San Diego, California, USA
8:46am, local clock
The world was coming to an end around them.
Something, an honest to God orbital weapons system called ODIN, was raining down absolute bedlam onto San Diego.
How exactly it was doing this, neither of the Walker brothers knew. All they did know, was that pure death was coming from above.
They had both seen roiling, swirling columns of smoke and dust rising like storm clouds over the tops of the stucco-roofed buildings , and the pavement itself had began to shake and quiver as if an Earthquake was tearing through the region. They had actually thought what was happening was a quake, until their father had yelled over the din of the deafening noise that it wasn't.
" ODIN ! Its ODIN ! "
They had barely heard him, over the competingly loud sounds of explosions that literally sounded like thunderclaps on sea level, the overlapping wail of multiple car alarms, and the rumble of the Earth cracking itself open. Somehow, they had. Thier old man was a career soldier; he could really yell when he had to.
And now certainly called for that.
" What's ODIN ?! ", a severly confused and frightened Hesh had shouted.
" A SPACE WEAPON ! ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT ! "
To say that was the last response they'd expected, was an understatement. The brothers Walker, chasing their dad up the road back toward their house, had nearly come to a halt out of pure shock.
Orbital weapons ?!
" I'LL GET THE TRUCK! GET TO THE HOUSE, AND WAIT THERE! GO ! ", the older man had ordered.
" But, Dad, we can't leave y-! "
" NOW , boys ! HURRRY ! "
And with that, he was gone. Racing off with impressive speed for a man who was greying, thorugh and into the maelstrom of chaos.
Absolute sidewalks were getting carved apart, billowing clouds of dust were erupting out of them, and there was so. Much. Noise. Screams could be heard from every direction over the sounds of destruction as residents fled from their homes- the ones who were taking their chances making a run for it, that was.
With all of that combined, their dad dissappeared nearly at once. He was gone.
The Walkers were left on their own. It was the height of the " Everyone for themselves " scenario.
" What the- Hesh ! What'd we do ?! "
Hesh looked at his brother's face, right in the eyes, and saw how scared he was. He had no dobut he looked equally as terrified. The damn sky was exploding over their heads !
But, what else could they do, except as they'd been told ? Their old man had a plan. They didn't.
KRA-BOOOOOM !
An eardrum-stinging roar shattered the air. Logan cried out.
Hesh grabbed him by both shoulders.
" Hey ! We're not dying here ! ", he yelled.
" We do as Dad says, ok ! Ok ?!"
Logan still looked stunned, and more than a tad overwhelmed, but he wasn't panicing. Not entirely.
" I- Ok. ! Got it ! ". He nodded, swallowing.
" Lead the way ! "
KRA-BOOOOOM !
Hesh didn't need any encourgement. He wans't letting his younger bro die here.
He wasn't letting either of them die here.
" Let's go ! "
He set off at a dead sprint, grabbing a handful of Logan's jacket and hauling him along.
They ran.
A blue Suburban careened down the street toward them, going at well over the limit. Engine bellowing, the big SUV shot forward, its headlights on, and horn going at full blast.
Breeeeeeep ! Breeeeeeep !
Vrmmmmmmmmmm!
" Son of a bitch ! "
" Look out, Logan ! "
They swerved off to the right, and the speed demon barelled past, still at redline speeds. Whether or not the driver had ever seen them, they wouldn't ever know.
Across the street, as the explosions continued. The vibrations they produced were getting stronger and stronger, as if the detonations were creeping closer. The sounds they produced were louder and louder, making the Walker brother's ears hurt with each one.
KRA-BOOOOOM !
" Shit ! "
Logan swore, voice fearfull, but when Hesh whipped his head around to check on him, he was still running. Logan had stumbled, but he wasn't down.
" What the hell is this, Hesh ?! "
" Keep going, man ! Keep going ! "
They kept going. They had no choice. No choice at all.
Up the slope of the front lawn of their house, staggering across the trimmed grass halfway along as another salvo of vibrations hit them.
KRA-BOOOOOM !
Past the fountain, whose water was slopping madly and crazily out of the eggshell white, bowl shaped structure. It soaked the grass around it as the Walkers ran by.
" Nearly there, Logan ! "
Hesh's lungs were burning fiercely by now, as were his legs, but he didn't let the latter stop moving. He willed the former to keep powering the latter.
