by Matthew Fish
“Yeah, I think we may have something here,” Christopher said as he placed his hand upon the cool steel door that had strange, unrecognizable markings upon it. He pushed against the door which did not budge even the slightest beneath his weight. He ran his hand along the edge looking for some kind of slot or a hidden place for a key.
“Well, this was fun,” Amelia said as she rested her back against the jet black rail of the staircase. “So what do we do now, pack up—report back to Captain Dickson and call it day?”
“Jenna,” Christopher spoke as he took a step back. “Gotta be something you can do about this, right?”
“I’ll see what I can do, hon,” Jenna spoke as she placed her hand on the door. “Can’t do anything with the steel, it’s not my area of expertise. However, all this concrete around it contains a lot of stone.”
“So as an earth Elemental, you can do something with that?” Felicia asked somewhat skeptically. Just like all the other Perpetuals in existence, she had always been told that there was simply no such thing as an earth Elemental.
“A door is only as strong as what it is hinged upon,” Jenna said smugly as she pressed her hand firmly against the concrete around the door. With her fingers outstretched wide, she carefully traced a wide line around the metal door. The concrete began to crack and break apart as loud pops in the wall resounded and echoed through the hallways. Jenna pressed her other hand upon the crumbling wall as the door fell down to the ground with a loud echoing thud.
“Holy shit,” Amelia said as she looked to the large open passageway that lay beyond the defeated door.
“Alright,” Felecia admitted as she readied her assault rifle. “That was impressive, but if we were going for the element of surprise…that options been tossed right out the window.”
“Element of surprise has, unfortunately, never been our thing,” Christopher said as he placed his hand to his standard as footsteps could be heard approaching off in the distance. “We’ll need some cover…this hallway is pretty bare.”
“On it,” Jenna said as she gestured towards all the fallen bits of concrete and constructed a crude wall large enough for the four of them to hide behind. The group ran and ducked down behind it as flashlights blinded their view ahead.
“Identify yourselves, what is your purpose here?” A man’s voice boomed through the large cavernous hallway.
“We are um…” Christopher replied as he shrugged his shoulders and looked to Felecia, “We are really lost.”
Felecia poked her head out and brought her gun up.
“They’re armed,” another man spoke as he attempted to back off. He quickly pulled out a pistol and began firing towards the concrete slab.
“Yep,” Felecia announced as she pulled the trigger on her gun, filling the dark hallway with brilliant flashes of yellow gunfire. “She took two of the group down and retreated just as another large group of flashlights appeared down the hallway. “1983, 1962, 1979, 1971, and…that’s all I got right now. There’s more approaching.”
“On it,” Christopher spoke as he swiftly pulled the coins from his Heart Sash. Gunfire erupted around them as the makeshift concrete wall began to slowly crumble upon its edges. He tossed the coins into the air and gestured in short and direct movements. He kept his fingers tightly closed as each coin popped loudly in the air and found their targets.
“They have a conductor,” a woman’s voice could be heard as she fired a shotgun round into the concrete wall which gave a little bit more.
“I surrender,” Amelia said as she stepped out from cover for a moment and rolled two bottles of water to the group that had them cornered. “Peace offering…” She spoke as the two small bottles of water rolled and came to a stop at the feet of the large armed group a short distance away.
“What the hell is this?” A man spoke as he began to reach down to the bottle. Before his fingers could make contact, the water quickly turned to ice and the bottle exploded sending razor sharp shards of broken ice into the group. A few flashlights were sent crashing to the floor as they filled the air with an eerie red glow as a thin layer of blood covered the bewildered group.
Felecia fired wildly at the confused group as she attempted to make out forms in the darkness. “1962, 1970, 1991, 1983, 1976, 1971, and another 1976,”
“And that’s all of them?” Christopher asked as he mindlessly retrieved the coins.
