Edge of the Earth by: 30 Seconds to Mars
You know enough to know the way
Six billion people just one name I found
I found tomorrow in today
Apocalyptic and insane, my dreams will never change
You wanna be the one in control
You wanna be the one who's alive
You wanna be the one who gets old
It's not a matter of luck; it's just a matter of time
Stand out on the edge of the earth
Stand out on the edge of the earth
Dive into the center of fate
Walk right in the sight of a gun
Look into the new future's face
I know you know enough to say
I know you know enough to play a game
You wanna be the one in control
You wanna be the one who's alive
You wanna be the one who gets old
It's not a matter of luck; it's just a matter of time
Stand out on the edge of the earth
Stand out on the edge of the earth
Stand out on the edge of the earth
Look into the new future's face
~X…x…X~
The sky was a cold blue as we stood on the edge of disaster. While the clouds floated past everything seemed slow at the moment, even the quick chatter from the few spectators we had accumulated. A man, who couldn't be over twenty-five, stood about two hundred yards away. His nicely cropped black hair was just long enough for the tips to be dyed neon blue that dropped just in front of his eyes. In his hand he held an LC9, 9 millimeter handgun, pointed straight at me. But I had not come unprepared. I also had a handgun with a bullet that was meant to go straight through his soul. The only way to get out of this was to know how to begin it. And this wasn't just a simple matter of ending what you begin. It's a matter of how you execute everything; it's not a matter of luck, only a matter of time before you see the pavement under your feet meet the soft skin of your face.
Only one thing stood between me and the man, and it was another small human being one hundred feet from both me and the blue haired man. Right in the center stood one of the many traitors in our society. And the only distinguishing feature about him was his left eye. It was totally metallic, grey and neon green, there was no way he could even be associated with me, or even the man two hundred yards from me. We had a name for those metallic traitors, but no one ever mentions it aloud. But all in all everyone knew his name, that traitor in the midway point between my enemy and I was named Fringe. His name was very appropriate for what he was known for. He was the border between the sane and the insane of society, as you would say; maybe he had multiple personality disorder. But in my lifetime it isn't nearly as bad as it was back then.
"It'd be in your best interest to give up my little super-Nova. I wouldn't like to shoot you or your little passerby, because I'm sure the metallic isn't here to cheer me on," the blue-haired man yells to me across the stretch. But wait a moment; I swear I've heard that voice somewhere. A passerby in the street, a disembodied voice from my dreams, a relative?
It had to be from my dreams; I didn't know this man, maybe, except for his name. "Ryker. Keep the innocents out of this will you?" I yell to him, thinking my imagination had come up with such a ridiculous name. But to my surprise, the blue-haired man looked taken aback by the mention of the name. I could've possibly guessed right, and if I had, it would bring me a step closer to winning this toss of luck.
"You don't know everything yet super-Nova. Yes, my name is Ryker, but do you know why I'm here? Holding this gun level to your heart?"
"Because you're probably just another one of them from the government after me trying to get me to tell you who my next victim will be. And I'll tell you, it's that little traitor right there," I yell back at him with a slight crack in my voice. And only the slightest of pressure I put on the trigger the gun fired and sent up a spray of blood only a hundred yards from where I stood. Ryker's eyes clearly widened, even I could see his reaction, but none of us moved to help Fringe. "If you make one move, you die too mister."
Ryker shakes his head disapprovingly. "That's not how the game goes Nova. You know there's only a matter of time before my backup gets here. You'll be finished. You will never be able to control the situation Nova; you won't be the one in control of everything that happens in the world. You'll die right here, today, if you make another move. It's not the other way around."
It was my turn to be surprised, I had no idea he could know what I was thinking. How could he know what I was thinking? It's just not right; no one could be able to know someone else's thoughts, unless of course they were a metallic traitor also. "Who in the world are you?" I scream out of desperation.
"Do you really not know who I happen to be my little super-Nova? Think back to the cloudiest corner of your memories. I promise you that I will happen to be there."
Doing as he said, even though I knew he could turn on me any minute, I thought back as far as I could and just before I was about to quit I saw a reflection of myself and a boy with black hair and beautiful blue eyes. The picture I saw was of the boy and me standing just beyond a mirror holding hands tightly, my left hand in his right. Emotions showed through his face to tell me he never wanted to let go, he wanted to be with that girl in the mirror forever. But that girl couldn't be me, it just couldn't, but as I pulled my consciousness out of my memories Ryker saw the recognition on my face and nodded. "Do you see now why I don't want to shoot now?"
"You love me?" I ask, my voice slips into a bit of hysteria as I stare at him, putting pressure back on the trigger little by little. Beginning to feel panicked and losing control on the situation. Just like he said I would.
"I loved you Nova, note the past tense. You've changed, so no. Not anymore," Ryker replies to me sternly just as a gunshot rings out among the area. Echoing off the mirrored glass of the buildings and the green leaves in the park. I saw the red mist in front of my eyes and the world revolved around me in small frames, almost like someone was showing me a faulty slideshow right in front of my face of the events happening right then. First, I saw the world tilt violently to the right as my body fell to the left. Then blurred motions of someone running toward me and a jumble of talking as people began to shout and call various others. Ryker then appeared at the edge of my vision and I saw him kneel down, taking my right hand in his left. He bent down to whisper in my ear just as I spotted the cause of the red mist. A large bloodstained hole was found right at my left shoulder that I had landed on and as I saw, I noticed off in the distance a small smoking object where Ryker stood just moments ago. His gun, missing one single bullet. And one word rang through my head like that echo from the gunshot that everyone had heard that few moments ago.
Why?
"I'm sorry I've had to do this my sweet super-Nova… but you've been a danger to society and to yourself long enough. Goodbye, I love you."
For eternity, those were the last words I have heard. Even above the sound of the gunshot, those four words have been on my mind for the rest of time.
With the aftermath of the accident, two ended up dead. One was myself and the other was the poor innocent soul of the man named Fringe who tried to stop the madness of my mind. The wreckage was enough to bring it to an end. And he was right. It's not a matter of luck, it's just a matter of time.
