Sorry for making everyone wait so long, but hope you enjoy it! ^_^'

Operation: DESTINY

Chapter 18: Crimson Moon in the Painted Sky

Abigail Lincoln was sentenced to decommissioning for a reason she didn't even know of. The only thing she knew though was Rachel McKenzie wouldn't even talk to her because of the so-called-betrayal she had committed and that she was being sent to Moon Base to face the Council. Besides that, everything else was an empty mystery waiting to be filled with knowledge.

"Rachel, you better tell me what's going on or I'm gonna whup your sorry ass!" Abby yelled from behind her bars as she looked out of her cage. Rachel was sitting on her pilot seat, driving the small jet to Moon Base to get rid of Abby. Abby noticed that her head didn't even slightly move and kept looking on ahead, at the stars and the endless, black sky. Rachel seemed sad and depressed and Abby saw this right away and quieted down. She had only wish that Rachel would have brought Hoagie along, instead of leaving him in the frozen rain that covered up both of their tears.

--

"Wake up you weakling," A voice seethed as Nigel slowly opened his dreaded eyes. All he saw was complete darkness surrounding him, probably from a dark blindfold. He tried to get up from whatever he was sitting on but he couldn't even budge. He felt his arms pulled behind the back of the chair and his wrists tied in a tight rope that burned when he tried to move. Nigel also tried to move his legs but couldn't as well. He was trapped.

"Me the weakling?" Nigel replied trying to cover up his fear and shock, "I'm the one that was about to kill you, Benedict, if it wasn't for your little friend, Richard." Nigel knew that he was in deep, but he didn't want to show any trace of anguish and defeat in his voice. That was the only thing that stayed with him through his 'transformation.' He never gave in to defeat, and he never will.

"Shut the hell up you fool! Because of you, he's dead!" Benedict yelled out in rage as Nigel saw something move in front of his blindfold and he knew that he was about to be beaten for his answer. Then he felt a foot cut into the two back legs of his chair as a hand grabbed the back of the chair. Nigel was suddenly leaning backwards in his chair, about to fall if Benedict wasn't grasping the back of it. "I'm the one holding the weapon now, not you," Benedict quietly held up a long, sharp knife against Nigel's throat seeing that Nigel was completely calm. Nigel then felt the sharp sting as the knife began to break his skin on his neck and he couldn't help but to grit his teeth in pain. Benedict smirked seeing that Nigel was feeling pain as blood began to stream down his neck. Then, Benedict swiped the knife right between Nigel's eyes. He opened his eyes to see that Benedict had cut the blindfold in half.

"That's better," Benedict said behind Nigel as he walked around the chair, "now you can see your last moments on Earth before you perish," Nigel watched as Benedict walked out in front of him and leaned against a wooden table that was placed in front of him. There was a single, dangling light from the ceiling and besides that there was complete darkness. He looked around to see an exit but he couldn't see anything past the wooden desk. An escape was hopeless, unless he could get out of the binding ropes.

"I'm not going to die, definitely not by your filthy hands," Nigel bitterly replied trying to maintain his sanity. But he knew that it was slowly breaking and he was about to fall apart. This was his first mission, he couldn't fail. He had to live to become the leader of Chronos, to exact revenge on the world, to kill Benedict not the other way around. But something inside of Nigel just wanted to die. Just wanted to escape from the pain of the real world.

"Heh, well unless you can somehow get out of those ropes and disable the bomb I don't think you will," Benedict said grinning as he saw Nigel's shocked expression.

"Bomb?" Nigel uttered, "Do you mean-"

"Yes," Benedict said interrupting, "I took the bomb you were originally going to install and used it against you." He then silently went to the darkness of the room and returned with the small but powerful bomb in his hands. The red numbers were ticking away, creating a slow and dull beat. Nigel sat in his bindings and stared at the ticking bomb as Benedict placed it on the wooden table besides him. He had used his own weapon against him, "It's set for fifteen minutes, so try to cherish the last moments of your life like I have," Benedict said placing his right hand on the wooden table besides him and smirking.

