"Wake up rook."
Alex woke up startled. She smacked the arm that shook her shoulder.
"Woah, calm down. We're almost at the compound." Sheriff Whitehorse said. Alex calmed down in her seat.
"Crossing over the Henbane now." Pratt said as the helicopter flew by the enormous statue of Joseph Seed.
"Oh fuck, there he is." Hudson groaned.
"Crazy motherfucker." Pratt added.
"Jesus…"
"We're officially in peggie country." Hudson said.
"How much longer?" Burke asked the Sheriff.
"Just long enough for you to change your mind so we can turn this bird around." He replied.
"You want me to ignore a federal warrant. Sheriff?" Burke questioned.
"No, sir. I want you to understand the reality of this situation . Joseph Seed, he's not a man to be fucked with. We've had run-ins with him before and they haven't always gone our way. Just sometimes… sometimes, it's best to leave well enough alone." Whitehorse warned.
"Yea well, we have laws for a reason, Sheriff." Burke said with a somewhat cocky tone in his voice.
"Hmmmm." He hummed.
"And Joseph Seed is going to learn that." Burke finished.
"Laaaa la la la la laaa la la, hmmmm hm hm hm hmmm hmmm hmm…"
Her heartbeat rang in her ear and she grew extremely scared. Alex clutched onto the armrest like it would save her life and started to hyperventilate.
"Rookie, stop grabbing the armrest. You look like you're going to break it off." Whitehorse said. The lullaby faded away along with her heartbeat. Alex began to calm down and relaxed in her seat.
"Maybe we shoulda brought Nancy along with us instead of the probie. These peggies wouldn't fuck with her." Pratt joked, glancing back at Alex for a second before looking forward.
"Pratt." Hudson said,
"Why do you keep calling them peggies?" Burke questioned.
"Project of Eden's Gate: P. E. G. - peggies. It's what the locals call 'em. You know, they started off harmless enough a few years back. But now they are armed to the teeth, they're lookin' for a fight." Whitehorse informed.
"Are you scared Sheriff?" Burke asked. Whitehorse didn't answer as Pratt announced their arrival.
"We're here. Compound's just below." The area was lit up by the moonlight and the massive bonfire which was constantly being fueled by someone with a flamethrower.
"Oh my Jesus..."
"This is a bad idea."
"Last chance, Marshal..." Whitehorse warned once more in an attempt to change his mind.
"We're going in." Burke answered.
"Set her down, Pratt." Whitehorse commanded.
"Roger, that." Pratt began to land the helicopter.
"Dispatch, you still there?" He asked.
"Yes, go ahead Sheriff." Nancy answered.
"You don't hear from us in fifteen minutes send in everyone. Call the goddamn national guard if you have to. Over." Whitehorse informed.
"Yessir Sheriff. I'll be praying for you." Nancy answered before cutting the call.
"Now listen up. Three rules. Stick close. Keep your guns in your holsters and let me do the talking. Got it?" He ordered.
"Got it!" Burke said.
"Rookie?" Alex nodded.
"Alright everyone, stay sharp. Let's go." They all, besides Pratt, got out of the helicopter. The Marshall and Whitehorse had their pistols in hand, Hudson had a shotgun, and Alex had… nothing.
"I forgot to mention, you may have two abilities in order to aid yourself from the Huntress. Choose wisely."
Alex had found herself in the pit of darkness once again. On the ground in front of her was a box that looked similar to a jewelry box.
"Think about the abilities you desire and then open the box."
"Only two? I thought we could get four! Alex exclaimed. However, the Entity didn't answer back, making Alex groan in annoyance.
She placed her hand on the box and thought hard. Her choices were easy. She then opened the box to reveal a necklace with two charms. (Decisive strike and Lightweight) The charms were in the middle of a silver chain fashioned like barbed wire.
"He'll be in the church. Stick close." Alex blinked and found herself back in the real world.
As Alex followed the three, she couldn't help but feel a sick feeling. Like she knows someone is after her already, but in a few moments… a lot of people would be out to kill her. Before the Marshal opened the door, Whitehorse stopped him.
"Woah Marshal. Now we do this, we do it my way: Quietly. Calmly. You got it?" Whitehorse questioned.
"Fine."
