Ex animo, p.44
Ex/Animo, page 44
part #1 of Ex/Animo Series
“Uh, okay…?” Zeke rubbed his chin. “What?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Elijahsaur said. “Say goodbye, runt!”
“Take your ugly foot off him, you demon!” a voice was heard.
“Moore?!” Elijahsaur spun around, startled.
BLAM!
Elijahsaur blew up into chunks of scaly meat. Zeke backed away from the innards that flung in all directions.
He looked up to find his mentor holding a giant gun. He was even more surprised to see him standing on his legs. Dr. Dylan offered him a hand and helped him to his feet.
“I don’t-” Zeke looked puzzled.
Zeke pointed at Dr. Elijah’s remains. His legs.
“Yes, I know!” Dr. Dylan nodded. “There isn’t much time–you gotta go, right?”
“Huh?”
“C’mon–give your uncle a little more credit,” he smiled at Zeke’s confused face.
“Un-cle?” Zeke muttered.
“I’m sorry, little Zeke,” he sighed. “I had to hide it from you. I… am not with Phoenix. I only worked under Dr. Ezekiel Moore, my brother–and your father.”
“What?!” Zeke murmured in shock.
“What Elijah said–was half the truth,” Dr. Dylan nodded. “But I never abandoned your father. It was on his request that I disappeared with the children. You were part of the Selective Breeding Program we were forced to enter. Your parents considered you their most precious thing in the world, Zeke. Alas, you and Jane weren’t born too soon before the wake of the rebellion against Phoenix.
“I lost many dear ones–including my wife and your parents. It was their dying wish to not let you grow up under Phoenix’s clutches, and I couldn’t do anything to prevent their fate. Hence, I ran–and formed Octagon industries–took in every one of you. But it did not take them long to find me. Too many to take care of, and I neglect my own blood...”
Dr. Dylan sighed.
“If only I had given more attention to Jane, she wouldn’t have given us away,”
“Jane?!” Zeke formed a fist.
Dr. Dylan raised a hand to calm him.
“It was my denial that resulted in the fire. I was forced to give myself up. The kids who were entrusted to me on their parents’ dying breath, my pupils–gone…”
The mentor began to sob. Zeke listened silently.
“I left to ensure you’ll live,” he looked down. “Thoughts of suicide clouded my mind, but I couldn’t do it. I had to make sure they wouldn’t reach their sick goal. I tried my best to slow their progress. I released the experimental variants of the virus into the clients’ vaccines as a last resort,” he looked up at Zeke and found him astounded. “But not even the infected clients hindered them from going forward with the plan,” he shook his head. “Zeke, your father believed you’re the key to destroying Phoenix. And I never doubted my brother for a second. Hence, I tried to bring you here; I made them believe you’d help them find a cure for the clients. I did everything to give you these.”
He handed two vials with the labels R and J.
“One is your father’s blood and sweat,” he pointed at the vial labeled R.
“And the other, the product of their inhumanness,” he pointed at the vial labeled J.
Zeke looked up at Dr. Dylan in silence.
“There’s one other thing I want you to have,” Dr. Dylan pulled something out of his pocket.
“Your pendant?” Zeke observed the object in his hand.
“No, no, no,” he grinned. “This is no regular pendant.”
“Hold on,” Zeke’s eyes expressed shock. “The GPJ?”
“Bingo!” he nodded.
“But you’d stated it was a myth!” Zeke said.
“Oh, did I?” he smiled slyly. “This thing here was your father’s greatest treasure. He guarded it with his life.”
Zeke stared at the jewel that gave off a radiant green glow.
“He gave it to me before I left Beacon,” Dr. Dylan said. “To hand it to you when the right moment comes,” he paused. “That was the last I saw of him.”
He handed the pendant to Zeke.
“I believe now is as good as it can get,” he smiled sadly. “Your father used to tell me that if he had ever gotten a second chance at life, he’d readily toss everything aside and look after you and your mother. I can imagine how proud he’d have been to see the man you grew up to be, Zeke.”