"It doesn't matter if you kill me," Nigel stated darkly, "you'll be doing me a favor," Benedict looked at him slightly surprised as Nigel just stared at the ground, his vengeful eyes lost. Nigel didn't feel the reason to live any longer; his parents were murdered by Benedict who he had thought he killed but was clearly wrong. He began to crave blood and killing because of his Uncle's savage beatings and taunting and finally joined Chronos, leaving behind his friends. Nigel doesn't see a clear reason to live, and so therefore he doesn't care if he lived or died.

"Hmph," Benedict said crouching down to meet Nigel's levels, "Well, then you owe me a thanks now don't you? And don't worry, we'll do your friend Mike a favor also," Nigel looked up with anger and surprise as Benedict got up to depart. The shadows began to seep in and Benedict started to fade away into the endless darkness beyond the wooden desk with death written on it.

"What?! Don't kill Mike! He has a family at least, a wife and a daughter!" Nigel yelled out desperately as Benedict began to walk into the darkness to exit, "He has something to live for! I don't!"

Benedict stopped walking and turned his head and looked into Nigel's eyes one last time, "You do have something to live for, Nigel. Honestly, I hope you escape before the bomb goes off," Nigel stared at him shocked as he began. Benedict Uno, the man that viciously murdered his parents and tried to kill him countless times, wanted him to live? It didn't make any sense to Nigel at all, and then Benedict said his famous, last words, "Avenge your parents that I murdered Nigel. That is the reason you must live, to kill me."

Those were the last words Nigel heard before he left the darkness of the room, leaving behind a struggling Nigel; determined to break away.

--

Abigail Lincoln was walking down a long and eerie hallway, facing her sentence. She had been quietly taken from Rachel's jet and handcuffed behind her back. No one said a single word as they walked into the Moon Base and no one still hasn't. In front of Abby was Rachel, walking without a trace of sound. It was like she was in a trance. Behind Abby were two teenage guards, both boys, who were making sure that Abby didn't make a run for it.

But everyone knew that she wouldn't.

Abby was the one to take the blame and deal with it. She would not make up any excuses or react violently to get out of what she has supposedly had done. But still, she didn't know why she was here. All she knew that Rachel had accused her of treason against their organization, and that's simply all. She wouldn't talk for the rest of the ride.

Abby knew that this was going to happen, but not while things were falling apart.

Hoagie was a complete mess; he was determined to murder Nigel for his actions and complete it at any cost. Kuki had disappeared; no one knew where she had gone. Wally was killed by an assassin that Nigel had hired, and Nigel was the worst one of all. He had become a blood-craving assassin. A vampire, almost. All he wanted was bloodshed and death, and now he worked for Chronos, one of the most powerful assassination organizations in the world. And he was destined to become their leader.

Abby bit her lip in despair. Everything was getting out of hand. The blood-shed, the tears, the pain…and all of this happened because of a mission into Benedict's mansion. A mission that was given to them by the KND.

Abby returned to reality as Rachel stopped in front of her at a huge, silver door. It was shining as if it was brand new and Abby could vaguely see her reflection in it. Her bitter reflection.

--

"C'mon, c'mon!" Nigel said under his breath as he tried to escape the bindings of the rope wrapped around his wrist. But it was no good. The rope just burned his wrists and gave him blisters, making it even more painful to try. Nigel's eyes narrowed as he tried to pull them out but failure occurred again. "Damn it Benedict! You make no sense!" Nigel yelled out in anger, letting his feelings rage on. "You wanted me dead, but now you say you don't! Make up your mind already!" Nigel stopped for a second and took a deep breath. He couldn't get his emotions caught into this; he had to concentrate to escape from the bomb's explosion. He looked up, trying to calm down, and saw the red numbers of the bomb ticking away. 13:47…13:46…13:45… He only had 13 minutes to escape not only from his bindings, but Salamari's whole technology development site.

