The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken (In the format of a script)

Chapter 8: The Cycle of Life

The two lied in the grass, which was not really grass, and took their final breaths of life, but they were not actually breathing. The grass and air was both a part of the non-existent world. The fresh scent of air, which was not actually air, calmed their restless souls and eased their suffering, which was not actual pain but mental pain.

They died at the same moment, their heartbeats abruptly coming to a stop. Their souls had left their body, leaving them both empty and hollow. They were nothing now, and would be disposed of within due time.

A small shower of rain, which was not real rain, passed by, washing away the blood that was not actually there. The forecast for the weather, in the world where weather didn't exist, was scattered showers.

A woman, who didn't exactly exist there, walked slowly towards the small grassy area. A sudden strong wind, which was actually not strong but air that didn't exist, passed by, lifting her hair and clothes as if gravity did not exist. But gravity in that world was not real.

"Kazna?..." Iris was shaking in fear for her love. "Kazna! It is you!" she ran to his body. "Kazna! No... you're not dead! You can't be! You promised me that we would prevail together!" she cried, and continued crying.

She felt something cold press against her head and heard a soft click.

"...Did you kill him?" a cold, stiff voice said.

"What are you talking about?" she hadn't the slightest idea who it was. She couldn't see the person either, because she was behind her.

"Did you kill Phoenix?" the person shouted. "Did you?"

The voice was becoming more clear now... but she had only heard them perhaps once or twice. Her memories were drowning in her own grief.

"I did not," Iris replied. "But we were going to, and it looks like he, at least, finally achieved his vengeance..." she was happy for him. Happy that his vengeance was put to rest. But she asked herself, would I have been happier with him alive, still full of vengeance... or have him dead with his revenge fulfilled?...

...But that moment was not the right time to ask such a question. She could not let her grieving get herself killed. She would continue to live. She knew that that was what her love would have wanted. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Then you killed him as much as he did..." the voice quivered slightly. "...You killed my love."

"And he killed mine." she replied, slowly and unnoticeably moving her hand.

"May death reunite you both." the person said. "Goodbye."

Iris suddenly spun around and batted her arm away with her dagger. The girl backed away, holding her bleeding arm.

"It's you!" Iris snarled. She recalled her on her spy missions. "Why am I not surprised?"

Kalia pointed the gun back up but Iris knocked her arm aside again with her own gun. But both quickly recovered by pointing it at each other's faces.

They stared each other down in silence for several moments before both taking a step back. Kalia then shoved Iris's arm away with her other hand, but Iris did the same to her. She recovered the quickest and lifted her gun again but Iris batted it away again before she could fire. This continued back and forth for a minute before Kalia hit Iris's wrist with her gun. She dropped it but grabbed her dagger again and cut Kalia's wrist, making her drop her own gun. They both then jumped back in alarm, both holding their own wrists.

They both stood ten feet away from their guns, both eyeing it occasionally while watching each other's movements. Unexpectedly, they both dove for their guns at the same time. They both caught it at the same time and aimed it at each other at the exact same second.

But unconsciously they had both grabbed the other's gun. Kalia noticed it first and swore to herself for letting her own gun go. She then ducked low and dove towards Iris and while passing her, she turned her body around upwards and shot at her. She landed hard on her shoulder and skidded in the grass but only grazed Iris's shoulder.

Iris ignored it, turning around and shooting at her while she rolled to the side to recover. Kalia flipped backwards to stand up and fired at her again. She grazed her arm and missed the next two shots. Iris shot back a couple times, catching only the hem of her skirt and jacket. Kalia then ducked and dove at her side again but instead of turning and firing, she flipped herself over, doing a full cartwheel and ended up behind her. She pointed the gun to her head.

Iris spun herself around quickly as she had dove and batted her arm away before she could fire. She lifted her gun but Kalia did the same. They did this back and forth for a moment before Iris grabbed the wrist Kalia held her gun in and spun back, pinning her arm to her back.

Kalia slumped over slightly and fired upwards. Iris quickly moved aside her head but the bullet grazed her right cheek, eyelids and eyebrow. She yelped and backed away, holding the right side of her face.

Kalia spun around and aimed at her. She glared threateningly and fired, but only heard a soft click. She fired a couple more times but nothing happened. As she reached for the bullets in her pocket, Iris charged in with her dagger. Kalia attempted to move aside but caught the side of her waist. She dropped her gun.

She screamed in agony as she backed away, the dagger still protruding from her waist. She pulled it out but as she did, Iris aimed her gun at her and fired. The first shot hit deep into her shoulder but the others did nothing. She was out of bullets as well.

"Damn it!" she searched for a bullet case on her. Kalia grabbed her gun from her hand and jumped back. While releasing the bullet case from her own gun, forced it at her by swinging her gun. It hit hard on Iris's forehead and caused her to give her a deadly look. Iris grabbed her own gun, and at the same time, they both reloaded and fired at each other once, both missing.

Her every inch of movement shot pain throughout her body but shoved continued to shove Iris's arm away as they back and forth attempted to aim at each other's heads. Kalia, as she moved aside her arm again, held onto the arm and brought her own gun down to it. She fired right through her wrist, breaking it.

Iris swore loudly and dropped her gun. While eyeing her wrist she noticed her dagger and quickly ducked to retrieve it. As she headed for her throat, Kalia aimed her gun up at her chin. They had each other caught.

They stared each other down, both glaring in the most evil manner possible. Kalia suddenly had a horrified look and brought her hand to her mouth as blood gagged her. She forcefully drooled blood from her mouth and coughed, but didn't take her eyes off of Iris. She grinned tauntingly as she watched her suffer.

The two suddenly heard footsteps coming by. The familiar black and white suit and dark sunglasses glaring from the evening sunshine.

"Shit, Agents!" Iris said. They both distractedly lowered their weapons. Iris turned around to run and pulled out her cell phone to call her operator for an exit. Kalia, on the other hand shifted her aim towards them.

"God damn it! Go away!" she screamed madly.

"Why do you hesitate?" Agent Robinson asked boldly. "Shoot the Freed Mind... hold up your end of the bargain."

"Or we will take action." a scowl twisted across his face.

"I said go away! This is between us!" she fired at the Agents as she ran off into the city. She left a long trail of blood on her way out.

She ran through the city, ignoring the traffic and shoving aside anyone that stood in her way. She ran until her legs gave out, and dragged herself into a dark alleyway. She sat leaned against the wall and didn't realize it but closed her eyes as her life slowly began to seep away.

TBC