up and saw a new face standing next to her. It was a tall, slim man, dressed in black casual clothing. A pale green dress shirt peered out from the collar and sleeves of his darker jacket and his leather shoes shined with an elegant flair. He unexpectedly shoved a pile of papers into the hands of Miki. “Give these to your sister. I can’t find her anywhere in the building...” He commanded gruffly. His dirty blond hair covered his right eye, while the other stared at the hedgehog with a cold, gray iris. Axel avoided the eye contact with this new human. “Hm, that’s funny,” Miki replied while fingering through the papers. “She told me she was going to pick up some dry-cleaning and she would be back soon. I don’t know if she went out of town to do so, but I haven’t seen her all day.” The man pondered over what she said. He stared into her eyes trying to see if there was any hint of deceit, but there was nothing but a blank expression. His visible eye rolled in obvious displeasure. “Well, thank you anyway. At least you’re more helpful than her,” he stated as he walked away from the pair. When the man was finally gone, Axel took his chances and started asking questions. “Who was that?”[br]
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“Him? Oh that was Lars. Or Mr. Ivanski; he doesn’t like being called by his first name.”[br]
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“What does he do here?”[br]
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“That is classified, Axeleros. Sorry…” There was no more talking after that. Miki continued her activities on the computer, while Axel sat down under the table. He began to wonder when everything would stop being ‘classified’. It was beginning to get annoying.[br]


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...Outside the library, the blond-haired man strolled into the crowded lobby. Immediately, the occupants of the lobby stopped what they were doing, and began to greet him. Multiple “Good evening sir”’s and “Hello Mr. Ivanski!”’s chimed simultaneously. Like a church choir, the voices synchronized into one sound and bellowed into the air. They didn’t address him because they wanted, but because they had to. Severe consequences would ensue if this rule was not followed. They’re salutes to the man meant nothing to him though. They were beneath him, insignificant flies compared to his status. He walked through the crowd with ease; anyone in his way would quickly remove themselves from his chosen path. At last, Ivanski made his way through the mass and reached the metal plated walls. Embedded in the wall were a small unlit light plus a thin slot under it. The man pulled a blank, plastic card from out of his pocket and slid it into the slot. After a short humming sound, the wall spat the card out back into his hand. The light blinked yellow as the metal walls separated, creating a doorway. Mr. Ivanski stepped inside while his onlookers cheered him on and the walls began to close back...[br]
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“Energy confirmation?” asked a redheaded man with glasses. He stood in the middle of a room filled with the building’s most advanced computers and technology. A team of two people accompanied him. Finally, after years of trial and error, his dreams were about to come true. “Energy is one hundred percent, McFallen.” answered a freckled faced woman sitting at one of the computers. “How is the dimensional portal?” the bespectacled man questioned. A hint of excitement could be heard in his voice. After all, he was finally about to do something never done before: send a fellow human to another time and dimension. “The portal is stable and ready to go!” replied a younger male in a baseball cap who was trying to balance a pencil on its sharpened point. The redhead smiled and adjusted his glasses. He, James McFallen, would go down in history. “Perfect. Begin the process...” he confidently spoke. Instead of his crew following his command, there was an unsteady pause. “I’m afraid we can’t do that McFallen.” The freckled face woman meekly said. “What, Why!?”[br]
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“Our guinea pig is not here, love” an elegant voice echoed into the room. James turned on a heel and faced a raven-haired, bronzed skinned woman entering the room. The woman seemingly floated to him in her black floor-length dress. She held an insulated cup and sipped it delicately while James vented his anger. “Then where the hell is he?!”[br]
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“Relax, he’s down the hall suiting up. You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.”[br]


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“It might as well be! I’ve been working on this for ages, and he has the nerve to be late!”[br]


