Here you go. Sweet dreams! This is inspired by the story I read yesterday.
This one has a song to go with it - I've tried not to make it a songfic, but...yeah. http : / / www . youtube . com / watch?v=AziM5nSk3es&feature=related
Review replies;
TweenisodeOrange: Yeah, I don't like it much either, I just needed someone that rhymed with 'song.' Thanks for reading!
unknown20troper: Well, if the song made you happy, you may need to read it again when you're done here XD. Thanks for reviewing.
Cartooniac55: Yup. :D It was fun to write. Unlike this, in fact. Thanks for the review!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: 'Protect and Survive', here's the link. http : / / www . alternatehistory . com / discussion /showthread . php?t=164027 And yay! You know what AH is! Thanks very much.
15/10/10 – Masters of War
Come you Masters of War,
you that build the big guns,
you that build the death planes,
you that build all the bombs…
"…leading Dimmsdale to defeat yet again," sighed Chet Ubetcha, a bored expression on his face as he read out the sports news, "Now, to the weath…"
He was cut off as a hand passed him a piece of paper. Chet glanced over it, and his eyes widened.
"Uh…we have late breaking news," he announced, "Two hours ago, Soviet troops marched into West Germany…we have reports of heavy American and NATO casualties around…around the border and-and Berlin. We'll bring you further news as it unfolds."
Chet mopped his pale brow.
"Um…anyway, on to the weather," he stammered.
You never done nothing,
but build to destroy,
you play with my world,
like it's your little toy…
"…the President has been evacuated to an undisclosed location," the Chief of the Guys in White explained to his assembled agents in the GiW's Amity Park Headquarters, "We expect to lose contact with Washington in the event of a launch, so regional command has been passed down to the Mayor…"
Invisible and intangible, Dani hung over the meeting, wondering what they were talking about. She didn't understand, really. Nobody did.
Shrugging, she flew off, in the direction of the Fenton Works. If the Mayor was taking control of the army, Danny needed to know.
…you put a gun in my hand,
and you hide from my eyes,
then you turn and run farther,
when the fast bullets fly…
Panic.
Within the NATO strategic headquarters in London, chaos had broken out; officers, soldiers and civil servants ran back and forth, yelling commands and orders.
Damon Grey buried his head in his hands. No-one knew who or why or how – but a nuclear device had been detonated over Germany. Soviet response was inevitable – the end could come any minute now.
Damon sighed into the phone as he talked to his daughter, all the way in Amity Park.
"Val," he sighed, "I…I just want to tell you that I love you, alright?"
"Dad, what's going on?"
Damon mulled for two seconds, then he told the biggest lie he'd ever say.
"Everything's gonna be alright, Valerie."
The Soviets launched about a minute after that phone call.
Within four minutes, the first nukes would be hitting Great Britain.
In thirty minutes, America would be hit.
In five hours, the war would be over.
Like Judas of old,
you lie and deceive,
a World War can be won,
you want me to believe…
"…I'm Lance Thunder, reporting from London," Lance stated, standing in front of the Houses of Parliament, "NATO command is in frenzy as unconfirmed reports of a nuclear detonation have come in from Germany. We…"
Behind him, he heard the high pitched wail of an air-raid siren, and the crowds around him erupted into panic.
"…uh, it seems like an attack is inevitable," he stammered, "We-we'd like…the thirty-minute warning is-is now in eff-effect."
Lance hurriedly dotted down orders for the population at home, shaking more and more every second, until at last, he was openly weeping on screen.
"I…I just want to thank…thank you all," he shuddered, "And…and to my daughter…I want you to kn
Amity Park had one dedicated shelter from nuclear weapons. This was now full to capacity. Despite this, crowds of desperate citizens were banging on the gates to the compound, desperate to get in. The soldiers, confused and frightened themselves, bashed at their faces and stomachs with the butts of their rifles and shotguns.
The Chief of the Guys in White barked an order to the soldiers, police and agents guarding the fence.
The defenders aimed their weapons and fired into the crowd.
The Neutrons, the Wheezers and the Estevez' huddled in Jimmy's lab, as the boy genius watched a display on VOX. It was a map of the world – a haunting, terrifying one.
It was lit up by several red dots, but the dots covering Western Europe were going off in a rapid succession.
Then the dot representing Baltimore went off. The first bomb had hit US soil.
Dani was halfway to the Fenton Works when she saw it in the distance.
A mushroom cloud was blossoming far away over what was once Chicago, while an air-raid siren wailed over her head.
Dani phased into intangibility and shut her eyes, instinctually bracing herself.
Even with her eyes shut, the flash hurt her eyes.
Thankfully for her sanity, the sound of the shockwave drowned out the horrible cries of those incinerated around her.
At the same time, hundreds of American and NATO missiles and bombers took off, heading to the Soviet Union to enact terrible revenge. For the bombers, only half would return – some had no airfields to return to, some failed mid-flight, and some pilots deliberately crashed after the run, unable to bear what they had wrought.
You fasten all the triggers,
for the others to fire,
then you sit back and watch,
as the death counts get higher…
Jimmy climbed out of his lab entry into what used to be his house. The entire street had been demolished – by now, the army and fire department on the scene.
He watched as one his neighbours, skin burnt off, melted eyes and agonized moaning, crawled out of the shell of his home. He watched as a soldier walked up to him, drew his pistol – and shot the man in the head.
"What the hell was that?" demanded one of the firemen, turning to face the soldier.