“Appears so, not much of a big welcome party,” Felicia added as she popped out of cover once more and began to fire into the group. She took cover and nodded. “Only seven…”
“Easy work,” Christopher said as he tossed the coins high up into the air, clearing the concrete makeshift cover. He felt each coin out as he sent each one swiftly to its owner. One by one the fell to ash as short little sparks of white flashed in the darkness as the coins struck into their adversaries.
Felecia ran out and took a knee as she scanned the long hallway with the flashlight mounted on her rifle. She could not make out any further sign of life, nor sensed any more Perpetuals. “Looks like we’re clear…”
“I’m no expert on things,” Jenna said as she allowed her cement wall to collapse to the ground. “But they did not seem so well trained in dealing with potential break-ins.”
“They didn’t even run away from the water bottles,” Amelia said as she let out a little laugh. “They just let them explode.”
“Well I do doubt they expected them to turn to ice and explode,” Christopher said as he wiped away a bit of concrete dust from his brown Conductor jacket.
“I’d run away from anything rolled my direction,” Jenna said as she shrugged. “She’s got a point—they didn’t seem very smart about how they handled the encounter.”
“Well, I’ll take stupid over smart anytime,” Felecia said as she got to her feet and began to lead the way. The hallway was damp and cold, her breath was visible in the light of the flashlight. They walked cautiously as the large hallway seemed to stretch on forever.
“So that thing with the water bottles, that was actually pretty cool,” Jenna said as she playfully patted Amelia upon the head. “For a water Elemental…”
“Why does everyone have to always pat me on the fucking head just because I’m short,” Amelia said as she pushed away Jenna’s hand and let out an exhaustive sigh as they continued to walk further into the darkness. “Thanks…though. I really didn’t even know I could do it—the ice thing. I know a lot of people think that water Elementals are kinda useless. We can’t project around, or create fire so my father really wasted very little time training me with my power. I was pretty…low priority. Anyway, the place we were staying at had this pool and I just remember all these people coming in to loot the place. This one guy chased me and Felecia outside and I panicked. When a group of others came, I thought…well, I thought the worst. I tried to wash them away with water from the pool, but all that really accomplished was getting them wet and angry. I then felt this strange surge and I froze them. Some of them as solid as statues…”
“And that is how we escaped that day,” Felecia said as she brought her sister close to her as they walked side by side.
“What happened to the people that came to loot the place?” Jenna asked.
“They probably just got away, took whatever valuables they could and ran,” Felecia answered as she continued to hold out a beam of light ahead of them that cut through the inky black darkness. “They were all my father’s hired men. After he disappeared and showed no sign of returning they decided to take what they could…they probably would have taken us hostage if it weren’t for Amelia and held us until my father returned, or used us for unpleasant things.”
“Did you ever find out what happened to your father?” Christopher asked as he put everything together. He had heard of Tany Zampa and his many daughters—that Emily was one of them. They were both a little short, like Emily, they had similar features. “Zampa, isn’t it?”
“Stapleton,” Amelia said as she shook her h
ead. “But…yeah, Zampa…and no we don’t know what happened to him.”
“He’s gone,” Christopher said as he kept his eyes trained on the darkness ahead. “I don’t really know how to explain it without much more time, but he’s…well, in another time. In the future, or the past, that’s how Emily put it.”
“Well, nothing of value was lost,” Felecia said as a heavy set of steel doors emerged from the darkness.
“He seems to have gathered a lot of hate from his own daughters.” Jenna spoke as she placed her hand against the cool, damp concrete surface and began to run her fingertips against the wall.
“Well that’s what happens when you’re desperate for a son and treat your daughters like shit unless they possess some kind of talent and a sense of blind family loyalty,” Amelia added. She reached into her backpack and grabbed two bottles of water and shoved them into the pockets of her white hoodie.
“Maybe we should try knocking this time,” Felecia said as she replaced the clip on her assault rifle and tossed the nearly spent cartridge to the floor.