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“Oh boohoo, shut up and act like a man, McFallen.” A voiced called out from the entrance of the room. It was Ivanski, newly clothed in a white, baggy suit. He carried a large helmet in his arms. The outfit closely resembled an astronaut’s spacesuit. “Why Elena, you look lovely today.” the blond man addressed the woman in the black dress. She chuckled delightedly and sipped from her cup once more. James immediately frowned. “Stop flirting with my fiancée.” He commanded heatedly as he walked up to him. “You oughtta be glad I’m not reporting you for your lateness!”[br]
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“Like that’ll do anything. You may be an elite like me, but my ranking is still higher than yours; therefore no one would take you seriously even if you went through with such a ludicrous idea.” Ivanski replied with zero emotion. The bespectacled man had been put in his place. It didn’t stop him from being even angrier though. The man’s face turned as red as his shaggy hair. “Now why don’t you do your job like a good little boy, hm?” Lars patronized him while pushing James out of his way. Trying his hardest not to retaliate, James started over his check list. “Energy confirmation?” he asked exasperatedly. “Energy is one hundred percent...”replied the freckled faced woman. The second time around, the redhead wasn’t as enthusiastic. “Dimensional portal okay?” he inquired, barely with any feeling. “Um yeah, portal’s ready” answered the man in a baseball cap, who also seemed equally sluggish. “Alright, begin the process Elena.”[br]
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“Will do love.” His fiancée replied, though with more zest than him. She sat down at large monitor surrounded by blinking lights and switches. Elena began to flip switches, triggering the lights to flash madly. Soon enough they began to blink in rhythm. A low humming sound erupted from deep in the machine. “I guess that’s it...” She turned to Lars in her chair. “The coordinates you gave us for your destination are set pretty close in time. It seems to only be about 10 years from now, except it’s in an altered timeline. D.F.C. is also detecting no oxygen, so keep your helmet on at all costs. And now, James will show you to the portal.”[br]
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“Do I have to?!” replied the redhead. “Oh Jimmy please? I wanna finish my hot coco...” Elena pleaded. She pouted like a child and stared at her man with pitiful eyes. “Fine, whatever...” he instantly responded. “Follow me, dammit.....” James left the room before Lars, being that the blond was distracted. “Bye Lars!” the raven-haired woman shouted after him. The declaration of his given name was like a bullet to the brain. He quickly glared at her and grumbled, “Its Ivanski...”[br]
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“Yeah, like I really give a damn” Elena retorted. She smirked at him as she innocently sipped from her cup. Ivanski clenched his teeth in annoyance and said no more as he left the room. He entered the hall to find James standing two doors down. “Come on loser, it’s in here.”[br]
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“Calling people names? You’ve fallen to an all-time low.”[br]
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“Oh, frack you man! If it weren’t for you funding all this I’d--“[br]
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“You’d be sobbing like a dog because you didn’t fulfill your dead father’s goal?” Ivanski questioned with an unimaginable amount of spite. James fell silent. The man had hit his weakness with full-force. Of course it hurt, but wouldn’t dare show it. If word got out that James McFallen cried like a newborn infant over an insult, his name would be tarnished forever. “Well, are you going to show me to the portal or what?” Lars was slowly losing his patience. No one knew how much he hated working with people who had less importance than him. No one knew how much he hated people in general. Though, it wouldn’t be long before he could fix this problem of his. He had everything flawlessly planned out; he just needed time. Still in silence, James escorted Ivanski into the room. What lied ahead seemed to have been ripped out of a science-fiction movie. The men stood on a glass platform that hovered above a dark liquid. It bubbled and boiled underneath them. “What the hell is that?” the blond asked as he stared in disgust. “That is classified.” James announced. Ivanski stared at him in disbelief. As far as he knew, nothing was ‘classified’ for his eyes and ears. “Seriously, I’m not allowed to tell you. Ask Elena if you really want to know” he reassured. “Just be careful not to slip in. We still don’t know what happens when living beings come in contact with this stuff.” The redhead strolled forward on to a short staircase. The three small steps led to a thinner stage that traveled towards the end of the room, where the main attraction laid dormant. Two large metal pillars set apart from each other stood in the liquid at the end of the second platform. They glowed in an array of colors, sparking small bolts of electricity every now and then. The low humming was loudest near the pillars. “This is the Dimensional Flux Capacitor 5000.” James began seemingly out of nowhere. “This machine requires nearly all forms of energy to work: thermal, nuclear, chemical, electric. You name it, it uses it. So far it can send an individual at least two hundred years into the future or past, and to several dimensions that are similar to ours, yet unique in it’s own way. It may even be able to break into a parallel universe.”[br]
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“Is that why it takes up a whole damn floor of the building?”[br]
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“This is complex technology Lars. It’s still in the beginning phases, so it’s gonna need room to grow!”[br]



