Redo 3

Veritas stopped walking. “No, go on. Keep talking about the villains and monsters the heroes stop. Not like you’ll ever meet them.” The sarcasm dripped from her voice. “The heroes are out of control, you get that right? I’m not saying we’re all saints in here, but they kill dozens of innocent bystanders, a week. In this country alone! That’s not even considering all the shit that goes down with the Pareidoliac and Cold Snap, and Typhoid Marcy in Australia. Not to mention the conflicts and battles going on all over the world. The ‘heroes’,” she made more exaggerated air quotes, “Are a show put on to distract the American people from the coming shitstorm that’s gonna engulf the planet. Mark my words, the day’s coming when the good citizens realize that they’re living in a world that’s falling apart at the seams. Besides, most of the villains in here have never killed any innocents. I haven’t, but I know you can’t say the same. So if you think you’re so high and mighty, then think again!” Veritas ended her rant, breathing hard.

Our walk was finished in an odd silence. I felt satisfied and confused and guilty at the same time. I had assumed everyone in here was evil on some level, killers and psychos. But there was more. I had gotten Veritas’ facade to crack; seen who she really was underneath. At the same time, what she had said rung true. The bystander casualties from the heroes clashes were always something whispered about. Groups had tried to form to talk about this, or push for reform. Nothing ever came from them. The citizens never cared, never did anything to stop the violence. The heroes stopped the villains, that’s what was important.

Something inside me burned to tell her more about Milgram and explain, but I kept my mouth shut. Not really the time and place.

I felt sick to my stomach. I was killed in another battle, and nobody cared. I’m just another ignored number, pushed to the side and forgotten. Or I would have been, if I hadn’t resurrected. None of this makes any sense. “Why does no one care? There has to be a reason.” I softly asked Veritas.

“We’ve got some theories. One of the most popular is that the whole thing is a conspiracy, Lady Aegis works with the media and the government to spin a web of apathy over the people. Maybe they really just don’t care, they only want to watch the shiny men and women fight the good fight. The people don’t care if bystanders die because of the heroes, they just blame the villains. Nobody pushes for reform or change, not even any tightening of standards. Some heroes even kill villains, and still nobody says a word. Most of the people in here are truly dangerous, I’m pretty sure half are killers. That doesn’t mean we deserve to die. The only reason I’m in here was because they put a gun in my mouth and told me to blink once to go to jail.” Veritas glanced over at me. “Drugging us indefinitely would be expensive, and someone could rescue us. In here though? Nobody gets out and nobody comes to save the day. They can’t contain some people here through normal means, and killing doesn’t always work either. Frankly, it’s a miracle they got Fubar in here. No, they stick most people in here without a trial, without any representation.”

We turned a corner and I saw the border down the road. Veritas stopped me though. “Before you walk away, remember this. You seem like a nice guy, despite the killer thing. Probably just made a few mistakes. But did anyone give you a fair trial? Did anyone care what happened to you? Do you deserve to be here?”

I stepped away, and moved back to the border. No. No. And god help me, but no. I don’t deserve to be here. Mom didn’t deserve what happened to her either. At that moment, my hatred for Milgram, and whoever attacked her, was acidic. You’re right, you don’t. But we do.

I ignored Milgram for now, and crossed back into the Zone. Before Ricky could say anything, I spoke. “Fly me home, man. I need some time to think.”

He nodded understandingly, and we flew up into the air. I closed my eyes and felt my anger at the world. The sheer lack of justice all boggled my mind. I was even guilty, I had forgotten my purpose in here. To escape. To find the Black Mass that framed me. Revenge.

Ricky placed me on my lawn, and I walked inside. “Why are you here? Why couldn’t you just not exist?” I moaned, needing to express my emotions out loud. Excuse me? I’ve been doing what you couldn’t. Yeah, I might have lost control once in a while, but I’ve killed every threat to us! I was strong when you were weak, and when I found the Rush of death and combat, I wanted more. Maybe I pursued it at the wrong time and place, but I am not going to apologize for being myself. I was a fucking baby who wanted to play around, and enjoy what I discovered was fun. You would’ve done the same in my position.