" Nearly there ! "
They were, too. The front doors of their home- a eleganty designed set made of Mahogany wood and frosted glass, at the too of a short flight of granite steps- were dead ahead. You could throw a basketball and hit them.
With Logan in tow, Hesh charged up them.
KRA-BOOOOOM !
Hesh actually did fall now, all but spraining his wrist when he put it out to stop himself hitting the ground. His knee made contact, and stung like sin, but he restrained from saying a word.
Barely.
" You- you ok ?! ", panted Logan, skidding to a halt next to him.
" Hesh ?! "
" Yeah ! Yeah, its fine ! ". Hesh ignored the stinging in his kneecaps. Or did his best, at least.
He had to.
Getting it together, he crawled forward on all fours, tearing aisde the welcome mat, to reveal the house key hidden beneath.
" Ok, thank God-! "
KRA-BOOOOOM !
The ground shuddered. Vibrations flowed through it, as Hesh stood, key in hand, and all but rammed it into the lock. Turned it.
He threw the doors open.
" Logan-! "
The younger Walker was already moving, though. He crossed the threshold nearly in perfect sync with Hesh, staggering inside with a clap of his sneaker soles on the beige floor tiles.
" Get in, get in ! "
Spotting his brother inside, Hesh slammed the doors shut. Locking them again wasn't as fluid or smooth as unlocking them- his hands were shaking surprisingly hard, for some odd reason- but he managed.
" Got it !Got it... "
Chk. The lock turned.
At last, he was aware of himself breathing out.
" Oh, my God, Hesh. " Logan sounded like he was simultaneously also not. Like he couldn't process everything that was going on.
" Oh, good lord. Oh, God, oh God- "
Hesh's pulse was thundering like a freight train. He could hear it in his ears, as a raw whm, whm, whm of the blood pumping. The surface of his palms was sticky with sweat.
He couldn't think of anything to say. This wasn't an attack. This wasn't terrorism. This was-
What, exactly ? He didn't know. Except that it was pure death out there.
And he couldn't hear himself think properly.
BOOOOOM ! !BMMMM!
More vibrations literally rippled through the beige floor tiles.
A choice expletive escaped Logan Walker's mouth, as he involuntarily staggered back. His blazer-clad back thumped hard into the wall, as a mounted ( and rather ornate ) picture frame depicting a stretch of the California coast detached and clattered down. The chandelier that usually dangling high over the foyer also came loose, disintegrating upon impact into a shower of cascading glass shards.
Hesh was driven to his knees, hissing with pain as they struck the marble slabs. Waves of grainy dust and grime, shaken loose from beneath the walls, fell over and around him, along with bit of plaster.
BOOOOOM ! !BMMMM!
Some of it immedietly got into the throats of both 18 year olds, triggering sharp coughing fits. Spittle flecked the tiles in front of them, as they spit out the unwanted particles, struggling back up to a standing position.
" That-kfff, khhhhh, ukkk- that sounded close ! ", exclaimed Logan.
Hesh couldn't argue. However ODIN was causing those blasts, it was walking them nearer and nearer to them. It had to be.
A direct hit on the house ? There'd be nothing left of them but atoms. And a direct hit could be at any moment.
The longer they stayed, the higher that chance. They'd promised their dad they'd wait for him, but-
No. The chance was too high. They had to move !
BOOOOOM! !BMMMM!
And they had to do it now.
" Come-khhh, kuhh, uuua- Come on ! ", Hesh yelled, turning back toward the doors, waving a hand at them. " We got to get out of this place, man ! "
" No kidding-!". Logan was stopped briefly by a round of coughing, but soon recovered. " We're-we're gonna get buried ! "
" Come on, Logan ! Stick close ! "
Without wasting a second more, they made a beeline for the back doors.
The house they were dashing through was the one they'd grown up in. Every day, for nearly two decades, they'd lived in this house. They knew and remembered every corner and inch of it, from the winding staircase with its cedar wood banister that wound up to the second floor, to the curtain of beads that hung over the entrance to the kitchen.
They knew this house. It was theirs, but now all they could do was abandon it. They ran through it, which would've given their mother a royal fit. If the cancer hadn't claimed her all those years ago, that was.
In all likelihood, it would be gone within an hour. The halls of this house were theirs to remember, but that would be all they'd have.
" Allright-Alright, here we go, Logan ! "
Rounding a corner, they raced up to the rear doors.