"Hudson, on the door. Watch our backs. Don't let any of these people get in. Rookie - on me. And you, just try not to do anything stupid." He commanded.
"Relax Sheriff. You're about to get your name in the paper." Burke muttered in his usual cocky tone.
"You'll be fine." Hudson said to Alex.
"Yeah… like that'll calm me down now." She muttered as Whitehorse opened the doors. The singing stopped in a quiet fadeout.
"Something is coming. You can feel it, can't you? That we are creeping toward the edge… and there will be a reckoning. That is why we started The Project. Because we know what happens next. They will come. They will try to take from us. Take our guns, take our freedom. Take our faith. We will not let them." The man standing at the front of the crowd preached to his followers.
"Sheriff, c'mon-"
"Just hold on Marshal…"
"We will not let their greed, or their immorality, or their depravity hurt us anymore!" Joseph continued as he somewhat called out the Marshal.
"Sheriff."
"There will be no more suffering!"
"Do not pull that trigger. Remain calm…"
"No, fuck this. Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest on the suspicion of kidnapping with the intent to harm! Now I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see 'em!" Burke announced as he held out the federal warrant he held onto the entire trip there.
"There they are… the Locusts in our garden… You see they've come for me. They've come to take me away from you. They've come to destroy all that we've built!" Joseph exclaimed.
"Alright, now. Put your guns down. Put your guns down!" Burke commanded.
"Now hold on, do not touch that service weapon! Hold on and stand down! Stand down! Everyone calm down!" Whitehorse added.
"We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go. Go… God will not let them take me." All of the followers had slowly walked out of the church
"I saw when the Lamb opened the First Seal, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts say, come and see…"
"Step forward." Burke commanded.
"… and I saw, and behold it was a white horse… and Hell followed with him."
"Rookie - cuff this son of a bitch."
"God will not let you take me."
As Alex reached behind her back to grab her handcuffs, she heard the familiar lullaby. A cold sweat appeared on her forehead and neck and her hands started to twitch.
"Rook, you okay?" Whitehorse questioned, noticing the change in attitude from calm and collective to growing anxiety from nowhere. All of a sudden, both the lullaby and heartbeat stopped. Alex looked around with her eyes…
The Huntress was in front of the last window, holding her signature axe with both hands. The moonlight was highlighting her lightly blood splattered mask and dirty white shirt. If it wasn't for that, Alex wouldn't have possibly seen her.
"Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone." Joseph whispered, taking Alex out of her thoughts. She heard Whitehorse walk up beside Alex in order to put his hands down.
"No, No! I need to do this!" She yelled at Whitehorse. Whitehorse backed off by her yell as she then pulled out her handcuffs in haste and cuffed Joseph seed.
"Sometimes the best thing to do… is walk away." Joseph warned, but Alex didn't heed it.
"I have to do this." She replied as she turned the Father away from his family.
She felt four gazes burn in her back, one that she knew extremely well. It felt like an eternity when she had to escort the Father to the helicopter. She heard all the comments of ridicule against her and words of praise towards Joseph Seed. The lullaby was being murmured in her ears and the sound of a steady heartbeat was ringing in her ears, making her clench on Joseph's shoulder tighten by an extraordinary amount.
Joseph noticed how tense she was, but chose not to say anything. They were her battles, not his.
"Get him to the chopper!" Whitehorse commanded. Burke let out a few warning shots in the air as people gathered towards the helicopter to try to get the Father back.
"Get in Rook, c'mon! Get in!" Hudson grabbed Joseph and put him in the seat. Peggies began to climb on the chopper in order to prevent it from leaving.
When it got a good fifteen feet in the air, Anna had decided to intervene. She was determined to win this deal…
"You must hit the survivor ten times with your hatchets in order for the effects to become permanent."
With all of her strength, she lifted her trusty axe…
And threw it at the helicopter blades.
"Brace for im-!" Anna watched as the helicopter crashed to the ground and land quite a distance from her position.
"Игра установлена, маленькая." Anna muttered under her breath as she proceeded to go to the helicopter crash site.
Here's the second chapter! The Russian that Anna translates to: The game is set, little one. Until the next update, comment please! Let me know that I'm not alone in this crazy mix! :3
~Paranoiac666