Nigel cringed seeing the numbers tick away, but he knew that he had to stay calm. Lashing out against the ropes would only make things worse. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath to try to relax. When he opened them, he knew he was in control. He had to be in control to get out.

"Wait…" Nigel whispered to himself as he remembered an important fact. He still had one weapon left on him, "My knife…" Nigel looked down and saw the knife's blade flickering from the dangling light. It was on the side of his left shoe, stuck in between his sock and his shoe, and he could just make out the black handle. He grinned to himself, seeing that his foot was attached to the side of the leg on the inside. Just where the knife was.

If Nigel could just keep nudging the knife up against the side of the chair, it could hopefully fall out. That would ensure his escape. "Okay, c'mon…" Nigel began to move his tied foot up and down on the side of the chair's leg. The knife slowly began to inch upward.

--

Abby walked forward into the KND Council Room and saw that every single person's eyes were staring right into her. All of the lost, forgotten eyes looked like they were burning a hole into her head. Not one pair of eyes weren't on her. And she knew everyone in there. All of her teenage friends from the KND/TND were in the Council Room sitting in eight rows of seats that encircled a platform, where the defendant stood.

Rachel walked only a couple of feet ahead of her, eyes set straight in front of her as she came to a stop and turned around to face Abby. The two teenage bodyguards behind Abby stopped as well and the whole room became quiet as they saw Abby Lincoln stand in the center of the platform.

"Abigail Lincoln!" Rachel shouted for the whole room to hear, "You are convicted of high treason against the KND!" Abby narrowed her eyes at Rachel who saw this and ignored it as she continued, "This is your trial! You're only defense is the words that come out of your mouth! May the trial begin!"

The Council nodded and clapped as Rachel gave one, final glance to Abby before turning around to join the Council in the first row of seats, directly in front of Abby. The two bodyguards saluted and went to the steel door that they entered from and stood guard, leaving Abigail Lincoln up against the KND Council all alone.

--

Nigel was still strapped to his chair by the rope bindings but the knife was very close to falling out of his shoe. His eyes were determined and showed a raging ferocity growing in them. There was sweat rolling down his face as he quickly glanced up at the bomb's ticking numbers.

10:23…10:22…10:21…

"Damn it!" Nigel yelled fearing that he wouldn't have enough time to escape the development site, but not only that, "Mike, you had better get out alive!"

--

Mike was in his jeep, top down, gazing at the stars in the silence of the quiet night. His hair ruffled from the constant beat of the wind and his eyes showed a comforting softness to them, despite the fact that he was an assassin. His arms were behind his head, looking to find a meaning with the orbs of light floating against the black paint in the air. His black attire made it hard for people to see him in the darkness, and he was at least five to eight miles away from the development site.

He thought he was in a safe stop, but he was wrong.

Suddenly, he heard an edgy roar starting to breeze up against his ears. Mike at first ignored the noise, thinking it was his imagination.

But it kept on getting louder.

That's when his eyes flashed with a sense of instinct and fear. He leaned forward, out of his once comfortable position in the driver's seat, and looked around. Darkness is the only thing he saw. The trees were black, the sky was black, and everything was obviously black. But the sound stayed, and it kept on getting louder and louder with every second. Mike furrowed his brows as he clasped the gun that was secured to him from the holster.

He gripped the handle even tighter as he saw two approaching lights.

--

"Okay, what exactly is going on?!" Abby yelled into the Council Room breaking the silence. Everyone looked down at her mysteriously and without a response.

"You were kidnapped by that traitor, Nigel Uno, correct?" A boy from Abby's left asked. She turned to face him and saw a tan boy, no older than 14, with brown hair and dark blue eyes. He was wearing a gray Aeropostale shirt and jeans.