Exactly the same as the front ones, they were all wood and glass, towering all of 7 ft tall. As 6 year olds, these doors had seemed like the gateways to the rest of the whole world; opening them was a way out to adventure and excitement.
Today, getting though them was their way to staying alive.
BOOOOOM, RRRRBMMM !
Pressing their shoulders and hands into it again, the Walkers spared a precious moment to catch their breath, and make sure they were ready to push in sync. They had to get this right on the first go. They absolutely had to.
" Ok, ok- ready ?! " Hesh braced his feet against the tiles.
" Ready ?! "
" Yeah ! ". Logan nodded fiercely. " Let's do it ! "
With that, Logan drove himself into the door, hard as he could. Hesh did the same, as another distant thunderclap of an explosion sounded.
BOOOOOM, RRRRBMMM !
" 3,2, 1- NOW, LOGAN ! AGAIN ! "
Hesh threw his right shoulder into the impenetrable surface of the glass and Mahogany of his half of the double door, while pressing his palm into it as well. He put all his weight into the move, aiming for maximum force.
Off to the other side of the door, Logan , mirrored him exactly. Despite that he was an inch or so shorter, Logan Walker was no less fit than his brother- and certainly no less determined to open a path forward for both of them out through these doors, and onto the street behind.
After all, the house they were standing in was collapsing around their ears. The sharp cracking sound of some of the nearby wall opening like a book was plenty of warning of that.
Their ears kept hurting from the punishing echoes, but they pushed through. Staying put wasn't an option. Not unless they wanted to be buried alive when-not if- the house collapsed like a deck of cards onto them.
Or, if whatever ODIN was - what was supposedly causing those massive detonations- struck right here, which seemed more and more likely. There would be no hope of survival.
" NOW ! "
Again, they gave it everything they had.
BOOMMMMMMM! RBMMMMMMM !
And on this go around, the doors, previously jammed stubbornly closed, came flying open, and out they came.
BOOMMMMMMM! RBMMMMMMM !
" Woah ! ".
Hesh, his momentum accelerated by more vibrations, went right down the steps leading up to the door. His arms flailed, as he desperately struggled to stop himself toppling-
Directly toward a yawing crevice at the foot of said stairs, one that was at least a yard wide, and only God knew how deep. Hesh was headed right for it-
- and only Logan's dusty fingertips, clutching frenetically at the back of Hesh's jacket, stopped him from tumbling in. The elder Walker brother was jerked to a halt, teetering for a moment before rocking back on his heels.
" F- Oh, God. Thanks, man ", he gasped, staring at the chasm that'd nearly eaten him.
That was a narrow shave for the record books
" What'd you expect ?! ". Logan hit his shoulder. " I've always got your back. "
BOOMMMMMMM! RBMMMMMMM !
BOOOMMMMM ! RBMMBBBBBB !
Another volley of distant explosions sent the Earth buckling. Neither brother went down this time, but they very nearly did. Hesh was practically thrown into the hedge that ran up along the side of the walkway that led to the door, while Logan came even closer to winding up on the lip of the yawing crevice himself.
BWROOOOOOOOOOOM !
RMBMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
" Aghh ! ". Hesh clamped his hands over his ears, attempting to block the roar. It sounded so close.
" Ahh, god-! "
" Hesh ! Look, look ! "
Blinking away some of the sting, Hesh looked up as his brother shouted his name.
He saw the younger Walker, standing with his arm pointed out in front of him. Pointing down toward the heart of San Diego's downtown.
On most days, the densely packed urban mass, home to the city's main airport and the USMC Training depot, was easily visible from here. It was sprawled out at the base of a long stretch of sloped ground, which the Walker's neighborhood sat on. Usually, from here, they could easily look down upon the center of San Diego, and the impossibly vast, cobalt blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean beyond.
It was a perfectly made panoramic view of their Californian town.
Or rather, it had been.
" Hesh...!." Logan sounded like he was in a daze.
Turning his own attention to where he brother was pointing, Hesh soon understood why. And it made sense.
San Diego, was gone.
Well, mostly. It was hard to tell, with the multiple and overlapping mountains- there was no other word for them-of dust and smoke that were now billowing and roiling over the city. The clouds themselves looked to be made of every kind of materiel known on Earth-stone and concrete, iron and steel, wood and plastic, fiberglass and paper. They were churning, swirling, choking thick masses of airborne particles that were blotting out the sun around them, they'd risen so high and were so dense.
There was still some light there, though.