I grabbed a vase off a small end table and hurled it at the window with all my strength. “YOU’RE WRONG!” I shouted. The destruction felt good, so I threw the end table too. Oh really, I’m wrong. If you’re so perfect, then why the fuck haven’t you shown any wish that what happened at the convenience store hadn’t? I froze, mid swing with a chair at the television.

“What-what do you mean?” I stuttered, dropping the chair. My rage and bile had evaporated. Don’t play ignorant, Alden. You never said, thought, nor in any way wished that the bullet that brought me into the world hadn’t. You have never ONCE expressed any form of regret for getting another chance at life. Not one single fucking time. Deep down, you’re happy I came and you survived.

I dropped down onto my knees and grabbed the threadbare carpet. Oh God no, he can’t be right. I thought to myself. Deep inside me, I knew I was lying. I was happy I wasn’t dead, so very happy to live. I masked this by blaming myself for Milgram, but that wasn’t my fault. I should’ve done… I thought hard. Something different! Tried to explain myself, rather than escaping. Done anything else, fought for forgiveness or anything! I was crying now, and didn’t bother to wipe the tears away. But no, behind all that hatred for Milgram, I was still happy I wasn’t dead. I rolled over on my back and sniffed hard. And even now, I’m still not regretful I’m alive. God help me, but I don’t wanna die. I layed there and cried for a while, wallowing in my guilt and shame.

Milgram, I’m sorry. You’re right. I still didn’t trust him, but ordering and hating Milgram hadn’t helped me. It had only made things worse. If I ever wanted to make some kind of amends for all of this, I needed to try a new tactic with Milgram. If I ever wanted to kill the fucker, the Black Mass, I needed his help. If I ever wanted to do something more to atone, I needed some sort of control. I had to control the monster inside of me, and it wouldn’t be done with yelling and empty threats.

Yeah, man. It’s ok…and stuff. And look, I’m sorry for yelling at you. For the first time, Milgram didn’t sound like a murderously psychotic child. He sounded like a real person.

Redo 2

I was not a fighter. Every fight that I had gotten into was when Milgram was controlling my body. My reflexes were poor, and I froze when I heard Harsh, like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.

That was a mistake.

A thin cord wrapped around my neck, encircling it fully. As I stood up and lunged towards the door, it started to constrict. I clawed at it desperately as my skin bled and my chest heaved. I suffocated, and looked around the room. The other man in the room was facing me calmly. He had other loops floating in the air between us.

My head boiled in pain and rage. Black spots filled my vision, and I tried even harder to get my fingers underneath the circle. I failed. I trembled with rage, and lack of oxygen as I thought, Milgram…take them down. With pleasure.

Milgram took control of my body after I collapsed. The loop continued to tighten around our neck, but he didn’t seem to be concerned. I felt the pervasive rush of happiness and pleasure again. The sharp senses assaulted us, along with a new one. We could feel the air around us, every particle. The cord tightened even more, but our neck was like iron now.

We looked up at the man with the cords and shot him a feral grin. With a twist of our shimmering hand, Milgram commanded the air to flow away from his lungs, just as he exhaled. The man’s eyes bugged out. The circle tried to constrict fully, but it was futile. Eventually, he stopped twitching, and we turned our attention to Harsh.

We ripped the loop off and threw it away. “You shouldn’t have done that!” Milgram crowed viciously. He gestured again, intending to suck the air out of Harsh’s lungs when-

Harsh cleared his throat and leaned back. “Now, a brief test,” he raised a single eyebrow. “You passed!”

I was in control of my body again. What the shit Alden! What just happened? I looked around the room. The loop man was standing passively, his cords gone. Milgram was locked away again, without the usual timeout or death. I stared at Harsh.

“You just killed me,” I stated, my mind working furiously.

Harsh was very surprised. “You remember? That’s…unusual. My power allows me to change the future, to put it simply. You don’t remember the first time?” He looked at me quizzically.

“What first time?” At this point, we were both confused. Do you know what he’s talking about? Not a gosh darn clue, buddy.