"Yeah, he attacked me in the night in my own house and took me," Abby responded honestly.

"Do you know where he took you?" The same boy asked again, seeing the other teenagers nod in agreement with the question.

"I know that he took me to Chrono's headquarters, but I was knocked out on the way over there and they blindfolded me on the way back. Sorry, but I don't know the location," Abby answered which caused some people to whisper among one another.

"So," another boy began from the right side of Abby this time, "let's just get to the point. Did you murder Wallabee Beetles?"

A huge stir emerged within the room as the boy asked the question. Abby's eyes widened by his question as she tried to regain her emotions that flooded over her. Nigel had ordered one of his assassins to kill Wally after she refused to assassinate Richard Salamari. She didn't kill him, an assassin did. Everyone looked at her waiting for an answer, their eyes full of disgust and anticipation.

"What?!" Abby yelled out, "I didn't kill Wally! Why would I do that?! He's my friend!" Abby was trying not to scream any higher because of her raging anger not only against Nigel and Chronos but for the KND for accusing her of murder. She'd thought that she could trust the KND to be by her side at all times, but now she knew that all they did was use kids or teenagers for their own needs. They were almost like Chronos, but not as powerful.

"Well," The same boy said, "why don't we look at a video that the FBI sent us?" He looked over to Rachel and nodded as she pressed a button under her table she was at and a huge screen behind Abby came down for everyone to see. The whole Council was talking and whispering to one another as Abby tried to get her mind clear. The FBI? How had they sent a video and what was it of? So many questions were rushing through her distraught mind. She was on the brink of breaking down, but she had to stay firm. She had to stand her ground.

Then everything became quiet as the Council began to watch the screen as the video began to play. Abby turned around to face the screen to see what the FBI video was all about. Then, her eyes widened as the video began.

It was at Chronos' HQ and standing there was Nigel, in his black trench coat and his menacing jade eyes. He was sitting down in a chair looking relaxed with another man in black behind him with a hat covering his face. Then, sitting across the table was Abby tied up and being held against her will. This was only a few days ago, and Abby remembered all the events that took place. Her kidnapping, the interrogation, the offer, and then Nigel ordered Wally's death. Not only did he kill Wally though, but Kuki as well. He was truly an assassin, and he loved it.

Abby looked around at everyone and saw their forsaken eyes casted on Nigel. They felt the same pain. The pain of being betrayed by a dear friend and comrade. But it was too late. He was too deep in the water to never come back to the surface. He would drown in his own regret and misery.

Then, Nigel began to speak in the video with his cold and dark voice that sent chills down everyone's spines, "What I want you to do is assassinate Richard Salamari."

Everyone watched to see Abby's response in the video clip, "No, I won't do it Nigel!!" Abby screamed in the video as everyone watched her try to escape her bindings. Abby saw how wild and out of control she was. She was like an untamed animal at the Chronos HQ and everyone was seeing it.

Then, something out of the ordinary happened. Abby remembered the scene like it was just yesterday. She remembered every word Nigel said that day, "Then Wally will die," Nigel said grinning at her old comrade. Abby's eyes widened, not remembering Nigel saying those words. He didn't respond to that comment, he only talked to Damien for a quick second. Something was up, but Abby didn't know what yet.

"I don't care anymore!" Abby screamed in the video, "I want Wally to die! I would rather do it myself!" Everyone in the Council gasped and stared at Abby who was looking at the video in dismay, "I won't do it! Just kill Wally! I don't care about him or Kuki or anyone from the KND anymore! I hope they all die!"

Everyone started an uproar and began screaming at Abby who was about to burst into tears. She never said those words; she never said anything like that. It was all a huge lie. The KND council began to stand up and yelling horrible words at her; "Traitor! Monster! Bastard! Killer!" All the words started to flow through her head as she fell to her knees, weak. Nigel hadn't only made her weaker, but he ruined her life as well.