Zeke looked him in the eye.
“Now, Zeke, I know this is a selfish request from a senile old man, but could you find it in your heart to forgive this old fool?”
Zeke didn’t reply.
“Yeah,” Dr. Dylan sighed. “Even I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
Zeke hugged Dr. Dylan suddenly.
“You’re a real bastard, geezer, but,” Zeke said. “Thanks for everything… Dad.”
The uncle began to sob harder. Zeke let go after a while.
“Tell Kevin and Elaine I’m sorry,” Dr. Dylan smiled sadly.
“How did you-?” Zeke was surprised.
“You may have deceived those fools,” Dr. Dylan laughed. “But not Dr. Octagon! Now go! Before he gets back up.”
Zeke found Dr. Elijah’s body regenerating slowly from the waist up.
“What about you?!” Zeke took off toward the door.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave the Vault!” Dr. Dylan rushed Zeke outside.
He opened the Vault door for Zeke.
“But we set this place to-” Zeke got out.
“I know!” Dr. Dylan grinned. “Who do you think disabled the alarms to the reactor you set to go off?”
“You did what?!” Zeke exclaimed. “You gotta come with us!”
“No, little Zeke,” the uncle smiled at his nephew. “My time of running has come to an end. Live on, Ezekiel! For your father and me–end this nightmare, please!”
The Vault door closed with Dr. Dylan inside.
“No!” Zeke pummeled against the door. “Doc! Please! Listen to me!”
“Zeke, are you there?!” Anya sounded frantic over the comms. “Get to the hangar, now! We gotta go! The guards have been alerted! I can’t hold them off forever!”
“I’m on my way,” Zeke wiped his face with a sleeve. “Where’s Natalie?”
***
“The commander was right about you!” Amelia threw punches at Natalie. “You were up to something! I guess it’s in your blood!”
Natalie ducked from her reach.
“I have no time for this,” she said. “Step aside, Amelia, or I’ll go through you too!”
“And where do you think you’re going?!” Amelia shouted.
Behind them, the flames ate away at the assembly hall. The fire lit up each other’s grim faces. Amelia leaped at Natalie with a flying kick, but she dodged her attack.
“To my friends,” Natalie sounded out of breath.
“Friends?!” Amelia sounded skeptical. “You’re weaker than I thought, Nate.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Natalie replied. “And I don’t expect you to!”
“I’m not going to listen to the words of a traitor’s spawn!” Amelia gritted her teeth.
“You wanna know who’s the real traitor?” Natalie narrowed her eyes.
Amelia grew silent.
“It’s Phoenix,” Natalie spat.
“What do you mean?” Amelia growled.
“They’ve been lying to us the whole time,” Natalie said. “Our parents weren’t KIA! They were murdered in cold blood because they refused to give us up for the program!”
“That’s… not true!” Amelia’s voice wavered. “My father died a hero!”
Natalie slowly shook her head.
“What…?” Amelia took a step back.
“You don’t have to do this,” Natalie said. “This is not life!”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Amelia appeared devoid of emotions. “I’m a soldier! My father means nothing to me!”
Amelia rushed at her with a fist. Natalie moved out of her way and grabbed her by the neck in a chokehold.
“I’m sorry it had to go this way,” Natalie gritted her teeth.
“Ughh…” Amelia struggled to break free. “This… isn’t… over!”
She blacked out. Natalie let go of her and watched her slump to the ground. She glanced back at the burning assembly hall. The soldiers were focused on putting the fire out. Natalie made a beeline for the hangar before someone else could spot her.
Anya was waiting for the two in a chopper on platform three. The blades whirred loudly. She peered through the windshield and found Natalie making a sprint for the chopper.
“Where’s Zeke?” Natalie climbed onto the chopper and dropped to the floor, exhausted.
“He’s on the way,”
“What do you mean ‘on the way’?!” Natalie frowned. “The whole place is gonna blow up in under a minute!”