Harsh’s brow wrinkled. “The first time you came here, I told you to take a cookie. The second time, I told you to take a brownie. You remember the brownie, right?” I nodded frantically.

“So you remember the brownie, and the attack?” I nodded again.

“Yeah that’s right.” I paused. Wait, the attack. “Hey, change the past again.” I asked him.

Harsh’s mouth tightened. “I already did. I assume you didn’t notice anything?”

I shook my head, “Nope. But, I’ve got an idea.” My mind was racing at this point, the attack almost forgotten. “My power only kicks in when I’m dead, so maybe I only remember the futures I die in?” Or when the future changes when Milgram is in control.

Harsh contemplated this, and slowly agreed. “Very well. I must apologize. I test everyone’s powers, but there’re very few people who notice the changes. I assumed you would be no different than the rest. I will not make that mistake again.”

I accepted his apology with a tilt from my head. There was a slightly awkward pause. Veritas stepped out of nowhere, and leaned in to whisper to Harsh. I pretended not to notice, and twiddled my thumbs. She stepped away, and Harsh spoke.

“Something’s come up. You will leave now, Veritas will escort you out,” he said with an air of finality. Veritas opened the door, and I walked out. I followed her down the street and looked back at the house. It was gone.

I shook my head and picked up the pace. Illusionists, man.

“So, why’d you join up with Harsh?” I called out. Veritas glanced over at me with an odd look. “What? I’m just trying to make some conversation here.”

The sound of Veritas’ heels echoed of the trees for a moment, as we strolled in silence. “I rolled with him on the outside. He took over my old gang, and I worked my way up the ladder. They took me a month after Harsh.” She chuckled softly. “I left Boston, ran back to NYC. It took nearly all of the Tactiles, all of the Aegis League ‘heroes’,” she made finger quotations and looked slightly proud and smug, “To bring me down. They had to fly in that FUCKING CUNT,” Veritas yelled that last part, “Lady Aegis, to see through my pictures. Even then, it hurt her, gave her a nosebleed. That’s part of the reason Queen leaves me alone, I’m hell on telepaths.” She grinned at me. “So now, I’m number two in the Harshes.”

“Why’d you do the quotation thing with heroes?” I said.

“That’s what you got out of my Cinderella story? That’s all you have to say?” She seemed surprised.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Why don’t you think the Tactiles and the Aegis League are heroes?” I raised my voice. “Fuck, they threw me in here. They’re the reason I got powers in the first place, but I still think they’re heroes. They put away the-” I stopped talking when I realized what I was about to say. Awkward.

Redo 1

Ricky’s shout echoed eerily around the small street. We were standing in between two small houses, with trees on either side. The green line on the ground stretched off towards the woods on either side. Nobody was in sight, but I felt like we were being watched.

The clouds above us swirled and gathered, blocking out the sunlight. Swirling mist crept up from the pavement, dark shapes moved inside it. I started to talk to Ricky, but he shushed me. “Something’s wrong here, very wrong.”

I glanced over at him threw the thickening fog. His eyes darted back and forth, his breathing was rapid. What’s going on? I don’t know, I might have to run.

A low moan emanated from further down the street, but I couldn’t tell what made the noise. The fog was thicker than ever before. The dancing shadows around us became more jagged, more frantic. A huge form rose in front of us, towering and black. I heard another moan, it was closer this time. Wait a minute.

I started laughing, quiet at first, but it got louder. This whole thing was too obvious, too layered on. I guess we met the illusionist. “So, you must be Veritas then?” I called out.

The fog and clouds disappeared immediately, and Ricky looked over at me, disappointment etched on his face. “How’d you know?” He asked.

“The fog and weather was one thing, but the noises and shapes were a bit much. It was like a cheesy horror movie.” I smirked.

“Goddammit.” I woman stepped out behind a tree, which vanished. She was around my age, maybe nineteen. Veritas was flawless, dark brown hair and smooth skin. She was in a strapless red dress that flowed down to a matching pair of heels. Yeah, no. This is definitely an illusion too.

