Chapter 1

Amidst a vicious power struggle between a military-ruled government and a ruthless terrorist organisation, a young man with zero motivation and a habit of shrugging off responsibility is forced act...

Chapter 1

 

 

“In the story, Mikuzaiga strives to change the world, only to be constantly met with disappointment. That disappointment turns into anger, which slowly drives him to insanity. This much is made clear to the reader throughout. So, any deeper and more profound thoughts?”

The ignorance that followed wasn’t all that surprising, as frustrating as it might have been. Asking a room full of teenagers to express well-developed and honest opinions in front of their peers was as difficult as getting them to focus on the work you were quizzing them on. The aging man let out a disheartened sigh as he glanced around. Some students were scribbling nonsensical drawings in their notebooks, others whispering among themselves, some even tapping away at their phones, believing that he wouldn’t notice, or perhaps not even caring if he did. “You must have some ideas.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” One of them muttered, leaning closer to his friend. “The book would be put to better use on a damn bonfire.”

“Or as an instrument of torture.” His friend scoffed, the two of them exchanging grins.

“Jaden.” The teacher snapped instantly, staring him down. “Since you find it so torturous, perhaps you could at least bother explaining to us why.”

“No, thanks.”

“It wasn’t a suggestion. Please stand and share your thoughts with the class.” Jaden pouted, shooting his friend a glare for getting him in such a mess, before obediently clambering to his feet. He ignored the stares of the class and fought down the urge to let spill the sarcastic thoughts brewing in his mind. Detention wasn’t on his to-do list that day and it certainly wouldn’t be worth the brief moment of entertainment. “Well? What are your thoughts on the story?”

“It’s nothing but a depressing reminder of how weak we are, no matter how you look at it.” Jaden retorted.

“Interesting. Care to elaborate?”

“Mikuzaiga wanted to change the world. That’s the point. But, in the real world, people can’t just go ahead and change the world ‘cause they want to. So, in the story, Mikuzaiga gets this power, you know, the kind that people dream of. But, he still screws it up.” Jaden shrugs as a small hum of laughs and chuckles sounds out from the class. “So it teaches us that people can’t really do anything by themselves, no matter who they are or what they have. As far as I’m concerned, the lesson to be learnt here is to give up.”

“Thank you, Jaden.” The teacher said, sending a nod his way as he took his seat. “Any opposing views?”

“Sir,” a girl from the front row raised her hand, the hand which she had been using to type out messages just minutes prior, “I think the real lesson here is that you can’t oppose the establishment. Mikuzaiga tried overthrowing his nation’s political system just because he didn’t think it was right. Although it’s not really addressed in the story, doesn’t that just make him a terrorist?”

“It’s not like he blew anyone up!” Another member of the class called out defiantly.

“She’s right though. Mikuzaiga thought he knew better than everyone else and tried to force his opinions on them.”

“Yeah, and he’s a hypocrite! He went on and on about how fighting’s wrong but then he goes and starts fighting.”

The class erupted into discussion and debate, phones and doodles long forgotten as the kids hurled their own thoughts and views at one another in turn. It was bordering on inappropriate, the way they called each other ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ during their rebuttals, but the teacher couldn’t bring himself to intervene. During their entire time studying the story, never had he seen the group so enthusiastic and passionate about it. He usually struggled to get a simple answer to the most basic of questions. With a small smile on his face, he glanced over at the boy who had sparked their interest and silently thanked him.

Jaden Brooks was a bright kid, not that he really applied himself to any area of his education enough to really show it off. He was rather attractive, but didn’t care enough to take advantage of it. He was likeable but didn’t throw himself into the social aspect of school life. All in all, he was a boy with a great deal of potential, but no desire to live up to it.

Even in that moment, after successfully getting his classmates interested enough in their work to debate it so emphatically, he showed little care and seemed to drift off into his thoughts again. He seemed completely oblivious that he had singlehandedly made his teacher’s day so effortlessly…

*

“So, what’s the plan tonight?”

“What are you talking about?” Jaden said, cocking his head ever-so-slightly. “No different from any other night.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!”

“Forgotten?”