"Mercy," snapped the soldier, "That guy was dead anyway."
Jimmy watched as the soldiers spread out, executing the most horribly wounded people and moving away the rest. He wiped away tears and climbed back into his lab.
The centre of Amity Park was like a desert – flattened by the bomb, with nothing left standing.
Dani stood in the middle, surrounded by suffocating ash and a terrific stink. Shakily floating out of the area, she reached fresh(er) air…and wished that she hadn't.
The ground was littered with burnt skeletons and charred rubble, and the stench was even worse. She glanced at a few of them in horror – some were moving.
"Oh my god," she whispered, "They're-they're still alive…"
Then she realised what she was breathing in – what the ashes were.
Dani keeled over and vomited.
She took about twenty minutes to regain her strength, and walked onward, towards the Fenton Works.
There was nothing for her there. The building was gone - collapsed in on its basement. If the Fenton's had been sheltering there…at least it would have been quick.
Dani shook her had and choked out a sob. It wasn't a war. It was the end of the world.
Vlad stood outside the shelter, three days after the detonation. The chief was dead, the media was dead – he was in charge, the King of his own Wasteland Kingdom. If this area was going to survive – and it would – he was going to need to be cruel.
He had, therefore, sent out an order to the soldiers.
Only those who could work would be fed.
You've thrown the worst fear,
that can ever be hurled,
fear to bring children,
into the world…
It was a pathetic, sickening sight, and Valerie wasn't pleased to be part of it.
Homeless people, sitting on the remains of their buildings, staring lifelessly at the soldiers and police who handed out rations. The dead still littered the street – there was no time to bury them.
Valerie handed rations – a pitifully small bag of god-knew what – to a woman, and made to continue. She felt a hand grasp her leg, and turned around.
The woman pointed to a little bundle next to her. It was a little baby, asleep in a filthy rag, covered in soot and dried blood.
Valerie shook her head.
"We can't feed anyone that can't work," she said, softly.
The woman said nothing, but gave Valerie a desperate, heartbreaking look.
Valerie glanced left and right, seeing no officers or officials. Seeing none, she picked up the baby…and her heart broke.
The baby was not asleep. It was dead. It had most likely been so for some time.
Valerie handed back the bundle, gave an apologetic look, and walked away. She tried her best to ignore the wailing mother as she moved on to the next person.
Jimmy was huddled against the entrance to his lab, trying to sleep, when he heard a knock. He opened the door to find a soldier, rifle in hand.
"Sir, we need you to leave," the soldier ordered.
"No," replied Jimmy, bluntly.
"Sir, please," replied the soldier, "We need this place for the homeless. They can't hang around the street, they…"
"Then let them in, they'll fit," snapped Jimmy.
The soldier's expression hardened.
"Sir, this place has been designated for medical use," he said, firmly, "If you do not leave, we will…"
"I'm not leaving," growled Jimmy.
"Please," begged the soldier.
Jimmy said nothing.
Then there was a bang, and Jimmy fell back, a hole in his head. The soldier's commanding officer had arrived, pistol in hand.
"Clear out the building," he snapped to his squad, "No questions."
The soldier who had interrogated Jimmy gave his CO an apologetic look. The CO responded by aiming his pistol at the soldier's head.
The squad piled into the lab. There were shouts, gunshots and then…nothing.
"Daniel's dead, Danielle," sighed Vlad, as he and Dani stood in the mayor's office in the Amity shelter.
Dani said nothing.
"We're the last half-ghosts left," Vlad continued, "Perhaps even the last ghosts that can reach this earth. We can return to my mansion – I confirmed it wasn't hit, and from there, we can rebuild this planet…"
"…as rulers?" demanded Dani.
"Can you name anyone else who could?" asked Vlad, "We're hybrids of extraordinary power, combined with my net worth of course…"
"Let me ask you a question, Vlad," snapped Dani.
Vlad raised his eyebrow.
"Is your money that good?" asked Dani.
She stared Vlad in the eyes, and recited the rest of the verse.
"Will it buy you forgiveness?" she demanded, "Do you think that it could?"
She turned his back on him, looking at the posters on the wall – descriptions of drills and nuclear effects.
"I think that you'll find," she said, softly, "When your death takes its toll."
She turned back to Vlad, pure hate on her face.
"All the money you made won't buy back your soul."
She walked out, leaving Vlad alone.
Jimmy was thrown into a ditch, with his friends, family and a collection of dead strangers. The soldiers who buried them gave them no respect, no remorse. In their eyes, these people were lucky – they had seen the end of hell.
Valerie remained with Amity Park's 'law enforcers' for years, throughout the rise of Vlad Masters. Eventually, some semblance of life returned – a barbaric shadow of civilisation, at the will of those who could seize power after the end.
Dani wondered the world in the next ten years – the decimated wastes of North America, Russia and China, the struggling nations of Africa and South America, the fragile vainglory of the Australian Empire. After those ten years, she returned to Amity Park, to Vlad's little dictatorship, and she took him down…
And I hope that you die,
and your death will come soon,
I'll follow your casket,
on a pale afternoon,
And I'll watch while you're lowered,
down to your deathbed,
and I'll stand over your grave,
'till I'm sure that you're dead.
END OF STORY
...and now for something completely different.
That story had a real meaning to it and I hope I've made you think. If not - meh.
Anyway, competition. Today's word is 'Fear.' Pretty standard word, really.
That's all, have a nice sleep, everyone!