by Noah Michael
Two Burners stepped cautiously forward. They pointed their shaking hands at the wall and fired. The man fell from the wall and crashed to the wet floor. He didn't seem to be breathing.
Sin looked at the man on the floor, then back at the two Burners. She placed her hands on their shoulders, trailing her fingers slowly down their chests. She leaned her head in close, her lips just inches from their necks, her cold breath sending chills down their spines.
“Good work, boys.”
She placed her hands over their hearts and closed her eyes, breathing slowly, listening to them beat. Suddenly, she shrieked with beastly rage, her fangs shot out from her mouth, her claws dug deep into their hearts. They cried out in horror as her veins bulged, sucking in their blood. She howled with pleasure and the men fell to the floor, her hands soaked in their blood. She walked over to the unfrozen man and squatted beside him. She dug her hands into his chest, pumping blood into his pale body. His form began to change, his wounds healed, his body grew younger. After a few moments, she stood up and took a step back. The room grew silent.
“Did it work?” Galaxius asked.
“Patience,” Sin hissed.
Then, the man's eyes opened, his chest heaved as he gasped for air.
“Doctor…”
Galaxius walked forward, helping the man to his feet.
“Where…how long as it been?” The man asked, his voice raspy with a thick, German accent.
“Over a hundred years, old friend, yet you’ve arrived at the start of a new era. I am the leader of the new Following.”
“So, the Order has chosen bad leadership over no leadership,” the man answered distastefully.
“I slew Vespirus. He was weak, and his position always belonged to me. You have always been good to me, and so I’m giving you the chance to join me. If not, you shall share his fate.”
Galaxius extended a hand towards his old ally. To his displeasure, the Doctor rudely ignored the gesture and turned towards Sin.
“Lucina, my daughter. You look beautiful, as usual.”
“Oh father, you flatter me,” Sin replied with a blood-smeared smile.
The Doctor turned from Lucina to the Burners. He walked towards them.
“So, you've allied with the Burners? I'm assuming the Shifters joined you as well, and the Shadows.”
“The Shifters yes, but the Shadows are putting up great resistance. They have changed under a new leader.”
“And why have you not yet crushed them?”
“I tried, but-”
“But you failed. The mighty Galaxius, most powerful of all the Fury, yet unable to accomplish anything on your own. You always needed my help, my intellect.”
Sin snickered. Galaxius growled in anger.
“Watch your words, Doctor. Do not forget your place.”
The Doctor ignored him and scanned the faces of the Burners. He paused at one of them, his interest aroused. The Burner stared straight ahead, making no eye contact.
“Young man, step forward,” The Doctor commanded. “Make me a flame.”
The man did nothing.
“I said, make me a flame,” he repeated, his voice sharp and suspicious. The room tensed. The Doctor turned to Galaxius.
“Galaxius, you are a fool.”
The Doctor quickly grabbed the man's wrist. He rolled back the man's sleeve, revealing an unusual watch. The man turned his head, looked the Doctor in the eyes, and spoke quickly.
“It was a pleasure meeting you. I’d best get going now.”
Suddenly, the watch began to glow. The man kicked forward, knocking the Doctor back as feathered wings shot out from beneath his shoulder blades. He darted upwards, crashing through a thin spot in the icy ceiling towards the open sky, dodging as the Burners tried to shoot him down. Galaxius turned to Sin and barked a command.
“Don't just sit there! Kill the spy!”
Sin hissed. Two massive, bat-like wings grew out from behind her and she shot into the air after the Coder. She caught up quickly and slashed his right wing. The man cried out and tumbled downwards, crashing into the deep snow. He burst back out with a roar and charged on all fours in the form of a polar bear. Sin flew up above him, her tail extended, preparing to strike. Suddenly, something smashed into her from the front, sending her tumbling into the snow. A massive balcon swooped down beside the bear, its feathers cast a sparkling, green glow on the ice.
“Get on!” A voice cried from atop of the creature. The Coder morphed back to his human form and jumped, grabbing onto the feathers. The balcon shot back into the air.
“Spade, are you okay?”
“Maximus, I was beginning to worry you wouldn't find me.”
“I lost someone once. I try not to do it again.”
Maximus looked down at the snowy mass of Antarctica, thinking of Raiden. He sighed.
“Time to return home. You must tell the Chief what you have seen, and I have a promise to keep to a young girl.”
The balcon surged through the clouds, its gaze cast to the east.
Noah Michael was born in Chicago, IL. Never able to sit still and always the day-dreamer, he wrote his first novel in elementary school, then completed this work at the age of sixteen. In his spare time, he received a degree in bio-medical engineering, and is currently writing his way through medical school. His other hobbies include playing the piano, writing music, and singing.
