(a/n): Hello guys. Welcome back. Hope it wasn't too much of a delay. This chapter is a little bit short, but it's rich. This is the beginning of the second part of my book. From this chapter forward, the story will be seen through Wraith's eyes. You will see why it is so important. A thanks to my reviewer and we shall begin.
Daniel Wesley Rydell: Ha, ha, I knew you'd like that. Nah, just kidding. Well as ordered, here is another chapter. Hope you'll like it.
Enjoy everyone.
PART II: Tablets of the Memory
Chapter 18: Brink of Insanity
"What is madness? To have erroneous perceptions and to reason correctly from them." - Voltaire
With Trinity's breakfast in my hands, I went through the medical doors. It was going to be a busy day today. The matches began, and we started off at the beginning of the ladder with the team deathmatches. Malcolm's team would be drinking tea this day, though.
To tell the truth, I didn't know how I felt about this damned tournament. If I had a choice to fight or leave, I would have chosen to leave. Unfortunately, leaving meant shipping off to another solar system, and I was not in the mood of being homesick any time soon. Though if I was allowed to leave to my desired location, I would be long out of here.
I had no idea where I would go, but the Moon seemed like a pretty good idea at the time. They had their own mishaps, I agree, but at least it was a quiet place. If you kept your head down, you should do fine.
Which made me wonder, what was Trinity doing here? This place felt like a prison. Why would anyone want to come here so willingly?
She did say she was looking for someone. What was his name? I couldn't recall, but perhaps he was a friend. Or maybe someone more than a friend...
"Visiting your lady friend?" The Necris doctor asked me when I went through medical, towards Trinity's ward. I guess that was one way of putting it. Although, Trinity would choke if she heard her say that. She tended to take things a bit too serious.
I just nodded, deciding to keep silent. I came up to the door and was about to knock when I heard, "Sorry, Wraith. No visitors." I turned to see Doctor Ross. "At least for now." She gave me a smile.
"Is she alright?" I asked, trying to read the woman's eyes. They were mischievous and full of mystery, which I hated. Her eyes never changed, and it bothered me that I could never see through them.
"Just peachy." Her voice was light and playful. "I just don't want anyone to disturb her. She just woke up." Then her eyes look down at the tray and brightened. "Breakfast?" She asked and matched my gaze. "For her?"
I tried at a smile. "Yeah."
"How sweet. You're really looking out for her, huh?" I'll take it to her." She took the tray from my hands. "I'll tell her its from you." She winked and walked into the ward and locked the door.
I just stood there, feeling awkward. Damn, it felt my face was smacked with that door. I shook the feeling and turned to leave. Guess, Trinity would not be competing today. She could use the rest; yesterday was one hell of a day. I knew it was a bad idea to go up against Malcolm. Sure she was once the champ, but she was rusty. Better than Romulus, nonetheless, my mind whispered, and I couldn't fight off the smile.
He definitely won't be joining me in any deathmatches. I was going to have him training in target practices, instead. Maybe, I should arrange a weapon classification and usage lesson because he desperately needed it. I didn't want him firing the Redeemer the wrong way and wiping me off the face of Earth.
I personally hated getting killed in any match. It felt like my guts were blown up and sewn back together in seconds. My mind felt like it overloads with pain and confusion of whether I'm dead or alive, or both. Most of the time I wished I did die and stayed dead. The whole respawn process was worse than death.
I couldn't wait to get out of here. I had no purpose here. The reason I used to fight was to stay alive. Considering the circumstances, though, perhaps having a Grim Reaper preform a dance of death wasn't so bad. But his scythe only comes for the weak. Yet, when I did battle in this tournament, there was some lucky bastard who managed to place a lucky shot that slowly extinguished the flame within me. That was my life; a sad, full-of-shit life of pain, blood, gore, and insanity. Ah ha ha ha.
"I can't believe it!" I heard Romulus' voice all the way across the hall I just entered and through the closed door. It was only 8 in the morning and already he found something to complain about. Romulus is Romulus. "She kicked me out again!" I heard him scream or rather say—Romulus always spoke loud—as I walked in when the door slid open. "It's a conspiracy, I swear. Boris and Wraith visits her all the time and no one kicks them out." Haha, right. "She even said my brain shrunk to a peanut. A conspiracy I tell you!" He was walking circles again. I could almost see steam escape his ears.
"Alright team, listen up." I cut his conversation with the wall short. "We have a big day today. The matches start so let's give everybody a good impression. We'll be facing in one deathmatch, today, which I don't yet know. We will be briefed once we get down there. I want the entire team assembled. We'll be one teammate short." I met Romulus' eye. "Trinity won't be joining us, today." I saw his mouth drop, and I left before I heard him complain.
I went straight down to the lockers, getting ready for the upcoming match. One match and that would be all. It should not be so hard. After all, it was just one match, one stinking match. Peace of cake. Concentrate on the opponent, keep the team in tact, avoid getting killed, explore and memorize the environment. Mentally mark tactical location, find good positions, perhaps a good sniper spot if the map allows.
And on the list went of what I had to get ready as I put on my suit and placed the armor on top of it. Spawning device, check. Two-way comm, check. Visuals, check.
