Chapter Twelve: Know Thyself
Four Months Later...
6/2/10
Tange Roland awoke, lying on the ground, dressed in a uniform. He rose up scanning the area, looking to see where he was.
"Hello?" his voiced echoed in the giant room. He stood up looking around. White. Everywhere he turned was more white. He was in a place of nothing. No doors, no people, nothing. He began walking; looking at his feet on the ground, watching it touch ground he couldn't see.
Voices suddenly erupted, surrounding his field of hearing. "Anybody here?!" he shouted, screaming at the top of his lungs. No one or nothing replied. "Get me out of here!" Still nothing came to his plead.
He began digging through the uniform pockets trying to get anything that was in there. Coming out empty-handed, he looked behind him, then in front again. A small dark hole was then in front of him by about twenty feet from were he stood.
He ran towards it in a sprint, the hole didn't seem to get closer. Every step he took, he remained the same distance away.
"Shit." he turned around and stopped abruptly, looking at what was behind him.
A big black hole was engraved in the ground giving it the resemblance of a black hole.
Tange was swiped off his feet and was violently sucked into the hole. His body began to stretch as his body went deeper and deeper into the hole. Trying to scream, nothing came out. He couldn't move, paralyzed as he fell. Catching a glimpse of were he once stood, was a speck of white light shining in the middle of his eyesight.
Everything let go, and he was still falling, but able to move freely. Light started coming up underneath him, warming his back. Turning around, the ground came in quick, and fast. Panicking, he tried to do something,
He looked at the ground again, watching it suddenly, form into gigantic skyscrapers. The ground became bigger as the closer he got, seeing street- lights and sidewalks. He smashed into the asphalt, but not feeling a thing, still being able to move. Getting up he noticed, no people inhabited the streets, as they lay lifeless and deserted.
He turned around, figuring out, that he has seen this place, but where, he didn't remember. He looked at the uniform he was wearing, on the right sleeve of his outfit, he made out the words, U-B-C-S.
Trying to remember, as his forehead was throbbing with confusion, a voice laughed out.
"Who's there?!" he shouted as he walked drunkenly down the street.
"I see you!" the voice shouted, hurting his hearing at the volume of the voice.
He started running, stumbling to the side as his vision was doing him poorly. Something swooped beneath his feet knocking him on all fours. He felt weak, as he struggled trying to get up, feeling his own weight try to bring him down.
He looked, seeing a man just a few feet away from him, smiling at him, as what he was doing, amused the man in some way.
Staring at the man, he was black, with long braided hair stopping at his shoulder. He was wearing a black full-bodied cloth trench coat, as he stood there in glasses, smiling at him.
Feeling insulted, Tange pulled himself to his feet, feeling his bones rub against each other as he rose. He stood on his feet, standing as if he had climbed a mountain.
"Welcome to Scrapeson City, Mr. Roland." the man said, placing his hands in his pockets.
"What?" he said staring at him with tired, restless eyes.
"Make yourself, at home, you're not going anywhere for a long, long time." said the man, combing a gloved hand through his hair.
Tange walked up to him wondering why he said that, "Get me out of here." he said clenching his teeth, as he commanded.
The man looked at him, "No."
"I don't want to hurt you." Tange said angrily.
"I said: No." replied the man, "Like I said, you're not going anywhere."
Tange lunged at him, missing him as the man took a single step to the left. He hit the ground, and formed a fist as he turned around. He swung at him, missing as the man dodged, and swung again, and again, missing with every powerful blow.
He swung again, suddenly feeling the cold glove wrap around his fist and pull him toward the man, then away from him, and soaring through the air, then crashing through a window into an empty lobby.
He lay sprawled on the ground, and coughed up blood, spitting it on the ground. Gathering up the strength he got up noticing the inside of the building, like he's been here before, like a deja vu. Turning around he spotted the man standing at the entrance, smiling wickedly, like he had something to hide.
"I'm sick and tired of your attitude, Mr. Roland." He said, "You're hopeless."
With that the mysterious figure turned away walking out of Tange view. Tange ran at him stumbling into the street, finding no sign of him. "Damn it."
He walked down the abandoned sidewalk, thinking of what to do. He didn't feel like he was dreaming, everything felt as real as real itself. He walked into a small hotel, stepping into the rundown lobby. A staircase stood in the middle of the room and he walked towards it.
