Prologue
Calcifer awoke in the dark, laying on the cold surface of the floor. His head was spinning and his lungs felt as though they had been filled with water; each breath gurgling in his chest. He was barely conscious enough to sit up, but he steadied himself with one hand and pushed right up into a cloud of smoke.
He coughed violently and laid back down. Now he remembered. There had been an attack. Facility CG-13 had been compromised, allowing their guard to be down for an imminent security breach. Unfortunately, the attackers were one of those specifically out to get them, out to kill everyone, and for what purpose?
Calcifer clutched his head as a searing pain erupted in his temples. What the hell was in this gas? He faintly heard a pair of footsteps approaching him; big, heavy-weighted footsteps. He heard the footsteps multiply.
Suddenly a hand grasped his hair and pulled him up to eye level. The Man's cold and unwavering eyes stared into him, "Well, well. You must be Calcifer Heathen, acting director of this uncanny building?"
Calcifer didn't like the way he had said that. The Man may have become the most frightening thing to his kind, but he didn't scare Calcifer. With his remaining energy he grinned and said, "Yeah. I'm pretty damned proud of it."
The Man smiled smugly, "Thank you for your honesty. And for that, I will kill you myself." He leaned close to Calcifer's ear and whispered, "It is not often I get my hands dirty, so consider yourself fortunate. Any last words?"
Calcifer began to chuckle as the tear stung his eyes. Or was that the smoke? No matter. His chuckle turned into a bellowing laugh as the Man dropped him. "Yes," Calcifer said, "Yes I do."
"Well then, Mr. Heathen, speak them freely."
"You'll never beat us," Calcifer laughed, "You can never find all of us and wipe us out. We're too many. We far exceed you." He watched as the Man's face grew paler, "Our leader thought this through carefully. Just think of it, generations and generations worth, hiding, and you'll never get them all."
The Man smiled smugly once again, "But you don't get it do you? I'm capable of this, I really am. I'm afraid it is you whom underestimates me. And if you must know, two things before we kill you, and I will, one; I will kill them all, and two; I know every one of them, including your son."
"You touch my son, you die!" Calcifer yelled.
"That's it," the Man encouraged, "Get angry, show us your true power, Mr. Heathen, show us the true monster G.A.M.E created you to be!"
But Calcifer would not. He restrained the power that was surging up through him. He bared his teeth as he growled up to the Man, "You're not worthy to see the power," he spat, "Checkmate."
The Man was furious, "Kill Him!" Instantly the trigger was pulled and three bullets were lodged into the back of Calcifer Heathen's head. The Man was shaking, "I will kill them all. All of them. G.A.M.E will be no more!"
