Disclaimer: I don't own WHR or M: TG
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Chapter 3: The Cuckoo Nests…
Phage, angry and tired, returned to her room. She had hated last night. It had been a long, indeed, full of "adventures" and "fun". What "fun" it was, chasing dumasses like a bat out of hell. What "adventure" it was to go through the city like an obstacle course.
Why the hell was life a cesspool, full of so much goddamn shit to get rid of? She thought of this for a moment. After much thinking, she came to the conclusion. Looking at herself in her dresser's mirror, she said to her reflection in an innocent voice, "I really am an arbiter. I can change the world for the better, if I truly wanted to…" her reflection's face twisted into an evil grin, "…or destroy it."
What the hell! She pushed herself back, startled at the reflection's sudden individual will. She stared at her mirror, wide eyed and wondering if image had really contorted into that feeling of malice… and had those words really come out of her mouth? "destroy it." Did she really say that?
Confused, she got back up, her lone staring back and mirroring her timid expression. She was a guardian, an angel of sorts, sent protect the world from demons. She wouldn't destroy anything God made… well, at least the things that weren't debauched and hell-born. But what had made her say such a horrid thing… like someone else was controlling her… sharing the same vessel…
I her attempt to dismiss the idea, she realized there were other things in life to brood about. Like… homeless people? Damn… why can't I ever get a moment in life where I think of something that's not disaster, she thought.
Disappointed at her weakness, Phage crawled under her covers. She wished that life had turned out better… that Eve hadn't taken a bite out of the forbidden fruit and doomed the world, dumping man into the pool of sorrow that was what she was. She tried to carry the burden of man's stupidity; now she could solve it… it was like being a superhero or something… protecting the innocent…
She giggled, humored by the idea.
That was the last thing she did before her strength gave out and, head bouncing off her pillow, fell asleep.
Even though it was around 11 AM, the time where you would least expect a person to sleep, her snoring telling that in her deep slumber, she was dreaming of the night's enlightening events…
0o0o0
Phage practiced her newfound power on another plant… why did her mom keep so many? She liked the smell, but who seriously had, like, a hundred potted plants in their house? She and her brother had been embarrassed on more than one occasion from comments from visitors... the most blunt coming from a young man (a friend of her brothers) saying, "Are you people friggin' insane!"
Her brother answered weakly, "Our mom's a biologist. Don't talk so loud. We have enough embarrassment from our "father"…"
She had tried concentrating more… but the thought distracted her. Their mother, due to job, was always somewhere. Her older brother was always at some friend's house; playing Magic like it could be a lifestyle (could one actually make a career of the game?).
Phage wanted, of all things of any significance to her family, to do something… to do some good… and to rid herself and her brother of their bad past… she didn't want to think of it now… the sacrifice their mother made to get even close to where their seemingly good life was at…
Phage was having so much fun, she hadn't realized the time. Time passes so fast when you try to forget the world… slower when do. Why was it like this? She wished she could stay in this state of not caring for stupid ones who killed themselves and whatnot, but this was the path she chose, to go on forever in torment… she looked up at the clock. She was bewildered at the display: 4:57 AM.
She sighed. Placing the pot containing nothing but ash on the counter, she said, "Why is time always a problem… for all?" There really was no reprieve from the ticking of the clock… endlessly torturing mortals… no… it was the spur of the torment… possibly man did such atrocious acts since they knew they didn't have forever to live…
Her thought came to an abrupt end. It startled her… the loud crashing sound of glass breaking. Phage looked up, many thoughts running through her mind as about 5 men completely covered in black appeared in the hallway. They leveled their guns at her…
Phage somehow managed to dive out of the way as several bullets zoomed by her. As she hid behind the wall, she noticed the bullets had dug themselves into the walls beyond her. The holes seemed to bleed an emerald colored liquid… truly, what the hell was going on? Why were these people shooting her? In her own house? She hated it.
The girl was paranoid enough to do rash things. The men clad in black ceased fire and waited for her to come out. 5 minutes passed… they got impatient. One of them stayed behind while the others advanced down the hall. The group stealthily wet down until they got to the other end of the room. But to their disbelief, there was no girl there to shoot at. And she couldn't have gotten out… this room had no exits, save a closet. Wait. Was that a closet? One of the men slowly reached for the knob, shaking as he did. The witch could use her craft and kill them all when he door opened…
It swung open. Nothing but a washroom. And a door opposite of where they were. They rushed to open the door and were surprised to see a dark hallway turning left. They followed it until they got to an exit which led to the living room. The hell? They were back were they started. Planning hadn't been done much beforehand.
The one who had been left behind paced to and fro impatiently. He hated it. This silence was making him uneasy… why did his ankle hurt all of a sudden?
