(This is dedicated to Tazunte. Check out his Age of Lies, Sci-Fi story. Thanks for reading bud!)
Chapter 13
A Talk in the Dimension Collision
Leina held her red katana, covered in blood, pointing out to her side as she stood confused.
Both of them jumped off the counter and stepped away from each other as swiftly as possible. Every jaw in the room was dropped, flabbergasted, and completely surprised without a fake explanation.
"Uh, Leina," Donny stood in awe, glancing at Alleyne for help, debating whether to pretend to attack or not.
"Well, kill her!" she emphasized. "What are you waiting for? She's right there."
Azumi sped her way through the door frame and stood right behind Leina. "Look out!" Donny yelled. But Azumi grabbed her neck from behind with her strong arms. She pulled her hand with her other arm and flexed the one around Leina, crushing every muscle in her neck.
Donny went after her, giving time for Alleyne to grab the children inside the closet. After throwing a punch at Azumi from afar, energy shot out of his fist, blasting her in the face and breaking Leina free.
"Shit," Azumi held onto her bleeding nose. She looked at Donny, seeing Francesco's murderer. The recognizable face made her rage inside, feeling her strong muscles tighten. "You," she grunted.
Donny backed away a bit but Azumi grasped onto his shirt and neck, throwing him against the wall. No way to get out, he was restrained. She was massively stronger than his skinny little arms.
Azumi choked him, forcing his head to look up, then pulled her face into his. "You're going to pay for what you did!" she yelled, making precise eye contact with fiery eyes, taking out her black pistol.
He looked at her in the same way to make sure he wasn't playing around either. In Donny's vision, the walls were bulging in and out behind her, just as planned. Closing his eyes, he charged a large amount of psionic energy by focusing through his thoughts. His eyes opened, looking straight through hers, and the outburst knocked her away.
With Azumi still standing she pointed her pistol, ready to shoot. A flash of light fogged her eyes completely. Her pistol shot anyway but when she opened her eyes, forestry surrounded her. The peaceful greenery all around was dazzling but also confusing. She glanced around, twisting herself to look for Donny but he was no where in sight. Grass beneath her feet sparkled. Fresh air cleaned her skin with a hint of cold. It was all real.
The atmospheric beauty made Azumi a little more calm, giving an advantage for Donny. The reality flickered away like there was a virtual virus shutting it all down. Seeing Donny in a series of split seconds along with his reality, the forestry looked like it was morphing. He was creating a dimension collision.
The flickering stopped back at the junk house they were in. Azumi looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "What the hell was that about?"
Vines and branches clamped onto her, taking her pistol away and pulled her back. She screamed as it held her tight with not even a way to squirm her way out. They pulled her into a tall wooden stump blocking the doorway. Leaves comforted her skin but not the rough branches.
A final stretch outward apparent to Donny, the whole hallway was like silly putty and Azumi was buried tight in a wooden prison, no ability to see. "You can bend metal but not wood," said Donny.
"I'm going to kill you!" she muffled through the forestry.
"Sure, good luck with that," he scoffed, petting a tarantula alongside the tree with his finger.
Leina took his arm and instantly faced him towards her. "Where's Alleyne? You fucking let her go." By the tone of her voice, she wasn't dallying.
"Azumi was crushing your neck, I saved your life," he argued.
Leina yelled in his face, "I had it handled! You jeopardized the whole damn mission! Now we don't even know where she is! What the hell were you even doing with her?"
"We were loosing anyway-"
"I don't care! The damn mission was to kill Alleyne and you let her go! What part of this do you not understand?" A drop of spit flung off her lip, she was so angry.
Donny was closing his eyes, cowering in fear. Everything was silent. Leina took deep breaths trying to calm herself. The only thing that was heard was the whistling wind outside. Elektra spoke through Leina's comm, sounding like she was struggling to speak, "You have one minute."
She shook her head at Donny, slowly. "You screwed up everything. We go through all this trouble to make a complicated battlefield for Alleyne, and there she was, sitting right next to you. You could've easily took a knife and stabbed her anywhere around her body." Leina paused. "Alleyne's probably far away from here now. I'm getting out of here."
Donny followed her through the window knowing the mission was an exact fail. Before he went through, he looked back at the forestry he had summoned inside the house. Alleyne was there, staring at him, almost looking guilty. She gave him a small wave goodbye but Donny didn't acknowledge her.
When Donny and Leina came outside, they were encompassed in a flurry of sandy wind accelerating faster by the second. The sandstorm ripped some of the houses apart, making it vanish in the dust as it flew away.