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“..........It’s Ivanski...”[br]

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“And my mother’s the fracking queen of England!” James sarcastically claimed. Suddenly, the pillars flashed white. The low humming transformed into loud booming bang. Sparks flew wildly as a strong blast of air bombarded the men. James shielded his eyes while Lars began to fix his helmet to his suit. The booming sounds from the pillars escalated to a near-deafening noise. It roared triumphantly as a miraculous event took place. Slowly and steadily a hole of light expanded in between the pillars. Its size grew rapidly while the volume of the roar became louder and the wind blew stronger. Whilst being careful not to fall into the liquid below the platforms, Ivanski made his way towards the gaping portal. He stood next to James, who was flabbergasted by his own creation. Lars patted him on the shoulder to help him regain consciousness. The redhead finally sighed and whispered: “I...I can’t believe it...”[br]
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“Well I guess it is impressive.”[br]

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“Hell, it’s more than that!” James quickly spat. He then went silent for a second time, after noticing how much Ivanski really did resemble an astronaut. “So what are you hoping to get out of this excursion?” he finally spoke. “Well, with world being depleted of energy sources so rapidly, I felt it was my duty to find a private source for A.V.W.A.”[br]

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“.....Right.”[br]

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“Look, somewhere out in this altered timeline is an infinite source. I would know, because Elena helped me isolate it out.”[br]

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“.........What the frack were you doing with my fiancé alone?!”[br]

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“That’s classified McFallen” Lars stated as he gazed into the glowing portal. “So do I just jump in or something?” He began to ask. “No, you don’t ‘just jump in’!”[br]

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“Then how do I--AAUGH!!” the blond screamed as he was kicked into the portal. James lowered his leg and adjusted his glasses. He began to make his way out the room, but not before shouting to the portal, “Good luck, asshole!”[br]
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His eyes were open, but there was nothing to see. Pitch darkness invaded his eyesight. The only thing he was sure about was that he lying on a hard, rough surface. Slowly, just in case he might his head, Ivanski sat up. He stayed still until he was sure nothing bad was about to happen. Now at ease, he got to his feet and tried to make out his surroundings. With no warning, there was a voice: “Ivanski, you alright?” It was a calm voice, and certainly female. The blond recognized it as the raven-haired woman’s. “Yeah, I’m fine Elena. I’m guessing this suit has built-in intercom.”[br]

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“Well aren’t you a smart boy?” She chuckled lightly. “Yeah, sorry I didn’t tell you, I was relying on James to do that.”[br]