The group heard a scream. Bewildered, but ready to take on the witch, they raised their guns and ran to their comrade. What they found was a room with no light. One of the members walked around the room, hoping something would turn up in this pitch-black darkness. He was getting comfortable when he tripped over something. He others' goggled eyes looked at him. Perhaps they shouldn't have, for the sight of a reeking corpse is not one pleasing to the eye.
A little scream came from the man who tripped as he pushed himself away from the remains of his friend. The face had begun to decay. It made him want to vomit. The flesh that disappeared seemed to do so with a precision of an order… he backed away into his group, trying to remember the mission. They went to other rooms in hopes of finding the witch.
The light shut off in the room where the girl was last seen.
Spending time in dark alleyways, brooding, for a good chunk of the day had its perks.
The one who had tripped over his friend had an ominous feeling as he searched another room. Like one gets when they feel they're being hunted… he felt a palm press into the back of his uniform. The hand quickly lifted. "Gus. Was that you?" he said weakly.
A huge explosive burst and various splashing sounds along with what sounded like chunks of meat landing was enough for Gus to give the order. "Get. Out."
It seemed that all the lights had gone out as they sprinted for the exit. Seemed like a haunted house. You know, the ones at fairs? Except this one really had something that not only scared you. It could kill. And seemed quite accustomed to pure darkness…
Gus heard another scream. Turner was already there waiting for them… whatever was left of them, anyways. Gus didn't even bother to check if the one who screamed was still alive. Turner let him through first. He was out. He turned back, expecting to see Turner following. But turner was still in the doorway, rigid like a board. "Come on! We'll have to re… group?" he was shocked by what followed.
Phage had decided that the muscles would go first, overjoyed at the sight of man turn into a bag overflowing with brown pus, the liquid crap overflowing from everywhere it could as the bastard stopped convulsing and fell over. Phage had loved those deep explosions that an organ (specifically the heart).
"AHHHH! WHY ISN'T THE ORBO WORKING! AHHHH!" Turners words shocked Gus, even though they had been running through his mind. He saw the Orbo pendent go black. Then it burst, shooting the dead fluid onto Gus's face protector. He could hear the internal mental screams of Tuner, blasting like a sub woofer on high. It was like it Turner had been imprinted onto the clouded drops that fell. He was truly freaked out now. Was it this witch's powers or the new Orbo stuff the elder ones had gotten from an unknown source and tried to improve? Damn! They were still rather new to this "hunting" stuff, and nearly all his men were dead. Save for one… Gus tried to react. Feeling like you had rigor mortis, now that's when you know you're a frightened beyond any normal thinking.
Phage continued to enjoy her observations of the heart
The result as that final countdown of the essential piece started: Bu-dum! Bu-dum! Bu-dum! Bu-dum! Rhythmic… that's how it normally sounded. Then the beat would become irregular, unpredictable. More like the sound of going to an elementary school gym with all those little kids running around in circles. Quickened, the pace did; the sound of the nose picking brats after being told to run faster by the stereotypical gym teacher, her abnormal physique reflecting her egotistical mentality. The sound wanted to be heard. Children excitedly running, out of beat and all… much like the vascular organ as it began to beat with the loss of its mind.
The sounds of one so tormented… yes… was how Phage wanted to describe it. To her surprise, the evil one just stopped the gratuitous display and simply blew up. Damn shit, Phage thought as pieces of ravaged flesh, still rotting, landed like vultures her face, wishing to return to dove form, flaking away in the air. She still needed more practice. Perhaps later… the other idiot was running away. Even more pissed, she tore after the fag.
The black clad Gus tore off his mask ad raced around the corner. Damn. Their transport had left (possibly because of the screaming?) He had come to the alley where they had been parked but was left with a dead end. Whimpering, he tried to come back the way he came but was blocked by a figure, shorter than he, that had renewed strength and will in life. As if her actions hadn't already proven, she had decided to cleanse mankind of its trash. Starting out with small vermin.
A grin made of pure evil… that is Gus saw. His own face contorted into that of a coward.
Pssh… what a dumass, Phage thought as she readied her fingers and walked out of the house. "No where to go… good as fodder," Phage mouthed as she advanced, "May the devil have your soul… THE HELL!" Fucker! She was in her mood, all malicious and all to enjoy the kill, and that bastard just had to get out of his state of shock and ran past her. "Godammit!" the girl, now pissed at the lack of attention, shouted.
She went after him, obviously enraged. Gus looked back. The girl had an angry look on her eyes. One that said she wasn't going to give up until he was dead…
00 00
God damn! He was tough to catch! She followed for hours… passing by many, many closed stores (not even they were open at this time). This was taking forever! Damn! Precious energy being wasted on a fool! It could be used for other things, damn it!