The fires, that was. The many- and by many, that means thousands- of points of light that were clearly fires burning all over the place. They were throwing off cherry red glows, as the sheets of dust and smoke were mostly hiding them. Entire residential blocks- ex residential blocks now- were simply red glows, hidden behind the curtains of smoke.
Out at sea, the USS ' Midway ', the aircraft carrier that'd served the United States with great distiction from the days of Vietnam all the way till Desert Storm, had been neatly bisected. The aft section of the once majestic ship was nowhere to be found. Her bow, meanwhile, had been pushed up onto the pier that she was docked alongside, with ribbons of slagged metal dangling out the end of the severed section. The stars and stripes, miraculously, still fluttered from her island's mainmast.
All around, it was pure annihilation. San Diego, had been erased.
That was why the explosions had now stopped. The Federation had done what it set out to do. They didn't need ODIN anymore- not now, anyway.
Hesh Walker took that all that it had done in after only a few seconds. Or, actually, he saw it all in a few seconds, but processing it wasn't possible. Not on the spot. Not right away.
How could it be ? His jaw worked, and sounds came out, but they were merely sounds. Not words.
He didn't have any.
" Hesh, they- The Federation. They-they blew it up, man. They blew it all up..."
" All of it...!"
Logan, somehow, found words. They weren't remotely enough, and for that alone he shouldn't have said them, but he couldn't not know that.
Besides, they weren't off the mark, either.
There weren't even any emergency sirens- police cars, ambulances, fire trucks- wailing in the distance down there. None. There wasn't any sound.
Only the view of smoke. And dust. And fire.
Damn them. Damn them all, those Feds.
Even a USMC DI's most vile cuss words were utterly worthless here. Every swearword, every profane insult in the English language- none of them were enough .
Hesh sat down on the steps. He bit his lower lip, and stared out at the burning ruins, as stinging came to the corner of his eyes.
Logan stayed were he was, head bowed, hands covering his clean shaven, boyish face. He wasn't crying- Hesh could see him out the corner of his eyes, and noticed how his shoulders weren't shaking, because that was a giveaway- but he was doing everything he could not to scream at the top of his voice.
Not that Hesh planned to blame him.
The damn Federation had obliterated their town. Straight up erased the bigger chunk of 1,000,000.
One of which was gone. Quickly as that.
" Look what they did ! Look at what they did, Hesh ! "
The older Walker brother put a closed fist over his mouth, listening to the rawness of Logan's voice. He agreed and shared it completely.
And he still could find nothing to say about it. His mind was on fire with thoughts, but putting them into words- what could he say ?
Anything ?
There's nothing left. Not of San Diego, or of me to say anything about it. Nope. Nothing.
The Federation. They've really done it now.
" Why, Hesh ?! Why would they- they- "
Gripping the sides of his head in anguish, Logan turned back to Hesh. His face was a mask of rage and grief, in equal measure. Both were as strong as the other. Hesh could see that plan as day- or the fires blazing below.
" I- its "
Dropping his hands, Logan curled them into fists, staring at his shoes.
" Logan. " Hesh looked up at him, and reached out.
" Come over here. ", he beckoned.
Biting his own lip, his own eyes blazing, Logan slowly complied, sitting down beside Hesh.
The elder Walker promptly embraced his brother, hugging him the way he'd used to when they were 8, and when getting scabbed knees was common on these very steps.
Logan didn't relax, but he did finally exhale. It was a ragged breath, laden with anger, but he was at least fighting to stay in control.
It was something. Better than nothing. For several moments, they stayed that way, neither of them speaking.
Not that there was much to say.
" I hate them, Hesh. Its been 10 damn minutes, but I hate them. ", Logan finally whispered.
" I hate them so much. I- "
" That's ok. ", Hesh told him. " That's ok, Logan, understand ? "
" Its ok. ". His fingers dug into his brother's now dusty jacket, as he kept his gaze away from what had once been San Diego.
They stayed put for a minute or so longer. Alone, but together.
Neither of them could avoid at least glancing at the ruins of SD, much as they did their best not to. The smoke was towering like anvil clouds, getting spread out in the air as the breeze carried them away.
Ashes and smoke. That was all that was left.
Breeeep. Breeeeeeeep, breeeeeep !
Out of the blue, the shriek of a car horn sounded.
Both brother's heads snapped up at once, as the horn sounded again from the left. It was then that they became aware of the sound of an engine rumbling, and getting closer too.