"Where are we going?" Donny yelled over the whistling wind. Leina didn't answer so Donny just struggled to follow her, covering his eyes.
Things got less windy as they followed a long dirt trail that led to the ruined city. They watched the air all cave in on one spot, engulfing the entire Buraki housing area. Powerful gusts increased and the whole gale had to have been reaching up to five thousand miles per hour, bending the whole place around it. All of it started to condense, warping in swirl of junk and dirt. It collapsed in on itself, and sucked the place clean, leaving the neatest crater ever built.
Later on, Leina and Donny moved to the middle of the crater, meeting up with three military jeeps in front of a black steel cage.
Donny caught up with Leina near the cage by running with her. Through a temper tantrum, she shoved him onto the ground. "I am not taking the blame for this!" she shouted to Donny laying on the ground.
Instantly hurt in the back of his throat, caused by emotion, he flung himself back up and did the same thing to her. Leina was still standing. She was on a rage. Her next move hurt him in the face, flailing her hands and pounding her fist in his eye. Donny tried warding her off but it was too much to handle.
He was covered in sweat due to the heat and frustration put together. The sobs he suffered from spawned wet, jagged trails of grime under his eyes. Anger, grief and sadness appeared relentlessly in a distorted collective of feelings.
Leina stopped punching him, breathing heavily so Donny took the chance and socked her in the face for one big, kindling revenge. Although she kept attacking him, they exchanged the rage which made the fight never-ending.
"Hey!" a soldier shouted and held them apart. He said to Donny, "Get in the jeep."
"But she started-"
"Get in the jeep!" he demanded, louder and in serious tone of voice. "Shatter, get Deadlock out of the cage."
Donny got in the back of the brown camo-jeep, slamming the door of course, while Leina assisted Elektra out of the cage. Elektra's eyes were groggy, her excessive breathing made her lungs sore. She held onto Leina who was helping her regain balance. "You okay?" asked Leina.
"Yeah. Doing that, makes me, lose my energy," she said taking swift breaths. Looking at Leina, she caught sight of a channel of blood hanging off the side of her mouth. "Did you get beat in the fight? I told you to run."
"Donny did this. He let Alleyne go. I got mad at him so he shoved me down and started a fight with me," she explained in a depressing voice. "He's so frustrating. I try to help him every way I can and he either doesn't listen or doesn't understand. He's only good at fighting. He sucks at everything else."
"Sounds like you need a different partner." Elektra leaned on the cage and drank from a bottle of water she got from the soldier.
Leina sighed, "Then I fail Zade."
"Just tell him he failed the mission and that it was his fault. Come on, we should go, I feel like I'm about to pass out." said Elektra.
"Your right."
Leina escorted her inside the same jeep Donny was in. Donny sat in a lazy position alongside the door. The girls buckled up and ignored him. Its not like he cared anyway. A soldier drove the jeep away and the rest followed him.
___________
Silence continuously remained in the small office of Lieutenant Zade's. He wasn't happy nor angry but surly disappointed. His expression showed a bleak frown, staring at a piece of paper. "Do you know what this is?"
"No sir." Leina was quite afraid by her head down and sad eyes gazing upon Zade. Donny didn't say anything. Both of them sat next to each other, facing Zade.
"Its a paper that holds statements of what every witness saw. Donny, you told a bunch of soldiers the area was clear when it wasn't. Then Leina came in and saw you sitting right next to Alleyne on a dusty kitchen counter. She got mad at you for letting Alleyne go and you pushed her down afterwards." Zade put the paper down and clasped his hands, "What do you have to say?"
"Leina pushed me down first!" Donny flared up.
"Like you have a right to hit a girl," she flapped her long hair in his face. Donny stayed quiet and never looked at her again.
"I think this says a lot Donny. When the General sees this and he saw I let you go without a punishment, I'd be fired in a second. Its house arrest for a week. I'll bring you your school work to you everyday. Leina, you're free to go."
"Ha!" Leina scoffed, got up and rushed through the door.
Donny sat with his head resting on his fist, his elbow on the arm of the chair. There was a massive amount of anger surging through him, but he held it all in with such a still figure he retained.
Zade took a deep breath. "Come on Donny. Just face up to it. There are consequences for actions."
"Not every action is a choice," he mumbled.
"Maybe but you knew the mission. What were you doing sitting with her? That's quite suspicious," Lieutenant Zade questioned.
He said nothing.