As I checked and re-checked, the team filed in with Romulus still complaining to Zenith. I felt so sorry for him...
"You don't think it's serious, do you?" I overheard Romulus ask Zenith.
"I hope not. She just needs rest. It'll be good for her."
"It's just scary what one death did to her." No kidding.
"It is. I hope it's her first and last." I didn't need to ask about who they were talking about; I hoped that it was Trinity's last death, as well. It seemed she was out of phase from this barbaric world. Yet, she still came here to look for someone. I admired her strength and persistence. Perhaps, I was wrong; she wasn't weak at all.
"But it's impossible not to get fragged in the tournament." Romulus continued, his voice was elevated with concern and worry.
I saw Zenith stop what he was doing and met Romulus with a serious glare. "During the Human/Skaarj War, you either kill or be killed. There was no respawn system to bring you back to life. It is possible to live through a battlefield and come home to tell the tale. Even in the tournament." He resumed lacing his boots. "The survivors are proof enough."
Yes, Zenith was right. I once too was out there in the battlefield. At times, I regret that I survived...
"Welcome to the Team Deathmatch ladder." The speakers overhead finally boomed as everyone fell silent and looked up. "The two of you will be facing Super Nova in Insidious. The first team to gain 10 frags wins. Good luck."
Two contestants, ten frags. Easier than I thought. "Zenith, you and I will be competing." I turned to him and saw him dressed and ready.
"Of course, I will." He smiled as he took the rifle from the rack, looking at me. "I decided that long before you did."
I said nothing. Instead I continued down my list. Weapon? I took the Assault Rifle from the rack and loaded it. Check. Then I turned and activated the switch that slid open the double doors in opposite directions.
"Good luck, Wraith." Satin said from behind.
"Yeah, give 'em hell, Boris." Romulus remarked and extended his fist in Zenith's direction. He raised his thumb and gave a boyish grin.
The doors slowly closed behind us, as Zenith and I turned towards the lift in front of us.
"Wraith, wait!" I heard a familiar voice. When I turned my head, I saw Trinity running towards the doors that closed in on her. Zenith and I exchanged glances.
"Don't worry. If it's important, she'll wait forever behind that door." Zenith tried at reassuring me.
I didn't doubt it, considering that she came all the way here to look for someone. But it did eat at me. One, Trinity didn't have a lot of things to tell me. Two, she'd hate me for making her wait—she was just that type of character. Three, the most important, what the hell was she doing out of medical?
"Tell me, Wraith." Zenith broke my chain of thoughts as he asked, "Have you ever been in the League when you were young?"
"I don't consider myself old." I simply stated, dodging the question. Why were we talking about my past? It was something I forbade myself to think or talk about. I wasn't going to change my mind.
"Fine then. Have you ever been in the League?"
"What does it matter?" And why was he so curious? Zenith and I never really talked. Why start now all of a sudden?
"It matters when it comes to comrades in war."
"You served in the League?" I asked, as I finally met his eyes.
"No. But a friend of mine did." He grinned. "Showed me tricks of the trade. I was hoping we could do it the old fashioned way."
I smirked and hmphed. "Alright. You got yourself a deal."
"Good morning, folks, and welcome to the bloodiest sport in the galaxy!" The announcers started. Zenith and I fell silent. "Today, we start off at the beginning of the ladder with two teams battling it out in their first Team Deathmatch! The competing teams will be Super Nova and Blood Reavers!"
We both took the cue and walked up to the lift, as the announcers described the place we were going to battle in. I activated the lift and asked Zenith, "So, I guess Trinity would say let's rock."
He chuckled, as he answered me, "Yeah. It became a standard for us. It goes way back."
"I see. Something from her old team?" Which I knew very little about. Asking her was hard for me, so I never pushed the topic. She didn't seem to shine to me when we first met. Actually, I think if I would make one wrong move she would slice my head off.
"Yes. Our team was a family." He looked at me and smiled. "Do you know what our team's name was?"
I shook my head, wanting to know more about her.
He patted my shoulder. "It was Blood Reavers."
My mouth dropped, as I felt my eyes go wide. Blood Reavers? But before I had time to ask the lift came to a halt and the stadium of screaming fans welcomed us.
"Let's make this a good one." Zenith walked up to the middle and I followed. "Let's rock." I heard him whisper, as I was still trying to grasp the concept of the strange coincidence.
When we came forth towards the center of the screaming stadium we saw our opponents. Maat and Bastet, both dressed in armor similar's to Asp's. They looked like girls, barely out of their teens. I had shivers run down my spine when I tried picturing them dying by my hands. How am I going to do this? I nodded to her and she nodded back. "May the best team win." She told me, and we were spawned in the dark arena of Insidious.
I spawned right on the sizzling grate above the lava pit, which made me jump back on instinct and hit something curved at my back. When I turned, my eyes widened at the horror I saw. There was a man beating on the glass of the tank that he was in, screaming in silent howls that were drowned by the liquid inside the tank, as the air bubbles escaped his mouth. What have they done to mankind, I thought as I noticed everything below his waistline was missing, replaced by some mechanism that was connected to the bottom of the tank.