" What- Its Dad ! ", cried Logan.
" It has to be ! "
He at once jumped up, and Hesh was only a millisecond behind, as a pair of headlights came into view from around the corner at end of the street.
Seconds later, a Chevrolet pickup- a sleek, newer model ( as opposed to a relic from the 1960s )- came rolling up, and skidded to a halt amid a sharp screech of tires.
The driver's side door opened, and half a second later, an older man with greying hair came racing around the front of the vehicle, as the Walker boys rushed to meet him.
" Logan ! Hesh ! ", he bellowed with relief.
Without missing a beat, he hugged them both. They hugged him right back, utterly ignoring how his grip on them was a bit painful.
That was completely pointless. None of them cared, because the Walkers were one, once again.
" Boys. You're ok. You're alright. ", Elias Walker breathed.
He pulled back to look at them, gripping their shoulders.
" Listen to me: We're all leaving here, understand ? Right now. Come on. "
With that, without letting another second go by, he hustled them both toward the truck.
" Hop into the back ! Climb in, climb in ! "
The Walker boys clambered over the sides of the truck bed, swinging their legs over the metal walls of it and then sliding down into the tray-like space that extended out behind the cab.
Hesh made sure that Logan was the first to board. He held onto his brother's shoulder, practically dragging him over the top.
" Hold on tight, bro. Hold on. ". Hesh crawled forward, and pounded a fist on the back window of the cab.
" Dad ! We're in ! ", he shouted.
From out the driver's side window, the older man responded.
" Hold on, boys ! "
With that, the truck's engine revved. 12 cylinders fired up all at once, a throaty roar rose as the pickup surged forward, tires screaming as they raced off down the road, swiftly reaching speeds that probbably weren't allowed in such a residental area.
Well, that was the thing, wasn't it ? This wasn't truly a residental area anymore.
Nobody was going to be staying here anymore. Nobody would spend any more mornings here, or evenings. What hadn't been wrecked beyond repair, would soon be abandoned. Their whole neighborhood, that they'd always thought would always be there, wouldn't be anymore.
The city itself, wouldn't be.
Backs against the sides of the truck bed, the Walker boys sat beside each other. Bouncing and jouncing along as their dad ferried them to safety.
They didn't speak, as they went past the columns of smoke on the horizon. They didn't speak, as the breeze whipped up by the truck's forward motion brushed over their hair and filled their ears.
Then again, they didn't need to.
Because, they were still alive. All the Walkers- the three of them were still alive.
And if that was the case, then everyone they'd lost already had the means to get some revenge.
Present day
Amazon Rainforest.
Federation Territory.
Exact location unkown
" Hesh...Hesh...Hesh..."
To the severly bloodied man that hung by his wrists, from the walls of the deep pit, that one word was all he had left.
It was a word with overwhelming memories attached to it. Memories of why he'd taken up arms agains the Federation to begin with. Why he had been so driven to fight them.
Why he was still driven to fight them.
" Dad...Hesh..."
Who had fought them with him.
He remembered them- could see them in his mind's eye, now that his own were closed. It was easier to keep his eyes closed-opening them was hard at the moment. What with all the caked over blood, that was.
" Hesh Walker...and Logan Walker...us.."
" Us ".
Noticeble gurgling sounded from the back of his throat. Given the coppery taste, he knew it was more blood. There was a lot of blood leaking from him, from all kinds of places. He couldn't detect pain, though. Only this dampness all over him, and the strong coppery scent of the red liquid.
" Federation...gonna pay. "
He felt lightheaded. Floaty, more like. The earth against his back was solid enough, but he felt like he was floating. Weightless.
And somewhat dreaming.
" Payback...on the Feds..."
Attempting to catalouge every sensation and thought anymore had become surprisingly difficult. Logan was aware of that much, at least.
It was very odd. It was as if he was slipping away, and falling into himself.
Dissappearing there.
" Hesh...he's out there..."
" I know...he's there.."
" Out there..."
Taking a breath in, Logan endured the accompanying burst of pain, and the second one when he exhaled.
There was nothing he could do about the pain, anyway. Or anything else about what was happening to him.
He was only able to do one thing now: Remember what mattered to him.
Vengeance. Revenge.
Remember, who mattered to him.
Hesh. The Walkers. The Ghosts.
Because, he didn't know how much longer he could remember any of them.
So, he resolved to hold onto them all.
For as long as he possibly could.