Disclaimer: I don't own Elfen Lied. Everything in the Elfen Lied universe belongs to Lynn Okamoto. However, Samael and all of the characters appearing in this original tome belong to yours truly. If you want to borrow Samael, then you must ask for permission and let me review the story before you post it.
Summary: Elfen Lied has ended with Lucy's death. But the story lives on so long as the Diclonius Virus spreads. This is the story of Michael Mordare, the first Diclonius born in America. And more importantly, this is the story of the first male Diclonius born outside of captivity. This is the story of Michael's decent into madness, and the beginning of Samael.
Warnings: This is rated T for bad language, drug referencing, intense dark themes, and gruesome murders.
Author's Notes: Things are falling into place one by one. The stage has been set and the characters are in play. Watch carefully as the entire world may be in the ethereal hands of a broken boy. Don't underestimate just how dangerous a single loose diclonius is to the entire world. Once the Vector Virus is unleashed, nothing can stop it.
Author's Notes (con): I know last chapter I went crazy overboard with details about the city of Toledo. I've decided that if I have to use Google Maps to find the perfect setting on the exact street and intersection, then this story will never get finished. So now I will just include Toledo landmarks and well known buildings. And maybe the occasional street name and intersection.
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Angel of Massacre
Chapter Ten: Warning Signs
The Darkness stroked my cheeks gently, as though it were brushing away a speck of impurity. I struggled to open my eyes but the Darkness said shush, sleep a while longer. The world outside is cold and harsh; don't be so eager to step out into a blizzard. I murmured my protests but Sarah Mordare put both of her hands on my shoulders and whispered loving nothings. I let myself be lowered back into the soft comforter and felt her slender hands pull the sheets over my neck. I wiggled my butt deeper into the mattress and grinned wildly. I don't feel sleepy Mother, can't I stay up a while longer? Mom smiled tenderly and kissed my cheeks. Pixie dust must have been resting on her lips because I felt all of the boundless energy slip out of my body. I love you, Mom said, and I repeated her words. How full is your love cup? asked Mom. I spread my arms out wide and exclaimed, this much! Mom slipped into my outstretched arms and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her slender waist and squeezed. Finally we separated and Mom walked out of my life.
My blood-red eyes opened. My heart ached with longing and tears gently slid down my wet cheeks. I sucked in a shaky breath and tried to recapture the loving feeling I had felt in my dream. I tried to cling onto the dream with all of my will, but I might as well have been trying to grab water. Soon I couldn't remember what was making me feel so empty inside. I choked back sobs. The bridge to the Garden of Eden had been burned. God damn the man who has torn me from my home, from my family, from my life. The endless pit in my heart refilled with black hatred.
I angrily flung my body off the bed and stood trembling in rage. I struggled to put a cap on the endless loathing pouring out. I don't know how long it took before I felt a pain in my palms. I had been gripping my fists together so tightly that my nails had broken skin. I couldn't just stand here waiting for something to happen. I had to walk this anger off. Twisting my head around, I spotted the chestnut wig I had discarded last night. I summoned it to my hand and pulled it over my horns. Finally I lifted the key off the floor and stuffed it in my jeans pocket. I thought about taking the backpack with me, but then decided against it. I grabbed the doorknob and flung open the rundown door. Almost instantly the chain-lock snapped taunt. I slammed the door shut. I had almost broken the lock in anger. I breathed deeply and calmed myself down. Then I slid the chain-lock out of the slot and exited the smelly room. After using the key to lock the door, I made my way down the end of the hardly-lit hallway and then further down the concrete stairwell.
The anger had been banished for the time being, but I still had energy to walk off. I stormed past the out-of-service elevator and into the decrepit lobby. I was reaching for the door handle leading outside when I heard a loud voice call after me.
"Oy! Where do you think you're going!" shouted Robert, the hotel manager. I turned around and observed that Robert was surprisingly active this early in the morning.
"What's it your business where I'm going?" I snapped.
"You aren't allowed to take hotel property off my property, didn't I tell you this yesterday?"
"What are you talking about?!"
"I'm talking about the apartment key, of course!"
I lifted an eyebrow and walked up to desk, which was protected behind a black iron gate. Robert held out a wrinkled hand and motioned with his fingers. I reluctantly fished my key out of my pocket and deposited it into Rob's awaiting hand. His aged fingers closed over the key and he dropped it somewhere out of sight.
"Is there any particular reason why I can't take the key with me?" I asked.