“About the party?” His friend scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’ve only been going on about it for the past two weeks.”

“I don’t know, Connor.” Jaden shrugged dismissively. “It’s not really my thing. I don’t feel up to forced social interaction today. Can’t you just go and pretend to like all those people without me?” That comment alone earned him a smack across the back of his head.

“You’re sixteen, Jay’! You don’t get to say parties ‘aren’t your thing’, okay?” Connor shook his head, letting out a long-suffering sigh. “One day you’re gonna wake up and realize you’ve wasted your best years. Trust me, you’ll regret the lone wolf act sooner or later.”

“Alright, alright.” Jaden conceded. “I’ll go. Can you get off my back for a while now?”

“Awesome!” Connor cheered, shooting him a grin. “We are gonna get so drunk, and have so much fun, and wake up tomorrow with so many regrets!”

“Yeah, great.” Jaden muttered under his breath, as they made their way down the bustling street.

The very idea irked him. He liked to have fun as much as anyone, but he knew from experience that drunken parties with a bunch of teenagers you already have to endure at school is far from enjoyable. Large groups of people really dulled the enjoyment for him, to be frank. He never understood how you could possibly mingle in such a crowd without it leading to frustration. Still, he always wondered whether Connor was right. Maybe he was wasting his life. It’s not like he really did much with his time anyway.

“So, I’ll see you in about two hours. Meet me on Karna Street, ‘kay?”

“Sure.”

*

Jaden dumped his bag and shoes at the foot of the stairs, ready to be taken up after the usual after-school routine, and proceeded to the kitchen of the house. It was warm. The house was always warm, bordering on uncomfortably so, laced with the smell of reasonably-priced perfume and whatever happened to be on the menu that night.

“Connor’s dragging me to a party tonight.” Jaden announced in way of greeting, grabbing a can of energy drink from the fridge. “I don’t really know much about it.”

“As long as I don’t have the police round here and you come home safe, it’s fine with me.” Elaine, being the kind and down-to-earth woman she was, was never really fazed or bothered by anything. All in all, Jaden was an easy kid to care for and didn’t cause much trouble. He kept to himself, cleaned up after himself, achieved well at school, and wasn’t all that confrontational. In return, she was willing to give him a reasonable amount of freedom.

“I’ll stay at Connor’s tonight.” Jaden said between gulps of his drink. “It’ll save you the trouble.”

“You think we haven’t dealt with drunk teenagers before?”

“Doesn’t mean you should have to.” Jaden shrugged. “Besides, someone’s gotta look after that idiot.”

“Fair enough.” She smiled. “I know David will be happy to hear you’re going. He worries that you don’t spend enough time making friends.”

“What about you?”

“I know that’s just how you are. Besides, you have Connor. As long as you’re not completely alone, then it’s okay.” Jaden offered her a smile, small but still clearly there.

“Thanks, Elaine. Need a hand with dinner?”

“Don’t be silly!” She laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’ve got a party tonight. You need to head upstairs right now and start getting ready.”

“Whatever you say.” He shrugged, grabbing an apple, as well as his bag and shoes, on his way. He stepped across the threshold of his bedroom, loosening his tie from around his neck as he did, and basked in the peace that embraced him.

He should consider himself lucky. He was a well-off kid, living in one of the world’s most powerful nations. Compared to some of the war-torn s**t holes lying around, Shizera was a paradise. He’d managed to avoid poverty throughout his youth and had always been provided with a world-renowned education. Even so, he found himself completely dissatisfied with the state of things. Life seemed so crazy all the time. So he relished every shred of peace he could.

Alone, in his room, he had no obligations or responsibilities. He was truly free. Sometimes, solitude could be the most liberating thing in the world. Just him and his thoughts. No pressure. No expectation. Jaden glanced over at the book he was partway through, hesitating for just a brief moment, before deciding that he had time. He didn’t need two whole hours to get ready. He’d read for just a bit first. Get in some private time before being thrown to the dogs…

*

Corpses.

Friends, comrades, loved ones- nothing but a mass of corpses. All of them left on the cold, hard ground to rot. No honour. No dignity. Nothing left of them to be taken away. And, from the looks of it, none of them had even had the chance to fight back. They’d died silently. None of them even having the chance to come to terms with their own demise. What was the meaning behind it? Why…?

