Return : Book One in the Return series

Part 2 - Into Hiding, Then Uncovered

August 1st/10 AM/3269

There were alarms blaring everywhere, screaming his name, and in the chaos he even heard a few others. But he didn't care. his biggest concern right now was himself and how to survive his impending doom.

Matthew raced into the elevator, heart pounding, filling his vision with red as he realized the stark misery of his current situation. I should've never read those files. I'm going to die, in the hands of a cold, ruthless, scientist who then plans on taking over Apoll-

Matthew laughed hysterically. It didn't matter anymore, nothing mattered anymore. If Argent Sledge and his thugs were after him, why resist? there was no hope. All of Apollo was one piece. No seas continents, refugees seeking asylum. No matter where he went, Sledge would find him. At least he could die knowing that it could've always been fated this way.

The elevator door announced their arrival upon the 1st floor of The Globe.

And Matthew walked slowly out, having given in to the misery and despair of the situation. Until everybody in the crowd recognized him and started mobbing him, screaming different purposes yet all with a singular combined hate: GET HIM.

With that, Matthew came back to life. Even if I'm going to die anyways, then a could go out with a bang. Matthew laughed again, but this time it wasn't a laugh of despair or misery. It was a laugh of hope, joyfulness, every little bit of positive feeling on the emotional spectrum. There is still a chance.

Matthew had to find out where the ships used to get to Apollo were, and he needed to use them, because he was going back to Earth.

He scrambled for the exit, a raging sea of humans controlled by the force of Sledge racing after him. He left the building, and suddenly they all stopped, and went back to their business as if they hadn't just gone on a murderous rampage. Matthew stared in disbelief. How could the human mind so suddenly shut off their main thought, just throwing it away like it was a failed project, and turn back to the old one? But he had other problems to worry about. It was as if the hand used to control the employees now turned to a new plaything: the pedestrians. They glared at him, a beam of hate, a spotlight that he was trapped in. Matthew could swear that their eyes were blood red. He bolted and started on the journey to his flat. He reasoned that as the employees of the Globe had stopped when he left the Globe, maybe with that same twisted, horrendous logic it meant that once he got to his flat he would be safe. At least there were less people in his flat than there were outside milling the streets of Apollo.

By the time he had made it to his apartment building, he was red in the face, gasping and panting for breath, and winded like someone had drilled a hole there, yet those pedestrians were still coming, nonstop, and even though their physical bodies were in pain, as they must be, their minds controlled their bodies, and right now the mind wanted to catch Matthew Stone. He opened the door as quickly as possible and slammed it shut with a resounding bang. The pedestrians suddenly returned to their normal selves, slightly woozy as if falling out of a trance. Their faces passed over the window that Matthew was staring out of and they registered to surprise, recognition, memory, nothing. Matthew Stone no longer existed in their minds. All they thought about was carrying on in their everyday lives. Matthew sunk to the floor, exhausted and relieved to be safe, if only for a second.

He pulled himself up and headed towards the elevator up towards the room. Inside his room, he glanced around, taking it all in for maybe the last time. He had spent a lifetime here, and it would be gone in a instant. He grabbed two bags that he'd always had, to hold sports gear to files. Now they would have to hold the items he might have to use for the rest of his life. He grabbed everything he needed, and took a final sweep around to make sure he hadn't missed anything, and started on the way down, ready to face his fate, when he heard a low growl. Matthew knew that animals no longer existed on this planet, yet Apollo still had zoos, as they had animals that were fake, but so lifelike and real that he thought they were. Everybody did, even though they knew they were fake. But there was one thing. Because they didnt need to breathe, eat, or drink and were very tame, you could have literally any animal as your pet. The growl was from his next door neighbor Janice's pet Amur Leopard. And it was growling right at him. Matthew had no choice but to sprint away, hoping the leopard would be easy to escape from, until he was pounced on, claws tearing into flesh, like a 1000 degree knife stuck into his chest. 8 times. He screamed in pain, agony, fear, and with all his stregth, pushed the Amur leopard off. It rolled to a side and hissed, ready to pounce again. "Now, now, dear, don't you think we should have a little respect for our dear neighbor? He's been through a lot, hasn't he. I'll put him out of misery myself." Matthew glanced up and saw something that would scar him.

Janice was a robot.

Her red eyes scanned the room, looking for him, and when it did, steel claws as sharp and deadly as throwing knives extended from nooks and crannys all over her body, while the rest of her body turned into so many killing machines that he couldn't count them all. He had a neck pouring sweat, and nothing useful againt her. So he turned tail and ran, hoping she wouldn't be able to catch him. Throwing knives, shurikens and other deadly applaiances came down on him like a rain of steel. He covered his head and burst out of the front door. There was nobody in sight, except for a small man, in his aging 60s, wearing a tailored suit. The man smiled pleasently, but to Matthew the smile was twisted, deceitful and cruel. The man said, "My dear Mr. Stone, I've been expecting you. My name is Argent Sledge, and I'm afraid you'll have to come with me," Here the man turned around, and Matthew started slinking away unnoticed, "as I really am in a hurry to catch the others like you. That poor secreatary of mine will have to go, I'm afraid, as he's read those documents as well." Here, Sledge turned around and stopped Matthew in his tracks. "Oh, and it's quite futile to resist, my dear boy. I hope you'll understand." Suddenly, a group of armed policemen appeared out of the surrounding shrubbery and surrounded him, edging closer and closer while the seconds ticked by to his doom.

Surrounded, and most likely with nowhere to go.

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