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“Ah, well he certainly took the time to kick me into the portal.”[br]
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“Hm, I’ll get him back for ya. But right now I’ll explain the basics to you. Your oxygen supply will last you for up to four hours. Take this into consideration, since you have only three and half hours until departure. In order to get back to us, another portal will be ready in the exact spot you’re standing. It will only stay open for fifteen minutes”[br]
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“So you’re saying, if I miss my departing portal--”[br]
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“You’ll live for another fifteen minutes in a strange world. Sounds fun if you ask me.”[br]
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“Thank god I wasn’t asking...”[br]
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“Oh, and strenuous activity will also use up your air faster. So act like your carrying scissors. You know, ‘walk, don’t run’.”[br]
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“Anything else Elena, cause I think I’m losing oxygen talking to you.”[br]
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“No, nothing else. I’ll be waiting for you with baited breath” her transmission ended with that. Lars was now on his own in the darkness. Instead of standing around like an idiot though, he commenced with feeling around with his hands. After a couple of minutes, he reached a solid surface. He knocked his knuckles against. The resulting sound was solid thunk; the surface was wooden, possibly a wooden door. He felt around for a door knob, but there was none, so he tried the next best thing: ramming into the surface. After three tries, the obstacle gave threw, sending the man tumbling into a pool of light. He was on his back once again and groaning in pain. He was right about the wood, but wrong about the door. Ivanski had just crashed threw a boarded up window and was now lying in a pile of broken glass and rotten wood. He stood back on his feet for a second time and checked his surroundings. Now he wished he didn’t. What was once a city was now a burned-down wasteland. The building the blond had crashed out of appeared to have been a small shop. Its brick walls were burned to a crisp and the sign that advertised it had fallen. The signs new job was blocking the front door to the shop plus the entrance to the building beside it. He stood on a sidewalk that was decorated with bullet holes along with old stains of blood. The skyscrapers standing in the distance were in ruins; they would probably collapse any at any sudden moment. “This is pleasant...” he thought while staring up to the sky. The small bit of light that had showered on him before was trying it’s hardest to bleed through thick, ugly clouds. Sadly, the light was fighting a losing battle. “Well I guess I’ll be walking for three hours.” The man was about to start a long journey, but caught himself. He had no weapon. This was a first since he always carried a pistol somewhere on his person. Ivanski sighed and picked up a large piece of glass. It was better than nothing, and would probably be a wonderful asset against whatever could be stalking these desolate streets. [br]
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Finally, he trudged along the gloomy sidewalk. The area wasn’t much to look at, but he didn’t have to worry about that for long. Almost two blocks away from his starting point, he found him self in a sudden predicament. With no warning, the cement of the sidewalk engulfed his right foot. Never in his life had he seen hardened cement do this. He grunted loudly as he tried to free his limb, although after a while, he started hearing something else besides himself. It sounded like foot steps. He looked around and saw nothing, but the sound was coming closer. Suddenly there was shrieking along with the footsteps. Lars was now panicking; his grunts became shouting obscenities as he desperately tried to pull his foot free. There was no use and whatever was screaming was just seconds away from attacking. The blond quickly swung himself around as far as he could and slugged his stalker in the face. He opened his eyes and saw a feeble old man fall to the ground. The old man regained himself as if had never been hit. He stood up with his bad back and stared Lars down with his one good eye. He then had a change of heart. “Why...why yer just nuthin’ but a spaceman!” the frail senior exclaimed. “You aren’t much of anything either” Lars quietly remarked. He looked over the short elder and acknowledged that something terrible must have happened in this time. The old man was covered in rags that hung loosely from his skinny, bruised frame. His white untrimmed beard was the only body hair on him. Tightly attached to his face looked to be a clear gas mask, and he nervously licked his lips under it. The old man was obviously looking for food, and Ivanski had disappointed him for not being his next meal. “Oh Mr. Spaceman,” the delirious man started. “Y-ya’ll.....ya’ll shun’t be here Mr. Spaceman, ya’ll shun’t. G-g-go back to da moon wher’ ya belong![br]
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“Look, I’m not a ‘spaceman’. I’m just here on a mission.’[br]
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“Oh, yer lookin’ fer food too?”[br]
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“N-no, I’m looking for--”[br]
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“Cause I cud help ya! Oh yes sir Mr. Spaceman, I cud help ya find food! We....we cud do it together!” the old man grasped Lars hands tightly. His one good eye stared at him pleadingly. It was a pitiful sight, even for the cold-hearted blond. He began to reason with the poor old man. “....Are there any other people here?”[br]
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“J-just da gov’ment, at least whas leff of it. Dey dun help us lil’ people none, dough. But I cud help ya Mr. Spaceman! All ya gotta do is ask!”[br]
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“You could help me release my foot--”[br]
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“Oh sure Mr. Spaceman! I’ll....I’ll help ya do dat!” After gaining his trust, the little old man helped Lars pull his foot out. The senior made it surprisingly easier; with two tugs he was free. Ivanski began to check his foot out as the little man began to talk to him some more. “Ya know Mr. Spaceman, I dun think yer from ‘round here.”[br]
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“Do ya now?”[br]
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“Yup. And dat means I gotta school ya. I gotta school ya on whas right and wrong ‘round here!”[br]


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“Alright, I’m listening...”[br]


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“Well Mr. Spaceman, da furst thing ya’ll shud do is find a house! It’ll come in handy when nighttime rolls ‘round. Ya’ll dun wanna be in da dark ‘round here....”[br]
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“And why wouldn’t I want that?” Lars curiously questioned. He was shrouded in darkness not to long ago and there wasn’t anything strange about it. However, the old man begged to differ. Panic flooded into his eyes at the sound Ivanski’s inquiry. He trembled, which was exaggerated to a wild shaking due to how scrawny he was. “....D-dey feed in da dark Mr. Spaceman,” the old man whispered. “And dey dun stop till ther’s nuthin’ leff of ya! Das why ther’s no one here. Dey ate all the people! But, d-dey.....dey still want more.....” he made an ominous pause and frantically looked around. There was nothing to stop him from revealing the last bit of his warning. He grabbed Ivanski a second time and whispered so quietly, the blond almost couldn’t hear him. “Dun go to da old warehouse down by da shore. Dun go ther’! Ya’ll can go wher’ever ya please, but just dun go ther’!”[br]