“Get the chopper in the air,” Zeke’s voice was heard on the Wi-Coms.
“Where are you?” Anya scowled.
“The roof!”
Anya threw a switch, and the shutters in the hangar ceiling slid open. The moonlight shone through the open roof. Natalie strapped herself into a passenger seat. Anya threw the switches and grabbed hold of the stick. The helicopter rose gently in the air.
A noise from the hangar gates caught their attention. The gates were bust open, and soldiers entered the hangar in numbers. They had RPGs.
“More altitude!” Natalie urged.
“Hang on!” Anya gritted her teeth.
The chopper ascended, reaching the roof. The two soldiers caught Zeke peering down at them as they rose above the shutter. Anya switched the lights on and got the door open. Natalie jumped out of her seat and offered a hand to Zeke. He quickly climbed in, and the door slid shut behind him.
“Go! Go! GO!” Zeke yelled.
Anya tugged at the lever as hard as she could, and the chopper gained altitude.
KA-BOOM!
Multiple explosions rang out down below. They formed a chain of fiery blasts that engulfed the entire base in flames. Clouds of black smoke rose in the air.
“Huh,” Natalie exclaimed. “That’s it?”
Zeke checked the timer on his watch.
“I’d recommend flying higher,” he said.
“Why?” Natalie asked.
Loud sirens blared at the base.
KABOOOOOM!
As they stared, the entire base lit up with a fiery explosion. A cloud of smoke rose, taking the shape of a mushroom. The shockwave threw the passengers off their feet.
Anya managed to regain control of the chopper. They found themselves hovering gently in the air once again. The crew took a moment to get back to their feet.
“Evanos, take us back home–please,” Zeke murmured.
“My pleasure,” Evanos replied.
The chopper flew off, leaving Phoenix under the rubble.
A slab of the destroyed concrete wall rose up in the air from a side of the ruins. It was tossed aside. Barton emerged from underneath, followed by Jane and Marvin.
Dr. Elijah, now naked, had reverted to his human self. He lay on a pile of rubble, catching his breath. The chopper that flew by caught his attention.
“This isn’t the last you’ll see of me, Ezekiel,” Dr. Elijah muttered as he blacked out.
“I agree,” Marvin grunted, avoiding eye contact with the general.
Barton looked down at him. The soldiers began to get up.
“I’m willing to sign anywhere if it means taking down those fuckers!” Marvin muttered.
Barton brought his hands behind the back. He turned around and stared as the chopper disappeared among the clouds. A sinister smile formed on his lips.
***
OCTOBER 23, 8:30 PM
Melody sat on one of the benches, holding her umbrella. The benches were wet from the rain, and it drenched her beautiful dress.
She glanced at the kids that played in the rain. The thundering had ceased. The pitter-patter grew louder as the rain beat down heavily on the stone pavement.
Melody remained seated despite the impediments. She held onto her red umbrella tight as she wondered whether Jack would make it.
She didn’t wish for an easy life as she never knew what one felt like. The closest thing she ever had to a family was the ever-changing clients. So too was for any other Phoenix soldier; their contracts had restricted them from forming personal relationships with the clients. She was a product of the SBP, a perfect soldier made to fight for the organization.
When little, they were taught how to kill before they learned how to read. They underwent intense training the rest of the world would deem inhumane had they known. Their world was of the survival of the fittest. They only came to experience the outside world when they entered their teenage years. They were assigned to designated families to integrate them into society without raising suspicion. All soldiers were reconditioned regularly to prevent them from forming thoughts of their own or plot of betraying the organization.
Melody belonged in the fifth and last generation of SBP soldiers and was known under the code name B5. The organization never believed in seniority; recognition and ranking went to a soldier for their performance.
Every soldier began their journey from Division F and worked their way up to Division B. Division A consisted only of the elites, the perfect killing machines.