“Sir!” The panicked call of a single soldier echoed, seeming to drown out the gasps and muffled cries slowly filling the void. “We need your orders, Sir. What do we do?”

The man gulped, feeling the eyes of so many burning his skin with their intense stares. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t want the responsibility. He didn’t want to have to carry the rotting flesh of his comrades on his back. He was left to question everything. Left to give up.

But, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a single, blank face. The remains of his best friend. A sight which made his jaw lock in rage, snapping him out of his self-pity.

“Follow security protocol!” He bellowed, shocking his subordinates into action. “I want this entire building sealed off and searched thoroughly! Find the b*****d who did this and execute him where he stands! Whatever you do, don’t let him live!”

The silence that had weighed so heavily down upon them was shattered, replaced by the cocking of guns, clamber of booted feet and the exchange of orders. Within seconds, the alarm was sounded- a blaring siren for all to hear- and the security doors on all sides of the building began to whir into life. Racing heartbeats pounded and emotions became muddled.

No more silence…

*

“You hear that?” He murmured softly, crouching atop one of the sealed doorways. “They’re not even interested in apprehending or interrogating me. He just jumped straight to the execution order. What’s with that?” Relaxing back against the cooling surface of the wall, he took a moment to just listen to his surroundings. In the end, he clenched his eyes shut, yearning for the silence once more.

“Don’t sulk.” A deep voice sounded in his ear, a little louder than he would have liked. Cringing bitterly, the young man reached up to adjust the volume control of his earpiece. “Infiltration and covert operations may be your specialty, but your fondness for theatrics works against you. If you had done things my way, they probably wouldn’t have noticed anything until you were already out the building.”

“Maybe,” He sighed, “but then you wouldn’t have an excuse to lecture me. Besides,” he pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the dust that had accumulated on his robe, “sometimes the best way to go unnoticed is to make yourself the centre of attention.”

“Stick to the plan, Zeda.” Was the responding growl. “Head to the southern exit. We’ll open the security doors in exactly eleven minutes. Bear in mind, we can only keep them open for approximately twenty seconds. You need to time it right. Get there too early and you’ll be discovered and intercepted, too late and you’ll be left behind.”

“I’ve got the most efficient route committed to memory.” Zeda retorted, adjusting the heavy devices strapped to his forearms. “Everything will work out fine. See you soon.” He removed his ear piece, pocketing it, as he took a moment to survey the area.

‘The standard formation during security protocol consists of fifty-seven lines of three soldiers.’ He reminded himself silently, tuning out all external sound to focus on his thoughts. ‘Each hallway will lead to at least one of those lines at some point. Not only that, but the cameras I disabled will be back online shortly. They’ll use them to try and pinpoint my location as well. I need to be subtle.’

“There he is!” Zeda’s eyes widened as he darted round toward the roar that bellowed down the hallway. Sure enough, he’d encountered his first line of three already. “Engage! Aim for the vitals!”

“So much for subtle.” Zeda murmured, nonchalantly stepping off of the doorway. The soldiers were skilled, managing to aim successfully as they charged forwards- each one focussed on a different vital spot.

Allowing himself to fall, Zeda waited until the last possible moment before flicking his wrist out. Instantly, from beneath the sleeve of his robe, a spike-tipped chain launched from the device on his arm and lodged itself into the far wall. With another movement, the device began to retract it, pulling Zeda toward the wall and out of the way of the oncoming bullets.

“What the hell?!”

“Re-aim and fire again!”

Zeda sighed, manoeuvring himself so that the soles of his feet landed on the wall. Using all his strength, he pushed off and dislodged the chain, retracting it beneath his sleeve. Rolling his body through the air, he successfully dodged the next barrage of bullets and took aim himself. The first chain shot straight through one soldier’s chest, lodging itself into the opposite wall. Pulling himself forward, Zeda kicked the other two off their feet and finished them off.

Three more dead with minimal effort.