Footsteps, landing lightly, more upper in the stairway sounded off. Tange sprinted up the stairs, catching a glimpse of the person making the noise. He emerged into a hallway, seeing the figure disappear through a door. He sprinted towards it, and yanked it open finding himself in a bar.
The figure was sitting on a stool at the end of the room, leaning his upper body on the counter.
"Enjoying, your stay, Mr. Roland?" The figure called out.
Knowing it was the man, Tange felt something rub against his wrist. Looking down, a baseball bat lay propped against the wall. He picked it up and walked toward the man, with the bat propped in a swinging position. The lights in the ceiling turned on, and the man stood up and Tange swung the bat.
The bat slammed against the man's lower jaw, making him fall backwards out of the chair. Tange looked at him lying on the ground, then withdrew the man's shades, and noticing the face immediately.
"You?" he said stepping back away from the body.
The man's eyes, opened and he stood up, "Yes, me. Have we met Mr. Roland."
"I've seen you, but your name, what is your name?"
"Can't remember," the man said interrupting, "let me refresh your memory"
Tange was picked up by the neck and thrown at the wall to the left of him, smashing through, the thick wall, feeling wood, plywood, brick, and cement break down into pieces as he shot out of the building. He fell, not caring what would happen next, landing on the road, again not feeling the pain of the impact. Blood erupted from his mouth, as he lay on the road, feeling cold wind blow through him. He then felt a hand pick him up by his back and hurl him down the street. Not caring, he felt his body crash through another wall, feeling a jump of pain, suddenly shoot up his back, as he landed on the floor inside another, building.
"Aren't you going to get up?" the man shouted. "You can't die. Aren't you going to struggle to wake up? Do you really want to remember who I am? Do you want to remember who you are also? This is a dream, and I'm controlling it. Do you want to fight and wake up, and remember everyone you knew? Or do you just want to lay there like a rag doll, Mr. Roland? If you haven't figured it out yet, it's just a dream, you can do anything in a dream."
A dream, now everything was making sense. Tange rose to his feet, feeling pride, and adrenaline rush through his veins. He began feeling everything unfold. He clenched his fist and pointed at the man. "You! I know you!" he stopped as the man interrupted him with a laugh, "Corin!" he shouted angrily, now feeling his memory suddenly shoot back into his brain.
He ran forward, watching Corin do the same, watching the sun set, enveloping the sky in darkness, as the distance between them shortened.
Tange came to him and swung low at Corin's stomach, while preparing to block a blow from Corin's moving fist as it aimed at his face. His arm broke the distance with Corin's fist and he slammed his fist into his stomach, as he added another blow to his face, making him stumble back. He jumped foreword bringing his feet forward preparing for a kick.
Corin wrapped his arm around his ankle and felt him swing him like a bat, and letting go. Tange flew through the air and roughly impacted with the road. He jumped to his feet and ran at Corin. Corin jumped over him, and landed behind him. Tange ducked, feeling Corin's leg swing over his head. He got up and kicked him in the chest, sending Corin flying back and hitting the ground some ten feet away from him.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Roland, why didn't you show your skills, back at the train?" Said Corin as he got up.
Tange ignored him as he stood his ground. "I want out."
"Well, then you'll just have to defeat me." Corin said looking at the sky. Snow began hitting the ground, and the wind, picked up, as cold frozen rain fell to the ground. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. Roland."
Caitlyn Anderson sat up in her bed reading a magazine while the television was on. Her wounds have now entirely healed up and she had been able to walk normal, without stumbling around like a lousy puppet. Cypher hadn't mentioned much about the company name, but they were somewhere in the South Pole.
Tange was still in a coma, and the doctors perfected a antidote to help not let the T-Veronica spread any further. Ninety-five percent of his body was infected with the virus, and after recent test had been conducted, she had been seeing Cypher smile at the reports and then telling her that his strength, reflexes, and agility has enhanced by thirty percent.
She had been talking to Charice Smith for the last few months, finding out that she was one of the survivors after the Blue Umbrella incident. Cut from society, wasn't that bad, but on the bottom of the world was getting kind of out of hand.
Cypher was some smooth talking person who had connections with higher authorities, not very funny, but weird, and pretty smart.