Melody was assigned various missions involving assassinations and coverups during her service, and she proved top of her division. All her life, she received praises. She felt no emotional attachment to the honors she received, for she never knew real emotions. She decided to join the protection program where the soldiers worked as bodyguards for the organization's clients.
It was the first time she stayed away from the organization. During her teenage years, the clients either had to adopt her or arrange someone for the adoption to ward off the authorities.
That was the case until she had turned eighteen. She could finally choose a client on her own or quit the program altogether and continue serving the organization as a Division A soldier. She decided to keep on at the bodyguard division. The outside world had piqued her interest. There she entered into a contract with Kenneth, a wealthy and influential figure in the country. She was ordered to take care of his son, the heir to Kenneth Industries, a leading pharmaceutical company in the world.
Marvin appeared to be her most challenging client yet. He was someone who’d stoop low to get his way done. She pondered over changing clients until she met Jack. A man who wasn’t impressed by anything. She had assumed Jack to be a simple prey with bland tastes, but to her surprise, he proved otherwise.
Melody was forced into the game by Marvin. And Jack had become her first love, disregarding the authenticity. What first was thought out to be a mere curiosity changed into something inexplicable. It almost felt abstract; the thought of having someone special had never crossed her mind during the years of turmoil under the organization.
She spent time looking things up, watching romance movies, and studying her target to get him to loosen up to her. But it all felt useless; her target remained enigmatic and unshakeable.
But during the moments she spent with him, all her questions seemed to disappear. But life, as she knew, never intended to be easy for her. She knew it was nothing but a pipe dream, and all dreams must end when one wakes up.
Nevertheless, she had a plan, more of a fantasy, to elope with her target. To somewhere none could get to them. The world was going to end nonetheless, but she had only begun dreaming. She knew he might not believe her but still decided to speak her heart out to him. She perhaps trusted the inexplicable force to lead her to him. After all, it was what made her remain seated on the bench that very night. Her determination steeled her face; she was lost in a world of her own. The Division B soldier appeared vulnerable.
“Hey, lady,” a voice was heard.
Melody snapped back to reality; her ears caught the sound of rain once again. She looked around; her heart almost thumped out of her chest. Her eyes finally rested upon the little girl wearing the raincoat.
“H-hello!” Melody smiled warmly.
The girl hopped onto the bench, sitting beside her. She then pointed toward her umbrella.
“Nice umbrella,” she said. “You should hold it straight if you don’t wanna catch a cold!”
“Oh,” Melody noticed she was holding her umbrella askew. “Thank you.”
“You were thinking about someone, weren’t you?” the girl smiled at her mischievously.
“Maybe,” Melody spoke playfully. “How do you know?”
“Are you out on a date?” the girl asked.
“Supposed to be, yes,” Melody sighed.
“I don’t think he’s coming,” the girl put it bluntly.
“Huh?” Melody murmured.
It rained heavily. The girl handed her the bouquet of roses.
“Is this for me?” Melody was taken back.
“I’m not sure,” she shrugged. “A man dropped this on the ground.”
“Huh?” Melody’s heart skipped a beat. “What man?”
“He said he was out on a date too,”
***
“You want help with that?” Natalie asked.
“Oh, no thanks,” Anya shook her head. “I’m good. The computer guy is doing most of the work, erm-”
“Evanos,” Evanos reminded her his name.
“Yes,” Anya smiled. “Evanos.”
“Huh!” Zeke studied the two soldiers.
“What?” Natalie narrowed her eyes.
“Your faces,” Zeke said. “They were all black and blue the day before. I can’t spot a single bruise.”
“The wonders of the serum!” Natalie rolled her eyes. “Perk of being a soldier.”
“The files did mention that,” Zeke muttered. “How are your necks?”
“It still hurts like a motherfucker!” Natalie rubbed hers.
“At least now you can sleep easy knowing you won’t die from four hundred volts frying your brain,” Zeke shrugged.
“That’s where you are wrong, science man,” Natalie said. “A soldier doesn’t fear death.”
“Killing machines,” Zeke shook his head.