Zeda glanced at their blank faces, the corner of his lips twitching as he yanked the chain free from both the wall and the soldier’s chest, drawing it back into place. With just a second of contemplative silence allowed to pass by, he sighed again and turned away.

*

With four minutes left, Zeda mentally counted the number of hallways he still had to navigate and scoffed to himself. He was running out of time. He sprinted round the corner, firing one of his chains into the far wall, and pulled himself through the air, diving over another line of soldiers in the process, giving one a quick kick in the head for good measure. Darting into the next hallway, he became conscious of the sounds of heavy footsteps behind him, realizing that he was being tailed by more than the three he’d passed.

“Stop!” Zeda ignored the command and the guns aimed at his chest as he charged forward, ducking down to slide through the parted legs of another line of soldiers. He launched his chains behind him as he skidded across the floor, tripping up the enemy before they could react.

Leaping back onto his feet, Zeda picked up the pace and made his way into the last corridor, completely aware that he was in danger of missing his opening. As he lunged round the corner, however, he was forced to bring himself to an abrupt halt.

“Typical.” He muttered under his breath, coming face-to-face with several lines of soldiers- all blocking his path. And, just as he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he heard those who had been pursuing him take up position behind him, effectively boxing him in.

“There you are, you damn terrorist.” The leader of the group, the one whose voice Zeda recognized from the earlier execution order, snarled at him. The man was trembling, hands hardly able to hold his weapon still, face contorted into one of rage and hatred. His jaw was clenched tightly, teeth visibly grinding together, and eyes narrowed. Zeda ignored him, eyes glancing around the narrow corridor curiously. “If you’re looking for a way out, you can forget it! We aren’t letting you get away!”

“It’s not that.” Zeda sighed, eyes rolling slightly as he turned to regard the man once more. “I was just wondering how you plan to shoot me in such a cramped space, without hitting any of your subordinates, that is. Not that I mind either way.”

“B*****d.” The man growled, dropping his gun without hesitation. “You killed a good man back there. He never did anything to hurt anybody. He was my friend.” Reaching behind his back, the man unsheathed a large, sturdy blade, weighing it up in his hands as his eyes grew colder. “How the hell am I going to tell his father that he’s dead? How the hell am I going to be able to look him in the eye? How?!”

The man lunged, swinging the blade as vigorously as he could, missing by a fraction as Zeda sidestepped.

“Engage in close combat!” Another soldier yelled- setting off the clamour of discarded guns and drawn blades as they all readied for battle. Zeda took a deep breath, gathering himself, before swiftly dodging another assault, turning on the spot to strike his attacker around the face with the device on his forearm. Without a moment’s hesitation, he ducked as another blade soared past him, and launched his chain into the wall to use as an anchor, holding himself in place as he countered the barrage of attacks.

One by one, he successfully evaded every soldier and countered them accordingly, taking full advantage of his small and lithe frame to manoeuvre himself around them. Still, they persisted, trying to hold him off as the security door sprang into life and slid open. Zeda picked up the pace, desperately trying to break through their makeshift defences in time. With his heart beating a little faster, he snatched one of the soldier’s blades from their grasp and drove it through the chest of the group’s leader, throwing him to the ground.

With the security door beginning to close, Zeda launched a chain from beneath his sleeve and dragged himself through, leaving the enemy far behind.

“You…” the leader muttered, blood seeping from his chest, “I’ll make you pay, I swear. I’ll hunt you d-down. I’ll kill you.”

“No, you won’t.” Zeda murmured softly, staring through aloof eyes as the door slid closed between them- the horrified expressions of the soldiers and the blinding light being the last things to be seen…

Corpses.

Friends, comrades, loved ones- nothing but a mass of corpses. All of them left on the cold, hard ground to rot. No honour. No dignity. Nothing left of them to be taken away. None of them even recognizable in the sorry state they were left in. All abandoned to burn away…

*

“S**t!” Jaden hissed, almost tripping down the stairs as he yanked his jeans over his hips, fumbling with the belt in his hurry. “S**t, s**t, s**t. Connor’s gonna kill me.” He hastily shoved on his footwear and grabbed a jacket as he reached the bottom of the stairs, continuing to curse himself in his mind.