Robert chuckled and replied, "I've got a lot of reasons. First off, a lot of the people in this fine hotel lose their keys when they go on their beer binges. I don't like making spares, it costs too much. Second reason is because I don't want anyone making copies of their keys so they can bring in a lot of uninvited friends for free! And finally, I want to keep an eye on who's coming in and out."
Rob ticked off the reasons with his fingers and held up three. I nodded in understanding before strolling out the door. All of the sudden I knew something was wrong. The sun was way too high in the sky for it to be morning. Just how long did I sleep? Judging from how the sun was beating straight down, it had to be in the afternoon or maybe even past that. I guess now I know the reason Robert was so active. I decided to find a map of the city. I started to walk away from the hotel when I realized that I didn't even know the name of the place. I turned around and glanced up at the building.
Hotel Carter, that makes things much clearer.
I smirked and began to walk down 10th Street. I guess I should grab breakfast, or whatever is being served at this time. Unlike yesterday, the streets were crowded with so many people that bumping shoulders was nearly unavoidable. Even though I'm above-average height for my age, I couldn't see over the crowd. I walked amongst a never-ending stream of humans. None of them knew of the danger strolling beside them. If I wanted to, I could dismember every human within three meters. All in good time, I thought.
My stomach ached in hunger so I turned into a random Thai restaurant. I took a menu, glanced at the prices, and chose some Chicken Lo Mein noodles. The Asian woman at the nodded and began to bark orders in her native language. An absolutely intoxicating aroma filled the air and made me feel lightheaded. I sat down in a chair with my nose pointed to the ceiling. I decided to order a drink and bought a can of Dr. Pepper. I was sipping the soda when the same Asian woman strode out of the kitchen and placed before me a bowl of thick noodles, slices of chicken, bean sprouts, and some other things I didn't know. I nodded at her and began to eat.
A few minutes later I exited the restaurant feeling warm and content. I guess that walk really did help me. Still, I needed to learn the streets if I was going to live in this city. I began walking again. The day was wearing by as I took in the sights. I looked at street names and made my own landmarks. I passed under an over bridge that once led to the old COSI science building. I remember going there when Mom and Dad had memberships. It was always exciting looking at all of the awesome exhibits. My favorite was an old tornado machine. I always got irritated when someone put their hands through the miniature tornado. I was convinced that the tornado would stay in the middle of the machine forever if nobody touched it. I felt sadness as nostalgic memories threatened to sweep me away. The old building was vacant now. I felt a strange sort of kinship to the empty structure that once held so many sweet memories.
I sighed deeply and continued onward through the hordes of humans. I happened upon a general store and decided that I could buy a city map in there. At first I thought it was going to be a simple in-and-out buy. I entered through the door and found a city atlas by the magazines. Then something happened to catch my eye. It was the Toledo Blade, Sunday edition. I just stood there blankly, map in hand.
The date… What?...
I grabbed up the newspaper and bought both it and the map. I stepped onto the street and began to run in the direction I knew was Hotel Carter. I guess I must have one amazing sense of direction because it wasn't long until the decaying old hotel appeared. Is this another ability of a diclonius? I thought absentmindedly. I shook the thought from my head and threw open the front door with a great BANG. I think I added another crack to the glass. I heard sailor curses and Robert walked into view on the other side of the grate. I ran up to him and said breathlessly, "Give me my key, now!"
Robert scowled and waddled off to the side. I stood waiting there panting heavily. Fed up with waiting I slapped the black iron grate and shouted, "Where is my goddamn key!"
Robert called back, "I'm looking, keep your panties on! I know I put it right here…"
I groaned loudly and rolled my eyes in exasperation. Finally I heard a triumphant exclamation and Robert entered my line-of-sight. He held up key 511 and handed it over to me.
"Sorry about the wait. I always put the keys in the same spot, so I don't know why I didn't this time."
I didn't pay him any more attention and tore up the stone cold stairwell. I reached the fifth floor and ran all the way to my apartment. I fumbled with the key lock for a moment before opening the door and closing it behind me. I sat down on the only piece of furniture, the bed. I held the Toledo Blade in front of my face and stared unbelieving at the picture on the front page.
It was my house. Or to be more accurate, the charred remains and structural skeleton of my house.