Then, some Council members began a riot and jumped over the balcony and started charging at Abby. Seeking blood and revenge. The guards were all over the place, trying to keep order in the court. But no order was ever restored.

Abby took one last look up and saw Rachel staring down at her, fists shaking. Her cold blue eyes tore into Abby's heart as she closed her eyes, shook her head, and turned her back towards her and began to walk away.

--

The two lights protruding from the darkness only got larger and brighter. Mike had hoped that they would disappear, but they didn't at all. They only got closer. His eyes narrowed as he saw the outline of another Jeep approach his and he knew that they were from Salamari. He got out of his Jeep, gun clasped in his tightening hand, and his eyes fixed on the other Jeep.

It was only thirty feet away when it stopped, and the lights flashed off. Mike knew that a battle was about to break out, and he was ready. He was ready for the bloodshed.

Three men stepped out of the Jeep, all in black suits and dark hair. All three of them looked like clones, but they weren't. They were guards for Salamari, and they were here to kill any trespassers.

"Who are you?" Mike asked casually, being his usual, calm self. Even in the darkness, the three guards could see the lust in his eyes. They were as strong as Nigel's, and as deadly as his as well.

"We are the ones asking the questions, so shut up," The first guard spoke determined, taking Mike by a slight surprise. He didn't expect them to be so direct and firm, but cautious and careful.

"Heh," Mike began smiling, "really? Is that how childish you guys are?" Mike's voice was cold and dark, making the three guards shiver with fear. His voice suddenly became so terrifying, so lethal, that it was as frightening as Nigel's. The guards were too confident in their abilities that they forgot who they were dealing with. A blood-thirsty assassin.

"Childish?" The second guard croaked out nervously, "We aren't the ones playing around in the woods," He gave a nervous smile, trying to keep his calm, but Mike knew it was about to break.

"You think I'm playing?" Mike said closing his eyes and letting out a soft laugh, "I'll show you, just exactly who you're messing with!"

Suddenly, in the darkness, there were echoes of gun shots in the woods and blood-curdling screams. The black sky was suddenly painted red and the stars began to dim out. The screams continued, as did the chatter of constant, deadly bullets piercing the hearts of innocent blood. Laughing echoed after the bullets, so evil that anyone would have shivered with fear. And in the midst of all of this bloodshed was a true assassin. Mike.

--

"Yes!" Nigel exclaimed as he heard the knife fall onto the floor next to his left foot. The knife's sharp blade glistened from the one source of light above Nigel's head. Nigel grinned to himself, seeing that all he had to do was cut the ropes. Except, the knife was on the floor and after he cut the ropes he would have to escape in time.

He suddenly realized this and glanced up at the ticking bomb's fatal numbers…9:18…9:17…9:16…

He only had nine minutes to escape the development site and with each second he came closer to death. His grin suddenly faded away as he looked down into the knife's hypnotizing blade. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that the next few minutes would determine if he lived or not. Then, he started to tip the chair to his left, where the knife lay. After a few seconds of moving side to side, the chair crashed into the cement ground with Nigel still tied by the ropes. He gritted his teeth in pain from the crash, but soon got over it and reached out with his hands and grabbed the knife's handle. With concentration, he began to slowly cut the ropes.

--

Awaiting for her memories to finally be erased, Abigail Lincoln looked at the floor in sorrow as she tried to remember all of the fun memories before this year. The year that changed everything. She had flashes of images with defeating the Delightful Children, going to elementary school with all of her dear comrades, and all of the smiles that twinkled against the blazing sunlight. All of that was the past, the impossible. Ashes.

She finally looked up, seeing the decommissioning machine loading up and Rachel standing in the balcony above her, watching her in sheer anger. Then, all Abby remembered was Rachel's furious eyes, a bright light, then nothing.