Reading for ‘just a bit’ had resulted in letting time run away with him. He was late. It wasn’t until Connor messaged him to let him know he was already waiting that he realized how long he’d let himself drift off into his thoughts. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Elaine!”

“Jaden, wait!” He froze on the spot, hand hovering over the door handle as he heard the slight break in her voice. A small waver, hardly noticeable but still there. He turned and stepped into the living room, peering at her curiously. Elaine, a woman usually so composed and poised, was paler than usual and visibly dishevelled. She had the phone held to her ear but her attention was directed toward the television in the corner. And, with just a single glance, it became obvious why.

“…sudden explosion coming from a research facility directed and managed by the Shizerian military. At this point in time, very little is known about the incident and emergency services are continuing to arrive on the scene.” Images of smoke rising from a falling building, filling the evening air with darkness, illuminated only by the flames that danced so freely. “Though nothing can be confirmed yet, it is suspected that the infamous terrorist group, Organization F, may be somehow involved. The group is known for targeting facilities and bases with connection to the Shizerian military. We can only hope that the staff of District 7’s Karna Street Research Facility were able to make it out in time…” Jaden felt his entire body seize up, his stomach twisting violently as the panic consumed him.

“K-Karna Street…?” he whispered to himself, voice trembling. “No…Connor…”

Shaking his head, he snapped out of his brief trance and charged out the door, ignoring the frantic calls of the woman he left behind. He ran with all his might, ignoring the biting cold that sought out every bare bit of his flesh ravenously, or the churning in the pit of his stomach. He could see the smoke rising above the rooftops as he dived down alleyways, barging past anyone he met. He ran and ran, becoming more desperate with every step. His fingernails dug so harshly into the palms of his hands that they threatened to draw blood.

Connor…

When he’d moved to a new school, he was stuck feeling all alone again. He’d left everything, and everyone, behind. Adjusting to a new home, a new family, a new life…

Every time he got attached to something, it seemed to slip away from him. So, he simply stopped himself getting attached. He stopped putting the effort in. He stopped trying. He stopped dedicating himself to anything or anyone. He tried to find comfort in being alone. But, that damn idiot ruined all of that. Despite his attitude, Connor still reached out to him. Connor still pursued him and sought him out. They were friends.

And now he was in danger of losing everything again. He was going to lose the only friend he had. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t end up all alone again. If he did, he’d never forgive Connor for forcing him to care. Never. “Just stay alive, damn it!”

Rounding the last corner, Jaden felt the air being snatched from his lungs. The scene playing out before his very eyes was so different from the one on his television screen. The chaos was far more real. But, he didn’t stop. He kept going, eyes glancing over at the people being held back by the emergency services- no sign of Connor. He checked in the ambulances as he passed- still no sign. With his heart now thundering in his chest, he sprinted past the barricade and straight for the collapsing building, eyes searching frantically.

“CONNOR!!” He screamed, darting between the rubble that had spilled out onto the road. He could barely hear the sound of his own voice over the sirens and the roaring flames. He could hardly feel the words leave his lips with the smoke enveloping him. But, as he spun round in desperate search, he caught sight of a darkened figure round the back of the building- small and lithe- stumbling through the mess. “Connor!” He ran toward the figure, covering his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his jacket, eyes becoming teary and blurred by the smoke.

Just a little more. Just a little bit more…

“No surviving witnesses.”

Jaden froze, coming to an abrupt halt as he neared. It wasn’t Connor. It was a young man, small and slim, but definitely not his friend. He couldn’t make out much- a head of messy hair and a dark-coloured robe. But, he could hear his voice. Calm, smooth and chillingly cold.

The area was suddenly lit by the floodlight of some kind of aircraft, whipping up the air into a ferocious hurricane around them. Jaden yelped out, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the light and covering his face to try and bear the wind. “Typical. Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?” Jaden forced his eyes open when he heard that voice again, pupils straining to adjust to the harsh beams. When he saw the figure of the young man approaching him, he panicked, frantically attempting to turn and run for his life, only to stumble and feel the ground slide out from beneath him. With the sirens still ringing in his ears, everything faded to black, his body seeming to float away into the nothingness…