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“Why!? What’s at the warehouse?!” Ivanski was becoming impatient, but it was too late. Apparently the old man scared himself with his own warning. He screamed in terror and ran off in a blink of an eye. Lars stood still, going over the information the poor senior gave him in his head. Something big must be at the warehouse if just mentioning it was enough to make the senior crazy. It could possibly be the infinite energy source. He made his decision; he was going to the warehouse. There’s was no telling how long it would take, but he had no other plans. The blond looked up at the sky again. It was considerably darker and the few strands of light that ripped through the clouds were disappearing. Nightfall was approaching. “Oh frack me....” he grumbled. He began walking again and soon broke into a steady jog. If ‘they’ were as ruthless as the old man said, he had to get moving, before ‘they’ could find him.[br]
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Lars jogged down several blocks and avenues, only to find that many of the street names were akin to those in the present. With this knowledge, he could reach the shore in a reasonable amount of time. This was good; the clouds had started separating, revealing a setting sun in the distance. The sun wasn’t allowing him to get to his target in time though. It was falling to the horizon at a rather fast pace, forcing Ivanski to run. Too bad he wasn’t aware of the impending doom; a flight of deteriorating stairs. The blond tripped, and fell a long, excruciating way. Chunks of rock and metal whizzed by his head as he continuously rolled into a living hell. His vision was nothing but a plummeting and spiraling world. Finally, the spinning scenery came to a stand still. For a third time today, the man found himself on his back, and this time, feeling very nauseous He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the blotched sky. Stars were staring to appear overhead. His ears noticed the sound of crashing waves. Lars rolled over and saw the coastline. However, there was something extremely wrong. A large submarine had run aground in the sand and corpses were scattered just about everywhere. He made his best effort to stand and gave the place his full attention. He stood on a boardwalk, the point where the hideous city ended and the even more dreadful beach began. Like he had foreseen, a few buildings managed to have fallen onto the shores along with the stranded sub. The sand was dyed blood red where the piles of rotting citizens lay. Yet the waves of the ocean continued their soothing sounds as if there was nothing amiss. [br]
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He was utterly disgusted, that was for sure, but his concentration found a new target. A pile of corpses was moving. Lars froze as a body rose from the heap and limped across the sand in his direction. “This is why I don’t do missions anymore!” he growled and prepared himself for a fight with the seemingly undead. Lucky for him, something else took care of the job. Specifically, a swarm of small creatures emerging from all corners of the wreckage attacked the body. They literally flew to scene with flapping bat wings and high-pitched screeches and hisses. The corpse was hurtled to the ground while their little hands clawed and jerked at its flesh. They picked at it until only a skeleton was left. They then started to dine on the other corpses lying around. These monsters must have been what the old man had spoken of. Ivanski tried to make an escape, but to no avail. He stepped on a piece of rusted metal. To him, it made the loudest cracking sound known to man. The creatures stopped and eyed him with gleaming ice blue eyes. Angry hisses and vicious snarls broke the silence. The blond made a mad dash down the boardwalk as the monsters took to the air and followed suit. The path was mangled and distorted making his get away all the more difficult. The creatures, at the speeds they were flying, quickly surrounded him. They dragged him to the floor and slashed at his suit. Fanged teeth sunk into his limbs multiple times while their screeching covered up his own cries. In the end, the ultimate damage was done: the monsters bashed Lars’ helmet in. Glass shattered onto his face as he breathed his last breaths. His sight was diminishing, but not before a voice shouted “STOP!!” Lars wished he could have seen who brought this wild assault to an end. He wished he could make out the shape that was standing above him. There wasn’t enough oxygen in his body to grant these wishes. A burning blue hand reached into the shattered hole of the man’s helmet. It was the last thing Ivanski witnessed before blacking out...[br]
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~ To Be Continued ~
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