Definitions of Normal

By DemonicLucario

Disclaimer: HC SVNT Dracones (HSD) does not belong to me.

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Normal. What is normal? Is it society's ever-changing worldview? Is it something that is constant, or fluctuating? What does it mean to be normal? Is it to conform to society's standard, or to be yourself, and damn the consequences? I remember thinking these things. In fact, those were the first thoughts I had in that place. I call it 'that place' because at the time I didn't know where I was. I wasn't an amnesiac, I knew who I was, but I was floating, in a sea of blackness. I couldn't feel anything. It was then that I decided that my situation - whatever it was- was decidedly not normal. After all, It's not every day you regain consciousness after dying. Of course, it is possible to come back from death, what with our technology, but I was later told that it should have been impossible. Anyway, That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in that place. It was a normal - hah- mission, a simple drug bust. Me and my partner, Jef, were raiding a derelict corporate building. With us were a group of mercs, all of them radically different from one another. The first one, the leader, never introduced himself. In fact, he never spoke directly to either of us. He was stealthy, once we entered the building I never saw hide nor hair of him, not once. The second one was ensconced in massive powered armour, I couldn't tell what species, he was completely covered. He didn't say much to us after his introduction. He told us his name was Mango. He sounded smug to me, but maybe it was just pre-op nerves. The last one was the one who looked normal. He was a serious-looking komodo dragon, clad in light armour and a helmet. He was the only one of the group who really interacted with us. He was polite, but clipped, Informing us of the information that the leader had already gathered. His name was Rastann Sk'rim, and he was a doctor. The op started off quietly, as they usually do. Also as they usually do, it went sour quickly. We had to go up against 5, no, 7 combatants? It's hard to remember, as I was entirely focused on the fight. That's what IRPF - the Inner Ring Police Force - teaches in the academy, that you have to stay focused on the fight. It was going well for us, as far as I could tell. And then I got shot. Of course, I had armour, but I still took several bullets from an enemy assault rifle. After that I was in a haze of pain, It was hard to tell how long. The next thing that I knew after that was the doctor, Rastann, leaning over me. And pain, lots of pain. He must have given me an anesthetic, because the pain was numbed after that. He patched me up, and updated me on the situation. Apparently all the combatants on our floor had been dealt with. Jef was heading for the stairs, so I followed. The doc was jogging there with me. All of us minus the leader were there at the base of the stairwell. Jef looked back at me, looking for confirmation. I nodded back to him, and he started up the stairs. When he reached the top, he turned to tell us something.

And then his head exploded.

The world ground to a halt. It replayed over and over in my mind, him turning, and then ...

I vaguely remember screaming. He was right there, and, and - the next thing that crossed my mind was that Rastann was holding me, and that I was crying. There was no connection, one moment, It was Jef, the next, I was sitting with my back to a wall. I don't remember sitting down, my legs must have given out on me. I was still shaking violently. It was a few minutes - and sweet nothings -before I could do anything but shake. After that I was ok, or, at least, I thought I was. Looking back I must not have been. I remember being angry, so angry that I wanted the whole building, no, the whole city to just vanish. Jef and I had been through everything with each other, we were practically brothers, and he just died? Just like that? Hell yeah I was angry. I wanted those fuckers to pay for what they did. Rastann tried to hold me back, he put a hand on my chest, and said something about reload times. I was too angry to recall it properly, but either way I didn't listen. I ran out onto the landing. Immediately, I was shot. The pain was incredible. I tried to run, but I must have failed, because the last thing I remember was a muzzle flash

And then everything went black.