The date was set for this Sunday. The paper had been put out today. It was Sunday, not Saturday. I couldn't believe it. I had slept entirely through Saturday and Sunday morning! Something was nagging at the far reaches of my mind. I pushed the nagging feeling aside and started reading. The front page screamed:
Tragedy in Point Place, Wildfire Burns Down Three Houses
I sucked in a breath before reading on down. The article started to describe details about a horrible Friday morning that started off with a loud explosion. It mentioned that the first house to go up was the Mordare household. I can't believe that the Blade actually got my last name right. The fire spread to the two houses on both sides and set them ablaze. Fortunately for them, the explosion woke everyone up and there were no casualties. Well, none except for the Mordare family that is. I couldn't believe my eyes. Cont in the Obituaries, said the paper. I nearly tore apart the newspaper trying to find the Obituaries. The Sports and the Comics and the Second News were spread across the floor before I managed to pluck out the most depressing part of the paper.
I held the Obituaries in the light and continued reading. There were three faces that I knew the most. There was an article for the three of us altogether:
The Mordare family died last Friday morning in a terrible fire (See Front Page). Investigations discovered that the fire most likely originated from a broken gas pipe. Their bodies weren't found, but enough skeletal remains were collected to account for all three family members. When asked about the family, a few neighbors were happy to oblige.
"They were such a sweet family." said Mrs. Feeny. "They had a son who was never seen too often. Some of the neighbors were wondering what they were hiding."
I gritted my teeth in irritation. Old women spreading barbed gossip, how cliché! I pushed past the red anger and continued reading:
Tony and Sarah Mordare were living together and supporting their single sixteen year-old child, Michael Mordare. When the story of Michael's death reached his school, the principal called for a moment of silence.
I leaned back and closed my eyes, struggled to smother the intense depression. Then yet again I continued reading:
The Mordare household had a bad history. For an unknown reason, Tony Mordare left the family a few years after Michael's birth. Sarah had to raise her son as a single mother. Then a few more years later Tony returned and they became a family again. Sarah Mordare was nine months pregnant with their second child when the fire took their lives.
The article ended there. In a blurry black and white photograph were the three faces I knew the most. It was an old photo, but perhaps the only one that actually existed. The three Mordares' were huddled together and smiling widely directly into the camera. Dad was kneeling to my left and I was sitting in Mom's lap. I gingerly reached for the photograph with two fingers and brush Mom and Dad's frozen faces.
I had only used a vector to cut flesh, not paper. I was worried that I would end up shredding the entire paper or accidentally slicing the picture down the middle. Yet I didn't have any scissors and I couldn't wait any longer. An ethereal hand slid over my shoulder and I began to cut the edges of the photograph with the dedication and determination of a surgeon. I was lost in my own cold world, silently working the vector around in a perfect rectangle. Until at last, the most important part of the entire Blade dropped free from its bounds and fell into my hand.
The remaining Obituaries fell out of my hand and fluttered to the dusty floor. I held the only remaining link I had to the Garden of Eden in both hands. I was holding it so gently, like how a young girl would hold a baby sparrow that had fallen out of its nest. Suddenly a dark blotch appeared on the paper. I held the picture away from myself and felt at my face. Uncontrollable tears were streaming down my face. My shoulders were shaking with grief. How long would it take until I won't feel this way anymore? How long would I have to suffer like this?
Finally I forced myself to my feet. I should put this in the backpack, maybe inside the helmet it would be safe? I turned towards the backpack and froze entirely. The black backpack with red straps was open and empty. My right hand held the photograph, so I only clenched my left fist.
Who had done it? Who was fucking stupid enough to steal from me? I knelt down by the backpack and placed my treasured picture in the bottom. Then I leapt to my feet, grabbed up the key, and ran out of the room. Nobody fucks with me and gets away with it! The goddamn trash in this shitty hellhole were going to learn a fucking lesson! That helmet was worth more to me than this building. If I had to tear it down to find it…
I reached the front desk even before I realized that I had run down the stairs. I began to slap the black iron grate until my hand stung. "Robert! Get your wide ass out here now!" I bellowed. Almost instantly the hotel manager appeared before me. His face was slack with shock. "Someone was in my apartment. Someone stole something that was mine! I came into this hotel with only the backpack and someone stole everything inside of it!"
Robert regained his senses and scowled angrily. "Why'd you come to me then?"
"My key! You couldn't find it even though you always put it in the same place!"
Robert suddenly began to stutter, "That ain't your key…"
"Who came in today before me? Who knows where you put the keys? When would there be a chance to steal the keys? Who even knew that I was here? Who would steal from a new inmate?" I shot rapid questions at Robert, who was looking more and more flustered. Finally he caved and pulled out a clipboard. He looked at the board and finally spoke.