It was sunrise when the fucktard bashed through the door of a forsaken building. He was scared as hell. He wanted his wife, mother, anything that could protect him. He looked into a doorway. He was so tired, any hiding place would be a good one. Perhaps she wouldn't find him in this bathroom…
Phage was still quite fast. She turned the corner to see dust fly up from a door. Idiot. He had been so loud and obvious when he slammed the thing. She forced the door open.
The fool was cowering in the corner of the old, abandoned building they were in. Perhaps it was ironic that they were in the bathroom, the supposed cleanest place in a house. Well, it wasn't going to be clean any more… oops, tou-
She stopped. "Maybe we shouldn't kill him," Phage contemplated.
"But we should exterminate him," the Darkness within objected, "exterminate is different from kill. You're killing if you just do it out of fun. But getting rid of a pest through extermination is solving a problem."
"But isn't that the same thing? You're still ending a life"
"Not at all. Can an angel still be an angel by doing their chores? Now you, you have a gift. You are an angel. We can have exceptions…"
"But this is really wrong. He was taught a lesson through his companions. He's suffered enough as it is…
"Yes… we could grant 'amnesty'. THAT IS NOT THE WAY! We must destroy the vermin completely and utterly. That is what HE wants. That is what YOU want, for what pleases Him pleases you. Surely, you must understand that…"
"Yes. I guess if it is good for Him, then it must be good for me as well. It must be good for mankind…" Phage's face resumed that evil grin she had taken off.
Gus was so scared; he forgot he still had his gun. It was too late when he shakily reached for it.
Phage crouched down. She touched Gus's face. She lightly stroked her finger along his lips…
"The Arbiter has spoken well."
Gus felt the strongest pain he had ever felt. The feel of a life ending, a life on its journey to death. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Like acid had been dropped on his face. He felt the rot not going for his entire face, like water overflowing (you can't guide it without anything like a dam. It'll just go everywhere). It went down, through his throat's epidermis, and spread to the rest of his body… oh, and the rot on his face didn't stop, either.
He screamed, "You bitch! What the fuck have you done to me!" He twisted his limbs violently… seemed to convulse, then drop his hands to reveal his face was ravaged… blood spurting everywhere…
Out of his eyes, out of his mouth, came the corrupted blood. Splashing everywhere…
"Back to hell where you came from."
Phage wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, not even to the rotting man in front of her…
Phage felt a strange sensation… she was suddenly sucked into a void… nothing… everything… then her eyes saw the alleyway where this all started. Why was she here? Her eyes… she felt she wasn't seeing through her own…
"We are not alone…" was all Darkness had to say.
Phage was sent back. She had only momentarily seen through another's eyes… it was quite weird. Was there someone who knew?
"There is," Darkness answered. "This is one who wishes to stop your mission. Anyone who tries to hinder your journey is vermin, as well… you should know what to do…"
Phage rested alone on the ivory colored floor. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all. At least it was a Saturday…
A few moments later, she got up and out of the polluted washroom. Damn, did it smell! What was she going to do with the skeletal remains back home? Well, whatever. She got up. She would just have to drag the 4 skeletons out, spray a bit of air freshener, then, voila! Done! Good as new!
As she poked her head out of an alleyway, her head was almost blown off by a black van. Damn drivers, she thought. She just hated those people…
The cleanup went without incident, really. There wasn't anything left of the men at all, for that matter. There was something wrong. She felt the other… it felt her confusion and began to explain
"A gift, young warrior. Your powers have grown from their use… this is fact from the sustenance you retrieved from the flowers. The boundaries of calcium structure will no longer bother. The Rotting has enough strength to destroy completely, now…"
It kinda made sense. Well, whatever, Phage thought as she returned to room. Her head hurt. The voice in her head… she had obeyed. Her mind was playing tricks… too tired.
"…destroy…" came to mind as she dreamed some more. From this dream, grim realization came. It was clear that the voice really was real. The world shattered into tiny shards, razor-sharp and hungry for flesh. She felt her blood splash on the ground onto her feet. She screamed as Darkness held her in its grip…
0o0o0
Phage awoke, perspiration clinging her black clothes together. Something was wrong. Was it real? The Darkness that seemed to have complete control of her during the night? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Maybe there was nothing controlling her but herself.
Internal darkness laughed as Phage slipped off her clothes as she went for a shower (she felt dirty after all the running). I fact, it had been laughing the whole night. Laughing since the alleyway was in the dust…
The evil laughter became more hysterical when she shampooed her hair. The tips of her fingers… there was a dark energy that danced from them. It didn't sizzle the water like heat or maybe electricity would. In fact, it didn't even interact with the water. It was more like a ghost, slipping through the various objects of our plane. Of course, the naïve girl didn't notice as she untangled some knots…