“Veritas, this is Alden. Alden, Veritas.” Ricky introduced us.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I told her. She smiled back at me, and said “Alright Alden, follow me into the Harshes.” Veritas turned around and sauntered away. I looked back at Ricky, who gestured me on.

I stepped over the green line and into the Territory. “You’re here today because you might want to join our little family in here. The rules are pretty simple, do what Harsh says, no hard drug use, no fighting one another unless Harsh approves it. We also do a lot of training for the Games.” That sounds familiar…

“What Games?” I asked as I followed Veritas deeper into the Harshes. She looked over her shoulder and crooked a single perfect eyebrow.

“Ricky didn’t tell you? The Games are what makes life bearable in this hellhole. When you have no internet, TV, radio, no external signals at all, life gets really boring really fast. The Games take peoples minds off that stuff, provides a healthy output for all that pent-up frustration and aggression. Every week, a team from each territory (except Slaughtertown) meets and fight. The Sheriff watches over the whole thing, so people don’t die very often. It’s very popular, members of my gang can challenge people on the Green Team, which is us, for a spot. If you’re on the team, then you have to be able to keep your place. We fight the Blue Team, the Zoners, tomorrow. The winner of that fights the winner of the Yellows and the Blacks.” She smiled at the thought of winning. Hopefully.

“The team that wins gets to demand a tribute from each team they defeat. Last week, we got all of the Yellow’s weed for a week, they replenish our stock every day. We had to give the Blacks a piece of the Harshes, but it was a close fight.” Veritas explained.

“What are the rules? How many people can fight?” I was intrigued.

“Five to a team, very few rules. All weapons and powers allowed, no gang bosses fight, you tussle until one team is down or gives up. The Sheriff watches over it all, he keeps the fatalities to a minimum.” She winked at me. “It’s all very civilized.”

We kept walking. Something’s off here. I think Veritas is using illusions to mask where we are. I still haven’t seen any other people yet. She stopped walking in front of me.

“We’re here,” she told me, and gestures ahead. The road shimmered, and a house appeared in front of us. Two burly men stood by the doorway, and one crouched on the roof.

Veritas strolled up to the door and opened it for me. “Gentlemen first,” she chuckled. The door opened into a small sitting room, with another door at the back. It was plainly furnished, with two men in it. One was tall and imposing, with pale skin and black hair. I assumed the man sitting was Harsh.

Harsh was a plain man. He sat at a wooden table, and gestured for me to join him. Harsh was small, with dark hair and a smooth face. He was Indian, with a small scar at his temple. One thing stood out; a streak of grey in his otherwise black hair. As I sat, he took out two plates. One had chocolate chip cookies on it, the other had brownies.

“Please, take a brownie.” He commanded. I got the sense that this man wasn’t one to refuse, so I bit into a brownie.

“Tell me. What is your power?” Harsh requested in a deep voice.

I rubbed the back of my head and sighed. “Well, it’s kinda complicated. I like to think about it as Adaptive Resurrection. There’s a bit of a minor twist to it, but if I die, then I come back with a power.” What, I get no credit? I’ll mention you if I have to, I’d rather not lie to him right now.

Harsh leaned forward. I could tell he was interested. “What did you do to get thrown in here? How did they catch you?”

“Why are you asking all these questions?” I asked him, deflecting. Not in the mood for answering those last two.

Harsh smiled slightly. “Think of this as an interview. My organization is larger and has more power than the Zone. I’m seeing  whether or not you would fit in.”

I felt slightly frustrated. “Why do I have to join a gang at all? Why can’t I just stay in the Zone?”

Harsh’s smile vanished quickly. “Anybody, not counting the Slaughtertonians, can go into the Zone. If you aren’t very close to the Sheriff at all times, it is the second most dangerous place in the Town. More people are killed there than almost anywhere else. If you join a gang, you get more entertainment, resources, and above all, safety. I can think of a few rapists who would have no trouble holding you down and making you scream at night. That wouldn’t happen in my territory, I promise you that.” His face was serious, and I felt unnerved. If they don’t kill me, I’m only as strong as a norm.

Harsh cleared his throat and leaned back. “Now, a brief test,” he looked at someone behind me. “Kill him.”