"That'd be the drug addicts on the fourth floor. They came in shortly before you did. They're the only people who've come in since you've been gone. Their names are Allen and Lonnie. I'm absolutely certain it's them. They've pulled this kind of shit before. They're so hooked on Mary Jane and other shit that they hocked almost everything they've got. When that wasn't enough they got into other people's shit. People complained and I did exactly what I'm going to do to you."
I looked at him inquisitively. Robert smirked and handed me the clipboard through a slot in the black iron grate. I looked at the paper clipped to the board and saw the names, Lonnie McQueeney and Allen Grippo in room 408.
"Now if you want your shits that badly, go get it."
I gave Robert a wide smile. I think I'm starting to like this guy.
"Now remember, I only did this for two reasons. One, to stop your crying…"
The feeling quickly faded.
"…And two, these pieces of trash didn't learn their lesson the first time. I guess hospital food wasn't terrible enough for them to think twice. I think you're capable of nailing the lesson to their skulls. Just don't kill either of 'em. That'd be bad for business."
I turned on my heel and walked back towards the stairwell. I began to take the now-familiar march up the stairs. When I reached the fourth floor I opened the door and stepped into a hallway just as shabby as my own. I strode down the hallway until I reached the targeted door. I knew someone was inside, I could hear some sharp banging sounds on the other side. I lifted my fist and hammered the door as hard as I could.
The banging stopped and two seconds later the door opened part-way. A pale white face with red eyes peered over the chain and looked at me worriedly. His blonde hair looked like it had never been washed. He licked chapped and broken lips and spoke softly.
"Uh hey, ca-can I help yo-"
"Hell yeah you can help me!" I snapped. I decided that this must be Allen. It's a 50/50 chance, right? I don't care if I'm wrong.
Allen flinched back at my words and tried to whisper, but I cut him off again.
"How about you give me back my stuff and I don't put you and Lonnie back in the hospital!"
Allen turned even paler and spoke over his shoulder. "Lonnie (Hey, I'm right!), the Samuel Redrum guy's here. He thinks we stole something from him." Then back to me, "We don't do that anymore. We barely got out of hospital custody last time. I swear, I don't know what you're talking about."
"How did you know my name?" It was a simple question that could be answered without giving himself away. But nonetheless Allen averted his eyes and began to mumble out incoherent excuses. I gave him a scathing look and he downcast his eyes. "Open the door, let me see what you're banging around in there."
Allen panicked and tried to shut the door. I reared back on my left foot and put all of my weight behind my right foot. I kicked the door with my foot and a few vectors just for good measure. The chain snapped and the door was blasted nearly off its hinges. The edge of the door caught Allen in the face and I saw his lips begin to bleed. The apartment was just like mine except it was occupied with another person. He looked like an African-American counter-part to Allen, with puffy broken lips and teary red eyes. Lonnie held a hammer in his right hand and there in his lap was the battle helmet. There were a few new scuff marks on the surface, but other than that it looked alright. Allen reeled backwards and put a hand on his lips, pulling back bloody. I stormed into the room and gave Lonnie my contemptuous glare. He seemed to shrink before me.
Allen's bloody face contorted angrily, "You just don't get it. Fucking rich folk like you must have millions to pay for this kind of helmet. Lonnie and I don't have anything anymore! You know how much dope we could get for this sort of thing? I couldn't just-"
I cut him off for the third time, "I killed the man who owned this helmet and took it off his dead head. Don't think I won't do the same for you too. Just hand it over and you can return to your miserable excuses for lives."
Lonnie and Allen shared a look that I didn't like. Suddenly Lonnie reached behind his back and pulled out a crudely crafted shank. Allen lunged for me and grabbed my wrists. He struggled me around until my exposed back was facing his friend. I heard Lonnie jump to his feet and thrust the shank toward my spine. I twisted my chin over my shoulder at the same time as I lifted my left foot off the ground. As soon as I saw Lonnie and the shank, I executed a snap kick with my left foot out and caught Lonnie's wrist. The shank clattered to the floor as I pulled my foot back. Again my foot shot out with as much force as I could muster and slammed into Lonnie's teeth. I felt the jarring impact in my hips. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, holding his face with both hands and sobbing hysterically. Allen looked shaken and I took advantage of his hesitation. I broke his hold and drove a quick one-two fist combo into his face and abdomen. My fist pulled back bloody and I resisted the sudden urge to lick the blood off my knuckles. Instead I reached down and picked the shank off the floor. I then drove a firm kick in Lonnie's ribs and turned him over on his back. Then I jumped on top of him and straddled his stomach. I used two vectors to force his hands away from his mouth. Lonnie's maw was a mess of blood and broken teeth. I slowly slid the shank into his mouth and held it so that it didn't touch the back of his throat. Lonnie grew very tense under my body and tears were pouring down his inky face. I grinned hideously and looked at Allen who was standing stiffly by the doorway.