--

Nigel grinned as he felt the freedom of his hands and arms while the ropes finally broke away. He could finally escape from this death trap and go back to his empire. Chronos. He then lye on his back and untied the ropes attached to his aching legs, and after a few seconds he was finally free to move around. He quickly grabbed his knife and glanced at the bomb as he ran for the door.

1:03…1:02…1:01

He only had one minute to escape the bomb and he still in the room with it. His face turned to distress as he got to the door and turned the door knob. Locked. He wanted to scream out in pain, in anguish, in rage. Benedict wasn't letting him go easily, but he wanted him to survive?! He tried to make sense of all of his rushing thoughts of Benedict's words, but then he realized that he had to get out. He had to.

With all of his anger coursing through his pumping veins, he took a step back and threw his leg out, crushing the door and making it fly out of the door frame. Anger escaped his eyes as the door crashed into the wall opposite of him. He took a second to calm down, the anger was put into the defeated door and now he could think clearly again. Then, he ran out of the room as fast as he could, wanting to avenge his parent's death. Wanting not only Benedict's blood, but of the blood of the fake Chronos leader. Wanting to kill her for betraying Chronos and deceiving everyone. Revenge.

--

A Jeep was racing down the path to Salamari's development site, pushing 90 miles per hour. The driver was covered in crimson red blood, his gun splattered with red as well. It was Mike, who had regained his consciousness and realized what he had done out of thirst and anger. He had not only killed the three guards, but their faces weren't even recognizable, and Mike barely remembered anything. His darkness had emerged, and he couldn't control himself.

"Nigel, you had better get out alive," Mike whispered to himself as he began to approach the development site.

--

0:30….0:29…0:28…

Nigel was racing against time itself as he turned every corner, running as fast as his legs could take him. His knife was still in hand, his eyes reflecting in its blade. Nigel was finally in control of his flooding emotions, before he was drowning in them. So much had happened in this mission; He had fought Benedict, He had successfully killed Richard Salamari, and Benedict had surprisingly told Nigel that he wanted him to live. That was the most confusing event that happened this mission, but the one with the most impact would have to be the betrayal of the Chronos leader.

0:15…0:14…0:13…

The supposed 'leader' of Chronos was actually an undercover FBI agent, who was sending all of the assassins to their death. Nigel was trying to focus on getting out alive, but the betrayal of the leader was so hard on him. He'd thought that she was trustworthy, reliable but it was all a lie. Everything was simply a lie.

0:09…0:08…0:07…

Nigel then saw the darkness of the outside world, the over towering trees and all of the parked cars in the site. In the background, the Sun was rising in the distance. The warming pink and the ruby reds shining throw the orange glow of the Sun. It was a beginning, but an end for Nigel.

0:03…0:02…0:01

Nigel heard the faint click of the bomb as he was just feet away from the door to the outside. Then, he felt an approaching heat and a feeling of fear flooded over him. He gritted his teeth as the heat became so hot, it stung and burned his skin. Then, the heat overcame him, and he screamed out in agony and vain as the heat became overpowering and devastating. He closed his eyes, and let the pain flood over him. The scream came to a stop, as it was drowned from the explosion of the whole development site.

Mike saw a mushroom cloud in the sky as he neared the development site. His eyes widened as he saw a huge gust of wind overtake the whole land, including the Jeep. Mike didn't stand a chance against the blow from the explosion. The Jeep turned on itself, and the heat and wind made it topple over and over for what seemed like an eternity. Mike was in the driver seat, and he tried to hang onto dear life.

A surge of heat penetrated his skin and his entire body and he just gave into it. He knew that it was over. The Jeep kept flipping over and over and didn't stop until it was 800 feet from its previous spot.

It took one final topple then it slowly came to a stop on its side, and silence overcame the land along with crimson, red blood.

--

Did Nigel and Mike survive, or is the future of Chronos destroyed?! Well, you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter (which will be updated sooner than this one ^_^'') The next chapter will be the last!! T_T