He banged on the tank once more and looked me dead in the eye. If I could I would have ended your suffering, believe me.
I had no time feeling sorry for him. I turned and ran forward onto the catwalk and grabbed the minigun. Cloning. This must come to an end. I thought as I ran towards the green wall tanks, not wanting to know what they had stored in them. Concentrate, I finally whispered. And my grip tightened on the weapon when I heard explosions to my right. I ran up the stairs and saw Zenith, with a Flak Cannon in his hands, crouched behind the edge of the wall as rockets flew past him.
"They're just kids." He told me as another rocket flew past him. "I don't know if I can do this."
I looked at him, sympathetically. "If it's not them, it's gonna be us." I knew I sounded cold; I felt my stomach knot.
"Let them win?" He asked as he looked at me again.
"And respawn ten times?" I asked. He didn't answer me, and the silence alerted me. "Rocket!" I screamed as I recognized the ignited sound and ran with Zenith, turning towards the catwalk. The missiles exploded behind us, barely out of range.
"If we run from them." I breathed as I heard them fire another load at us. We turned left and down the curved stairs. "It'll take forever."
"We forfeit." Zenith told me, and I stopped in my tracks. Zenith looked back and stopped himself. "It's the only way."
I breathed a long breath out. Oh, hell with it. I looked at my wristpad and activated it. The screen beamed to life. I looked for 'forfiet' and was about to press it until I heard a shock ball released to my right. I backflipped, the armor painfully digging into my open shoulders, as Zenith jumped towards the other side, and the shock exploded in front of us.
I rammed against the stairs hard, my armor further digging into my spine. I need to get this shit replaced. I slowly stood up and saw them file in. One turned towards Zenith, the other—Maat—towards me. A rocket launcher was held in her hands, and she smiled wickedly as she fired a sizzling missile at me. I jumped left and it missed me but the blast did not, forcing me against the wall harder.
"Pathetic." She said in a venomous tone as I heard her lock on to me. Shit. I ran up the stairs and turned left as she fired. I sprinted as fast as my feet could take me across the Bio-Rifle Hall. I grabbed the weapon and loaded the small glass tank with the goo.
"They're insane." I breathed out into the communicator.
"You noticed." He sounded angry. "Forfeit now. I'd need therapy if I stay here any longer."
No kidding. I looked at my wristpad and was about to push the forfeit button until I saw the screen broken. Fuck. Must have happened when I fell against the stairs. How could you be so careless?
I heard another rocket behind me, so I ran down the stairs in front of me towards the cloning tanks with that poor soul banging on the glass as I ran by. "I can't forfeit." I breathed out heavily as ran to the opposite side and up the stairs.
"Shit. why not?"
"It's broken."
"You're a genius."
No shit. I didn't say anything as I caught my breath at the Flack Hall. I was jinxed. I had to be. "What do we do now?" I asked.
"How the hell am I suppose to know, you're the leader."
I narrowed my eyes, but said nothing. "Fine." Then I closed them, thinking I must had to be crazy to recommend this but... "We wait 'till the time runs out, then...I will take one death."
And as if on cue, I heard Maat run up the stairs behind me with that Rocket Launcher in her hands. How much ammo did she have? I wondered as I ran towards the stairs on the opposite side. I stopped midway when I saw Bastet coming up in front of me. The Shock Rifle she aimed never looked deadlier. Gonna die. Gonna die. Kill or be killed, dammit. Kill or be killed!
Broken memories flashed. Battlefield, Human/Skaarj War, death, team, betrayal, kill or be killed, death, death, blood, death, blood, screams. I saw her fire a shock ball at me; the sizzling plasma burning through the air slowly, very slowly.
Kill or be killed. You're gonna die. Blood, blood. I can't do it. My mind was breaking, hurting screaming. Pull the TRIGGER! NO! Run! Surrounded! Kill! I can't! Gonna die! Must live, must live! Can't do it! Dodge! Won't work! Gonna die, dammit! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I heard her scream. I looked up and saw her fall. Shock! Dodge! Dodge! Dodge! I rolled towards the stairs on the left and collided with something. MAAT! I got up to my feet in an instance and quickly flashed her a glance. I froze when I saw her gurgle blood. Her eyes slowly rolled up into her skull, and she fell retired to the floor full of melting iron in her back. She's dead.
Zenith came up to me and asked me something I couldn't understand. Then he shook me lightly, then violently. He screamed something out, and when I looked at him I couldn't make out his face. Everything was blurry.
He kept saying something. He kept shaking me. Why was he shaking me? Who was he, anyway? What was he saying?
"Wraith! Wraith! Wraith! Are you alright?" What? I didn't understand. What was Wraith? Who was Wraith? "Wraith, dammit, what's wrong with you? Wraith!"
Wraith? Was I Wraith? I was named Wraith? Who was I?
"Wraith!" I concentrated on the strange figure as his voice slowly faded.
Who are you, I wondered as I tried to see the strangers face. Why do you call me Wraith?
I squinted my eyes to try to concentrate on the figure's face. It looked like...Boris?