“Don’t be fooled by how easy that was,” Christopher said as he nodded to Jenna. “This could still be some kind of trap.”
Jenna nodded in return as the concrete around the steel doors began to crumble and crack. She ran her hand upon the weakened structure until it erupted as the metal doors went flying forward. A blinding white light filled the air.
“We have intruders in the facility,” A man in a white lab coat shouted as he ran behind a strange glass cylinder that extended from the white clandestine floor to ceiling. He cowered behind the cylinder as a large group of other white coats started to run towards any nearby cover.
“We are not armed,” the man spoke as he comically cowered behind a clear tube of glass.
“We can see that,” Jenna said as she pointed the assault rifle in the man’s direction.
“What Perpetual Council facility is this?” Christopher said as he stepped forward and placed his hand upon his silver Heart Sash.
“The Axe,” the man said as she kept his body pressed tightly against the glass.
Christopher pulled out his cell phone and dialed Cain’s number. “This is the place…” Christopher spoke as he replaced the phone back into his brown pants. He looked around to all the curious and panicked faces as he rubbed his rough light brown beard. “Clear out of here, all of you. You have thirty seconds or else my friend here with the assault rifle starts firing and I start throwing coins.”
The group of twenty or so started to file out and quickly ran as they climbed their way over the rubble pile that Jenna had created. The man who was pressed tightly against the cylinder removed himself like a suction cup being removed from a pane of glass.
“Not you, guy,” Christopher said as he gestured to the man with the short black beard and gold rimmed glasses. “You’re staying with us for now.”
“Did you not know that we were coming? A force was sent out,” Jenna asked as she grew curious of the situation.
“That door pressure alarm is always being tripped by rats and teenagers looking for a place to party,” the man said as he held up his hands and nervously backed up to a white wall. “We never think much of it.”
“Any more guards…?” Christopher asked.
“That would have been it,” the man spoke as he looked around nervously. “We were told to never expect…intruders.”
“We’re with the Perpetual Council,” Christopher spoke as he eyed the large cylindrical containers.
“We work for the Perpetual Council,” the man spoke in a very confused tone as he eyes furrowed. “Or at least, what remains of it.”
A large gust of wind filled the room as Cain appeared in the hallway. He stumbled for a moment as he climbed over a bit of rubble and slipped upon some loosened rock. “Shit,” Cain muttered as he entered the room rather unceremoniously.
“Who the fuck is that…?” Amelia spoke as she reached into her pocket and arced an arm back, ready to throw just as Felecia turned her rifle upon the bald man in the silver and black cloak who was wielding a long sword.
“Whoa, stand down,” Christopher commanded quickly. “He’s with us.”
“Been here before?” Amelia asked as she eyed the strange man.
“First time,” Cain said as he approached the girls and bowed. “It is an honor to meet you—“
“You can’t project unless you’ve already been there before,” Amelia spoke as she nervously gripped the water bottle.
“He can project here because I am here—he can like, sort of sense me,” Christopher said as he looked to Cain. “He apparently breaks a lot of rules in terms of what a Perpetual can or cannot do, weird guy like that.”
“Calm down girls,” Jenna said as she shook her head. “This is Cain, the leader of the Perpetual Council. He knows your sister.”
“Sorry,” Amelia spoke as she pushed her water bottle back into her pocket. “I’m Amelia, this is my sister Felecia.”
“As I said…or started to say, that is—it is an honor to meet both of you,” Cain said as he took each girl by the hand. “Emily is an outstanding example of a loyal and talented Perpetual. I would expect nothing less of you two.”
Amelia laughed as she cocked her head to the side. “Our Emily…? An outstanding example of anything…?”
“Indeed she is,” Cain said as he turned his attention to the man pressed firmly against the white wall. He looked around at all the different empty cylinders for a moment and pressed his hand against the cold glass surface of one nearby. “If you would be so kind, Mr.…”
“Brian Metzger,” the man said as he continued to keep his hands up in the air, even though he was not armed.
