CHAPTER 1: THE INFAMOUS CASES OF DR. CLOCKRANGE

JULY 18, 2011

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

 

Three were traveling through the maze of ducts, four were roaming the halls by foot, and one was in the captivity of the evil Dr. Clockrange. Amongst the three in the ducts was Seth, the newbie of the CIA, on his first mission to save his partner. “Ah, screw it, guys. I got him caught, I should go after him, not you guys.” Seth said to the other agents.

            “Hey, Semper Fi, buddy!” one of the agents said.

            “Yeah, we work, sacrifice, and die as one!” went another.

            Seth found an AC vent under him in the ducts. He looked down to see Eddie “Thunder” Wright in the captivity of Dr. Clockrange. He was stuck in a machine that looked like it was holding his eyes wide open as he was strapped down and immobile. He was surprisingly calm and still for being in his current situation.

            “Hmm, Agent Thunder…looks like…I’m all out of my ‘Slaver Potion’, which would’ve made you my slave. So, I guess I’ll just have to kill you.” said Dr. Clockrange with his maniacal grin. He held up his Taser and lunged for Agent Thunder. Agent Thunder shook and screamed and did all he could, but he was too late. Dr. Clockrange held the Taser up to Agent Thunder’s throat, causing him to seize and shake until he was dead (to the audience, that is). Seth gazed at this in awe and shock. He had never felt more heartbroken and surprised. He just watched his partner, and the only friend he’s made on the force get murdered (to the audience). He was furious.

            Seth kicked open the vent and lowered himself down on his wire, followed by the others in the vent. They all went after Dr. Clockrange. Punching, kicking, clawing, everything you can imagine. Once he was down, Seth shoved everyone out of the way and held out his gun, aimed right towards Dr. Clockrange’s face, and cocked it. He was furious. “YOU SON OF A GUN, YOU KILLED MY ONLY TRUE FRIEND ON THE SQUAD, PREPARE TO EAT METAL!!!”

            “Seth!” one of the agents yelled.

            Seth swung up, looking at the agent, as fast as possible. “WHAT?!?”

            “We can’t kill him. He’s wanted ALIVE. We have him down, we can take him to the agency and all will end well. If you kill him, you die too, according to the agency, and we don’t want that. Please, retract your gun, calm down, and help take him to the truck outside.”

            Seth looked at the agent, panting heavily; hairs messed up, and tie loose hanging around his neck, with his gun still held out. He slowly turned his head, sniffling and whimpering. After a few moments of contemplation, he pulled the trigger, killing (remember, to the audience) Dr. Clockrange once and for all. All the other agents drew their guns, aimed them at Seth, and all the lights went out as a loud bang was heard.

            The audience cheered as the play now reached its conclusion. The curtain closed and the stage lights lighted once more to see the cast of Seth, Dr. Clockrange, Agent Thunder, and everyone else standing there, smiling, as they all took one last bow, concluding the last performance of the hit traveling play, The Infamous Cases of Dr. Clockrange.

            After the performance, everyone went out for a dinner “cast party.”  Seth was walking down the restraint from the dinner hall they rented to the bar. On his way there, he was getting congratulated and thanked for an amazing performance in a great show. Once he reached the bar, he saw Will (the actor who played Agent Thunder), and Seth took a seat next to him. “You did great, buddy.” Seth said.

            “Easy for you to say, you don’t have to act dead for ten minutes.” Will said. They both chuckled.

            “But hey, I die too.”

            “Not onstage in plain sight, you are implied dead at the end!”

            “Oh, shut up.” They both broke out into an uproar of laughter.

            The bartender walked over. “What can I get ya, sir?”

            “Oh, uhh…just a Coke would be nice.” Seth answered.

            “Sure, coming right up.”

            Will turned to Seth. “So Seth, have ya found another girl yet?”

            “Nah. I don’t know if I can, though. I mean, Kellie, she was…she was…so perfect. The one, and I mean THE one…and now that she’s d…d…gone, I don’t know if I can find another.” Seth frowned.

            “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m really sorry, friend.”

            “Thank you.”

            The bartender returned, with a tall, frosted, steamy glass of cold Coke. “Here you are, sir.”

            “Thanks.” Seth said.

            The two sat there and drank a drink of their drinks. A man with corn-yellow hair and bright blue eyes approached Seth and tapped his shoulder. Seth turned. “Hello, sir. Are you a Seth Rogue?” he asked.

            “Uh, yes I am.” Seth answered.

            “Can you come with me for a few?”

            “Sure.”

            Seth got off of his barstool and followed the person through the restraint and outside. Once there, they turned and started walking to the back of the building. “Now,” the guy said as they walked, “What’s about to happen is gonna seem crazy. And, yes it is. But Time has seen what you can do and really thinks you have potential that can be used.”

            Seth stopped. “Woa, woa, woa, Time? Potential? Seen me---what are you talking about?!”

            The guy turned around. “Just follow me, I’ll explain when we get there.”

            “No. I’d like to know where I’m going first.”

            The guy stood there, looking at Seth, annoyed. Then the guy pounced at Seth, attacking him. Seth tried to deflect and defend himself, but couldn’t. The guy took Seth all the way to the ground and punched Seth in the head, knocking him out.