Pathways in Darkness: The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 21 - Fury

Through the glass window, Kane Adams watched the street below. Pulsating red and blue of emergency lights on the vehicles lit up the surrounding area. They filled the street, every type available packed tight. From this floor all the chaotic mess became a blur of lights and sound, too many to make out any true detail.

A flare of light from came from his right and Adams winced away. Another helicopter had joined the two already slowly circling the building. Their spotlights roving over the building, searching for any signs of survivors. Their bright light bothered his eyes. In fact, any bright light source caused his new eyes to hurt.

Adams turned from the window. His new solid black eyes...after the surgery and the concoction of drugs his eyes had been a side effect. At first it bothered him a great deal, when he looked into a mirror he would recoil, partly in fear and partly in anger. He was something...unnatural. He was something...new.

However, Adams grew used to his new eyes and began to like how he could cause fear simply by looking at someone. His black eyes would make almost anyone shudder and turn away. And he was a man used to instilling fear in others. Force through intimidation or strength into getting what he wanted were old familiar friends.

This was a truth Adams understood better than most people. A person did what they wanted, took what they wanted, until some force stopped them. It could be as simple as not taking your neighbors food because he had a gun. Or it could be as complex as one nation not invading another because the other nation had a larger army. Like air into a balloon, power filled a vacuum until it met resistance.

Turning back to the Quorum, Adams considered the parasites in the room. The Souls were excellent examples of his philosophy. For all of their moralizing about making the world better, the truth was they used the lives of other species because they could. They took whole worlds because no one stopped them. Any other explanation or justifications they provided were a delusion. They had not encountered a force which could stop them, so they did what they wanted. Until now...Adams was the force which withstood them. Their great strength, making the body and mind of their enemy their own, lay broken at Adams's feet.

"What more do you want from us?" asked Comforter Benjamin interrupting Adams's private musings. Adams shifted his view until he focused on the tall form of Benjamin. The Comforter eyed him uneasily. "You have threatened and derided us, your forces have killed many, but what can you possibly hope to achieve? The Seekers will mass and retake this building, you can't prevail against us, even if you are yourself are immune to our joining."

Adams's smile was broad as possible. He leaned in closer and the Comforter automatically retreated, sinking into his chair. "I'm sorry, Comforter Benjamin. We've had a few delays and I'm behind schedule." Marc and his little clan's arrival had been entirely unexpected. Their interference had already disrupted Adams's plan. But Adams wasn't alarmed. He still could complete his mission. He felt in his pocket for the detonator, felt the key ready to be turned and arm the bombs. 'Not yet,' he told himself.

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Agent Gray pulled the night vision goggles from his eyes as he and Agent Williams made their way down the stairs. Williams followed Gray's example and pulled his set off as well. He likely wouldn't need them anymore. With the added illumination from the emergency lights they weren't doing much good. Before in the darkened building the night vision had let their small team have the upper hand with the far more numerous Seekers.

At this point, the Seekers in the building had been virtually wiped out, but now Gray and Williams had a new problem. Marc Walters and his small band of rebels had forced their way into the building, apparently intending to comfort Adams. From what Gray had been able to observe they had nearly all their people committed to the endeavor.