“Mr. Metzger, what exactly are these cylinders for?”
“For, um…well—people,” Brian Metzger spoke as he inched his way to a door as Felecia swiftly aimed her rifle at him.
“Stay where you are,” Felecia spoke as she saw the man reaching for something.
“Now is not the time for violence,” Cain spoke as he turned to Felecia and shook his head. “We will cause him no harm—what lies beyond the door that you reach for?”
“Sorry,” Brian spoke as his face grew beet red and droplets of sweat poured down onto his white coat. “I just, thought I should show you.”
“Go ahead then,” Cain spoke as he placed his sword into his scabbard.
The man pressed a button as a pneumatic hiss filled the air and thin white layer of fog filled the room for a moment before clearing away. Brian walked into the room as the group followed behind him.
“What the hell is this?” Christopher asked as he looked around. His heart sunk as he felt a horrifying sense of despair that seemed to permeate every space of the large room. The room was twice as large as the one they entered—it had the same white walls, floor and ceiling tiles. There were about forty or so of the familiar glass cylinders. However, these cylinders were all occupied. Closest nearby there was a naked man who was beating his head over and over in the same spot against the thick glass—a large blood spot had formed as his clothes lay tattered and torn at his feet. In other cylinders dead bodies lay composing, in another one a woman was beating upon the glass enclosure frantically with bloodied fists and a twisted look to her face, her eyes were tiny narrow slits with red streaks of blood that traced down her taught cheeks. Her mouth was screwed up in a permanent grimace.
“Ah, I imagined you would show up sooner rather than later,” A voice boomed from behind the many cylinders. A man dressed in a blue suit and a silver tie approached. He had spiky dirty blond short hair and a youthful, clean cut face. “Henry Barton, the last of the old Perpetual Council. I imagine that, by description, you would be the one referred to as the ‘old one?’”
“It’s Cain,” Cain spoke as he pulled his sword from his sheathe and held it towards the man. “The old council is dead—every one of them. If I have missed one, then it is a matter I shall soon rectify.”
�
��I am of no harm to you,” Henry spoke as he let out a nervous laugh and held his hands up. “If the rumors were true then you are a much greater threat than I could ever hope to be. You see—I was there when you took over the council. I was simply incapacitated by former Captain Dickson.”
“He is captain once more,” Cain spoke as he continued to hold his sword to the man.
“He did seem like an honorable man,” Henry said as he backed up a few more paces. “You see, I was just a messenger…I was expendable to the old council. When morning came I ran away to this facility. See, unlike my peers, I possess a talent that they do not.”
“And that is?” Cain asked.
“Cowardice,” Henry said as he nodded. “I want to live. I will always be on the side that allows me to live. When I came to that morning, I knew that the council was no more—that whoever took over would eventually find the paperwork regarding The Axe facility.”
“Not many would claim cowardice as a talent,” Cain said as he shook his head and sheathed his blade once more.
“Perhaps you will find a use for me with your new council,” Henry spoke as he backed up and placed his hands up in the air beside him. “After all, I can explain all of this. Information is a commodity, is it not?”
“A Perpetual was taken here fourteen years ago,” Cain spoke as he eyed a tortured soul who seemed to be continuously screaming, though through the thick glass—nothing could be heard.
“Yes, under secrecy from a, I assume, former council member named Oliver Kent. You see, he did not completely trust the former leader of the Perpetual Council, Gideon Lockwood. He tracked down a Perpetual that seemed to exhibit a rather unusual talent.”
“A talent for killing other Perpetuals,” Cain said as he nodded. “Is that man amongst us then?
“A talent that you possess yourself, is it not?”
“A seemingly necessary one,” Cain said as he pressed his hand against the ice cold glass surface of a nearby cylinder where a naked woman lay either unconscious or dead as a trail of black blood traced its way back to her twisted and open mouth. “The man…”