"What's going on in that mind of yours, Allen?" I taunted, "Thinking you can save your drug buddy before I give him a Glasgow smile?" I pressed the very tip of the spike against the inside of Lonnie's mouth. Allen took a step back and held one hand to his bleeding mouth.
"You guys don't fuck with me! You wouldn't want this to happen again, would you? From now on, if you see me you turn around and walk the other way. If you see me on the street you will cross the road right at that moment. You don't fuck with me! Consider yourself lucky that I only broke some teeth. You may need to go back to the hospital and get your teeth fixed, but that ain't my problem. You don't speak of what happened today to anyone, not even amongst yourselves! You don't fuck with me and expect to walk away unscathed!"
And with that I pulled the crude pick out of Lonnie's mouth and drove it into the floorboards. I rose to my feet and picked up the battle helmet. Carrying the helmet under my arm I walked passed Allen and out the door, listening to Lonnie's weeping. I didn't feel sorry for what I did, only a deep rumbling anger.
There was only one more matter to deal with.
I had returned the helmet to the backpack and placed my treasure inside the helmet for protection. Then I locked the door behind me and pushed an intangible vector through the door. I used the vector to lift up the chain-lock and slide it into the slot. Nobody else but me could enter without breaking the chain. Then I made my way downstairs to get some answers.
Robert was waiting for me when I arrived at the front desk. He saw the dark look on my face and inquired, "Did you get your stuff back?"
I replied, "Yeah, don't ask any more questions. I've got some questions of my own."
Robert stared at me and shrugged. I pressed on the attack.
"Remember this morning? Back when I was going to leave the hotel with your key?" Robert nodded and listened. "You said that you had already told me this rule yesterday. Do you mean Saturday?"
Robert nodded again and spoke, "Yeah, I told you that rule yesterday."
I don't remember waking up at all between Friday and today. Robert continued talking and things became stranger.
"You were walking all funny, like you had crapped your pants. I guess you looked kind of like a toddler taking his first steps, I was pretty confused. I told you that you couldn't just leave and you mumbled, 'I guess that's for the best.' But it was yesterday alright."
"You sure that was me?" I blurted out.
Robert gave me the strangest look, "Yeah, it was you alright. With the brown hair and the red eyes and those bloody jeans. You sleepwalking or something?" I nodded absentmindedly. Robert threw his hands up into the air. "I guess that makes as much sense as anything else about you."
I shrugged distractedly and made my way to my apartment room. I unlocked the door lock at the same time as the chain lock and stepped into my room. Then I laid my body across the bed sheets, put my hands behind my head, and stared at the bare ceiling. Something was going on. I had never sleepwalked before in my life. Not to mention that I had taken off my wig before I went to sleep Friday. Why did Robert see me five floors down, wearing the brunette wig? I guess it was a good thing that Robert didn't see my horns, but still none of this made any sense!
The day of excitement had taken its toll and I could feel myself drifting off into sleep again. I had no more energy to ask questions I didn't know the answers to. I could faintly hear someone laughing as though from a distance. The Darkness enveloped my body and mind before carrying me into a dreamless slumber.
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End Chapter Ten: Warning Signs
Didn't I warn you that this wasn't going to be pretty? Again and again I deliver the pain. I am just getting warmed up, don't forget that. Things are just getting exciting.
This chapter has everything I could have asked for. I know I said that Angel of Massacre was going on a short-term hiatus, but I couldn't stay away. I just kept writing and writing and writing some more until I found myself with a glorious masterpiece. Plus the ending felt just right. Who can guess what's going on in my head? I certainly can't!
One big reason that Elfen Lied was so popular is because it didn't shrink away from the darker side of humanity. In fact Elfen Lied basically tore down the veil and waltzed into the Darkness, a place where few anime's before it went. It was full of psychological horror, child molestation, animal abuse/killing, and murder. Angel of Massacre will similarly step foot in the Darkness.
Who here feels sorry for Lonnie and Allen? I don't feel sorry for what I've done to them. They're desperate drug addicts that need to get off the street and turn themselves in to get help! They may not reappear in the story for a long while, or maybe not at all. They may go the way of Dan and Jonas, who also don't have any more roles to play.