Zade got up and cleared his desk of the messy papers, disappointed with him again. Ground rules had to be set, so he laid them out. "I better not catch you as a traitor. If I do, next time it'll be the General's office. No one is suppose to visit the General unless they're really high up in the ranks, so he definitely won't be happy. I've done so much for you. I hope you do the right thing."
Donny's depression made him feel guilty on how he chose Alleyne over Zade. Now he was loosing the only friend he had through his time in the mental hospital for mutants. "Wait," he stopped him with much desperation to keep his one friend. "Will you visit?"
"Sure," he nodded.
What a relief it was for Donny.
____________
Nothing ever happened in Donny's life. It was just a boring, repetitive sequence of days where he'd go to school, then crash on his bed. During weekends he'd do nothing but watch television or play a video game.
So he laid on his bed as usual, having the whole week in his room by himself. The TV screen was off. Two guards were outside his room. His eyes were shut, laying on his side while the clock said three thirty two, after midday. Instead of moping around and turning back the time like normal, he fell asleep on his bed, consciously thinking to himself.
Straight in his mind, he fantasized about his adventurous self, seeing sights away from reality, sights you wouldn't see in real life. It was his own creation and in it, was peace at mind.
He dreamed of a dark landscape in the mountains with a tint of brown skies. The air reassembled like an old gothic painting, only it was real as he tried his best to examine his sense of touch along the broken fence, keeping him from falling off the cliff. His feet tested the dry dirt cracking beneath his shoes and visualizing the cold air tickling his skin in gentle breezes.
Donny walked up the fantasy hill, leading through a farm of black, spiky rocks. It might of not been beautiful to other people but it was to him. Seeing all the material of black rocks, clean but brown air, and the mansion up ahead with gothic architecture written all over it, depicted a divine grace to him. A simple focus of the sights, hearing his feet take each step and a touch of wind, put him at ease as he kept traveling slowly to the mansion.
Once inside, the decor flowed with dark fashion of fantastic delicacy. Lights were dim and in the middle of the room was a meditating girl with long black hair, surrounded by a circle of lit candles. All he could see was her backside. Somehow, he knew her, even though he hadn't ever seen someone like her in his lifetime. It was a sense of welcome.
Donny strolled closer to her. First step into the circle of candles, he reached out for her shoulder and touch it. Immediately, it was a warm, loving welcome, making him relax his eyes. The girl cuddled his hand on her shoulder with hers. She ascended to her feet and faced him while still holding his hand.
The loving beauty almost broke him into tears of passion. Feelings of care off the grace of her smiling attitude were concealed by his closed eyes and stagnant body. As good as it felt, he just enjoyed the spark of emotional affection, something he hadn't touched on in a long time. It was like he was being washed away from all the bad, his sins forgiven, his beauty finally recognized, his hate and anger no more to be found. An atmosphere of good ran through the air.
And his eyes opened, he was sadly back where he was, back where he didn't belong. It wasn't going to end like that so he closed his eyes again, to be relieved that at least there was some good to be found. If it was only in his fantasies, then so be it.
__________
Second Lieutenant Zade walked up to Donny's door as the two guards moved out of the way. He looked at his watch; nine o'clock. His hand opened the door, bringing a storm of winds his direction. Loud thunder rumbled in the distance, only it was constant, same with hearing the air hitting his face. The clouds where swirling in a commotion of many whirlwinds below a dark blue sky, full of stars, that was seen rarely.
Zade stepped inside, echoing the gray dirt with intense noise beneath his feet. His mind was in awe, and couldn't be taken off the scenery as he slowly took his time to shut the door behind him. The door finished closing, one careful tap, bang, the boisterous sound echoed like he was in a cathedral. It was just different physics set up in another one of Donny's creative dimensions. He already noticed by the heaviness of the gravity.
Zade walked down the stone trail over an endless void. The path he was on led to the gigantic floating island with miles of stone hills. It was almost like the river made a trail in between all the hills, like the island was a big rectangle. There was one particular hill, smaller than the others, and Donny was sitting right on top of it, next to a random tree. That was Zade's next location.
Donny was looking out in the distance, just enjoying the marvelous sights while thinking to himself. Lieutenant Zade sat down with him. He took a small rock and dropped it, inspecting the gravity and sound, click, echoed the sound of the rock shattering across the stone ground because of it's weight. "I guess that's one advantage of having your power. You're never bored. Even under house arrest."
He looked at Donny, not moving a muscle or saying a word. Zade poked him, "You're actually here right?"
"Yes," he replied, slowly blinking at his idiocy.
"Just checking. Making sure you aren't playing a trick on me."