She tossed the magazine on the floor and turned the TV off. She walked out of her room and began walking down the bustling hallway. It seemed like twenty-four seven, no silence was ever heard because of all the noise. The facility was reminding her more of the hospital back in Scrapeson, with the white walls, and green doors.
She came into the lounge seeing Charice drinking a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Caitlyn, want some Joe?" Charice said setting her coffee on the table.
"Joe?" Caitlyn relied.
Charice smiled holding up her cup, "coffee?"
"Oh, no thanks, gets me hyper." she said grabbing a chair, "Listen, have you seen Cypher around today? I've been meaning to talk to him."
"No, I haven't seen him; he's probably outside, taking a walk."
"Taking a walk?" she said holding in a laugh, "what for, it's freezing out there."
Charice took a sip of coffee, "you know him, weird all the time, let's just hope the cold doesn't get his brain."
"I think it did." she remarked getting up, "I'll be in the hospital wing, if you need me."
Caitlyn got up and headed toward the elevator outside the lounge and entered it. She pressed the B-two button and she felt the elevator jerk, and then descend. The doors opened and she walked out suddenly spotting Cypher with a few doctors in the room Tange was in.
"Cypher!" she shouted running toward the room, "what's wrong with him?!"
"I don't know." he said, "the doctors said his brain started acting up a few minutes ago. He won't wake, his brain patterns show that he's up, but he's just still laying there."
Caitlyn walked up to the bed, seeing Tange face was sweating and his fist were clenched. Wake up Tange, "wake up!" she shouted. He didn't move. The heart monitor was beeping at one-forty and he began shaking. Blood leaked out of his mouth and his body suddenly jumped.
The doctors were already moving her out of the room as equipment was being brought into the room. She was shoved out of the room and she forced her way back in the room propping herself against a corner.
Tange stood on the high skyscraper rooftop as the snow-storm continued its reign. His mouth was bleeding and Corin stood at the other side getting up. He ran forward and rammed his body into Corin's chest sending him into the rail. Corin punched his jaw and threw him aside. Tange slid across the roof as the water began to freeze over, and hit the roof access building.
Corin picked him up and tossed him forward. Tange landed on a pile of metal poles. He grabbed one of them feeling his hand grow numb to the coldness. Corin stood over him laughing at him, and he jumped to his feet swinging the pole across Corin's face.
He fell to the ground and Tange brought the pole above his head and brought it down as hard as he could on Corin's back. Corin rolled out of the way and shot his feet under his making Tange fall. He picked him up as Tange still clutched the pole. He punched his jaw and Corin threw him off the building.
Tange fell at an acute angle and slammed through a set of windows in another building, and landing on the carpet while crashing through a desk.
He heard Corin land in the building and walk toward him. He brought the pole up and heard Corin's shoulder bone crack. Corin hit the floor and Tange hit him again and again. He backed off and Corin clutched his side as he got up, with blood covering his whole chin.
"You are not getting out, until you do something I want you to do." Corin said
"What?"
"Join me, we will conquer the world, or, you can stay here and die in your sleep, feeling nothing as the man who destroyed, and killed you went off destroying the world. I am the rogue and you are one too if you join me. It's the only way out."
Tange propped the pole in batting position and looked at Corin. "No, after all the deaths you caused, you just expect me to join you. My answer is a no, and I'm getting out no matter what."
Corin clenched his teeth in anger, "then I'll see you soon, Mr. Roland."
Tange swung the pole and smashed it through Corin's face. His face exploded and his body fell to the ground and disintegrated into the air.
Everything began to disappear, and the shouts of voices filled his ears. Beeping noises were heard as the city began to evaporate.
"Mr. Roland."
Tange felt cool air enter his nose and he opened his eyes seeing many faces staring at him, with confusion. He sat up and felt the taste of blood. He brought his hand to his mouth and brought it forward, seeing blood slide down his finger.
"Mr. Roland," a voice called out, "welcome back."
Tange looked across the room seeing a man standing at the doorway wearing a trench coat. He jumped out of the bed looking at all the facing staring at him, "where am I? What is this place?"
"Easy there, I'm just going to give you something to calm you down; it will help you relax."
He turned seeing a doctor holding a needle, as he was about to grab Tange arm. He jumped back bumping into the wall, having no idea where he was, or who the hell were all these people.