They both sat with each other, looking at all of rocky mountains with a hint of bushy trees and skinny trunks. The nature wasn't big but the earth was. "Pretty impressive, coming up with all of the physics," said Zade. "The classes taught you well."
Donny stayed silent and motionless.
"You know, you're failing every other class except earth science. The A plus in science class proves you can make it in your other classes Donny, you just don't want to do them." Zade paused again to look at Donny. He felt sorry for him. "Won't you talk to me? What's been going on lately?"
"I hate Leina. She pushed me down first and started the fight. And she keeps pushing me into dating when all that's going to happen is another negative conflict where I'm just seen as another freak."
Looking down, Zade empathized his difficulties. "I know it's hard. All evidence pointed to you though. I had no choice. Males are more aggressive than females, plus knowing your depression and hate towards women, it would make sense to a lot of people."
"Gee, thanks for the discrimination Zade." Donny took a rock a threw it, watching it glide down the hill at fast speed. "How typical of the fucking American soldier."
"I'm not discrimina-" Zade sighed and dropped all of his muscles. "Look, Leina might have started it but I had to go with the evidence."
It sure hurt Donny but he wasn't going to ruin his friendship. He thought of what started the whole conflict in the first place and it was mainly the guilt of murder Alleyne made him feel. "What's the point of hurting innocents anyway?" Donny started to raise his voice and balled up his fist holding a rock. "I killed a little boy without knowing. I saw so many damn deaths."
He looked guilty but knowing it was Donny's first war, that's what happens. "There's nothing great, or honorary about killing someone, especially innocents, but sometimes, you have to kill hundreds to save thousands more. The Buraki want to destroy the world. Every single Buraki civilian supports the Cosmic Imperium because they're loyal to The Skavoth Prime, who kind of acts like their king. This is about our Earth's survival."
"The civilians didn't seem like that when the rebels invaded."
"Maybe, but the world has to be rid of them. Buraki aren't to be trusted."
"I don't understand why we can't ally with the rebels," Donny replied.
"Because the rebels don't respect our governmental ways. They're already allied with TCC and TCC wants to make superpowers into weapons which also puts our world, even the universe, at risk. That's why Alleyne was stealing the nano-bots. Nano-bots are the things that takes the eluvium molecules and rearranges them into the right DNA patterns so that they can create a transcendent superpower. We're trying to create a cure before these powers go to far."
Donny was refuted so he had nothing to say. His ignorance on debating and politics stood as a disadvantage towards him. But he did know America wasn't the way it used to have been. "You don't think the United States had gone to shit?"
Zade was more caring than the other old government people. "I understand America is having some relentless times, also considering the whole conflict with all the organizations." He spoke calmly, "I'm not a fan of Slade Morgan and his congressmen. I'm not a fan of the whole oligarchy government. I do know that there are at least three congressmen I can respect because of the way they've been trying to get America back together. Some people have been talking about a rebellion but all of this has to go away first."
"There needs to be an rebel organization that's against every other so we can start fresh," responded Donny.
Zade chuckled, "Why don't you go start one then?" He was joking.
"Don't be ridiculous." Donny was more serious carrying a frown through the whole conversation.
He patted his back and put his arm around him. "Everything is still democratic. The government isn't as bad as you think. Its just the whole depression everyone's going through. War and the destruction of Earth scares everybody. We'll get through it."
Donny felt Lieutenant Zade's arm. It made him feel good, like a family member was there to comfort him. The whole conservation gave him a whole knew perspective of his enemy. He would be quite cautious with the next encounter but he didn't like killing anymore. Francesco and a little alien kid was enough.
Zade got up but Donny stopped him, "Wait. Do you think I should ask Elektra if she wants to hang out?"
"Is that the person Leina's trying to hook you up with?" Zade questioned.
He nodded.
"Sure. If you like her." Zade answered.
"I just want a friend to hang out with. What do I even say?"
"Um, compliment her. She always has her red hair in that messy ponytail. Its unique. Tell her it looks good." Lieutenant Zade left the dimension, also known as Donny's room.
Even though that would be a week from now, at least he had time to plan out every single thing he'd say to her.
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Another chapter, another idea. So get this, visual novel anybody? Its easy animation and music composition! Too easy! But more software = more money -_- I've just been falling in love with visual novels lately and got the idea. That project will be far later though, I got to get this done first. And I don't think I'll make DCH into a visual, probably another story. I have a couple of characters and don't know what to do with them so yeah. It'll probably feature those and transform into a story. But anyway, just thought I'd share the idea. Hope you enjoyed.