"Easy, Mr. Roland"
"Get away form me! I'm not your fucking experiment" he shouted pushing people out of the way as he struggled getting out of the room. He heard people calling to him as he exited and ran down the crowded hallway, shoving his way through people, lost, not knowing where to go. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing, pajamas?! He spotted an open elevator, and darted toward it. Something flew into him and he fell into the elevator. Turning around, a security guard had a hold of his leg. He spotted the gun in his holster and snatched it out, pistol whipping the guard to let go.
People were all talking as he turned seeing about eight more people crowded in the elevator. He looked and fumbled at the panel, pressing random buttons, as he struggled to see. The man with the coat came running towards him with two other people, as the doors began to close.
"Mr. Roland! Stop!" the coated man said.
A woman ran forward to the elevator and the doors sealed closed. The face looked familiar, he has seen her before, struggling to find a name. "Caitlyn?"
Someone placed his hand on his shoulder and he aimed the gun at a man's face.
"Hey, hey, man, watch it!"
Tange ignored him and punched him in the face as the doors opened. He stumbled out into a lobby, feeling the cold floor. Everyone was staring at him as he looked around for an exit, the door!
He ran towards a metal door and ran into it, panicking as he grabbed the handle and pushed it open, stumbling outside. Snow was pouring and no more people were in sight. He ran through the snow feeling his feet grow numb. He heard people run out behind him shouting, telling him to stop.
Tange looked back and fired a random shot at a group of soldiers, missing as they stopped ducking for cover.
A vivid image caught his attention and he spotted a helicopter parked on a snowed landing pad. He heard gunfire and he dove into the snow and began crawling to the chopper, being cautious for gunfire. His hands went numb as snow pelted his body. He suddenly felt cold tar under the snow and got up and ran to the chopper. Climbing up a two step ladder, he placed his hand on the cold metal knob and pulled the door open, and climbed in, closing and locking the hatch.
"Mr. Roland, I need you to calm down, your suffering an after effect of a coma!"
Tange turned around seeing the coated man holding a gun forward aiming at him. Tange raised the gun, and pulled the trigger. A click came out of his gun and the man began to laugh.
He heard the gunshot from the other gun and something hit his neck. He reeled back and pulled something from his neck and looked a dart no bigger than a penny.
"Don't you hate it when the coldness jams your gun?" the man said.
Tange' vision double as he dropped the dart, "Oh, shit." He fell to the ground unconscious as he heard the man begin to laugh.
Charice Smith had just finished her coffee when her radio came on with Cypher's voice. "Yeah?"
"Charice, I'm going to need a stretcher and some workers." Cypher said. "I'm on the landing pad."
Charice got up exiting the lounge and spoke into the radio, "We need a stretcher to the helipad, over." She entered the elevator pressing the ground floor. The doors closed and she leaned against the wall listening to the cheesy music playing.
The doors opened and she walked out seeing Caitlyn holding a stretcher as she looked out the window. The elevator at the end of the lobby opened and three doctors came out. Caitlyn turned around and Charice walked to her.
"Tange had a big freak out." Caitlyn said giving the stretcher to the doctors.
"He woke up?" she said, "God, it has been four months and he finally wakes."
"Well, Cypher tranquilized him, he should wake up tomorrow."
Cypher stepped through the metal doors and came to them. "He tried to shoot me, but his gun jammed." he walked off into an elevator and disappeared.
The doors opened again and a stretcher was wheeled in with Tange laying on it.
She and Caitlyn ran to the stretcher and looked at Tange, "Where is he going?" she said asking a doctor.
The doctor looked up, "he's okay. We're putting him in the sleeping quarters level."
He wheeled the stretcher into an elevator and the doors closed.
Charice yawned and looked at her watch.
"What time is it?" Caitlyn said looking over at her watch.
"Ten-thirty." she said, "it's supposed to be night. I hate the south pole, sun up, sun down shit."
"Well, I'm going to crash." Caitlyn walked off and Charice headed for her room.
She entered the elevator and began to doze off when the doors opened. She began walking down the hall and entered her room kicking off her boots.
She sat on the edge of her bed and turned on the TV and smelled herself, 'god I need a shower.' She got up and entered the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Note: You likey? I hope you did, I updated two chapters in a day, u should 'likey'. Anyway R&R, I'll have the upcoming chapter up this weekend or upcoming friday due to school.
Also, got a new story up, 'Land of Chaos' has nothing to do with this story, totally new. Ch-Check it out!
L8er