"......"
"....Wake up...."
"....Second Coming...."
The orange one opened bright green eyes, blinking blindly from the bright ceiling light covering the fragile eyes. They slowly sit looking around, some sort of empty room, the walls were white and clean, the floors were padded and there was an open, dented door.
They try to get up but fall to the ground, legs shaky as if they've never walked before, they crawl to the door looking out while trying to get up. Nothing, nobody, emptiness, just a hum of dim light from the hallway, a smell of burning and spoiled food.
They leave the room leaning on the walls, They crawl until they reach the end of the hall, they look at their terror and fear, it was a body! A dead body! They jump to the floor in amazement and crawling backwards to the wall with heavy breaths, they cover their mouths in Panic.
The body seemed to be decomposing and it seemed torn apart. They swallow hard and try to get up trying to ignore the horrible smell. They manage to see a half-open door and crawl over to it, putting their hand on the icy doorknob and quickly opening it, falling to the outside of the building.
"arhg..." They groan having fallen to the hard floor, cling to the doorknob pulling themselves up, they were in a dark alley, but in the background they could see a bright light coming from the back of this stinky alley.
The orange one crawls along the walls, one foot after the other they manage to form steps, approaching the bright light. They lift their hand towards the light, seeing what they've already seen, anything serious better than what they've seen inside.
The strong light almost blinds them but when they re-opened them they separated with a big city, tall buildings that you could barely see the top, people going from one side to the other, Cars and motorcycles that made a very loud noise, the orange one seemed sensitive as they would cover their ears with their hands as soon as a motorcycle passed.
Looking around, they saw strangers and strangers, starting to wonder if it would be better to go back inside again, their breath getting faster as they began to race. They run anywhere, crossing the street at a red light, almost getting hit by a car.
"LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING KID!!" The driver groans with them from inside the car, honking very loudly, The orange cover their ears crouching on the floor surrounded by noise that bothers them. They feel a hand on their shoulder, a pedestrian was trying to calm them down, but they quickly run away, bumping into more people on the street, some confused, some annoyed.
They run until they start to get tired, they come to a small park in the center, it looks calm and empty and they go there to look for a calm and empty place.
In the park, they could finally see how dark everything was, it was night, the city lights practically made them forget about the dark sky surrounded by stars and the silver moon. For the first time in all their time in this confused world... They were smiling.
The silence It was almost hypnotic, they look around, looking for someone but there was no one, just the calm sound of crickets and the wind.
They cover their arms with their hands, feeling cold, they were only in shorts and a generic white t-shirt, and even though they had been running a lot, they were still cold.
They truck and sit under a tree in silence, bringing their knees together and leaning their forehead against them. Everything was very confusing for them, they don't remember anything, not even if they have a name!
Then they hear a sound, a string melody, right behind them, behind the tree, they try to look behind it, seeing then, that there was someone there! They thought they were alone, who was this stick figure?
They carried some kind of slender instrument, a little wavy and with a few strings. They sees the hand of the stick figure, it was green in color, with a sweater of the same color with patterns of disks and spiky sound waves.
Whoever it was, was making a soothing melody with the instrument the orange didn't know the name of. Then they hears a bad out-of-tune sound coming from the instrument.
"Damn it!" He grunts in frustration,"It doesn't work!" The orange man hears for the first time the voice of the individual on the other side of the tree, he looks frustrated, they notice the presence of some crumpled papers, and look at the stick figure again.
"Come on Green... This is for this festival, it has to be perfect!" He says staring at the music sheets in his notebook, "If not, I won't get funds for the orphanage..."He sighs in frustration at the result of the song, ripping a sheet from a notebook and tossing it along with the other crumpled papers.
"they're counting on me... And yet I'm uninspired..." He lowers his head leaving the guitar aside and hugging his knees disappointed with himself.
He hears his guitar being played and looks in the direction of the string instrument, meeting a curious orange stick figure with a hollow head and a messy white shirt.
"h-hey!" Green pulls the guitar away from the stranger, whereupon he jumps back and starts crawling away with an expression not of surprise but... Fear? Both staring at each other, Green could see very well that this stick figure was scared and almost hyperventilating.
"Hey, I won't hurt you..." He reaches out but the orange covers ther face shivering, "Sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean to." He gives them a gentle smile, the orange one seems to calm down a bit.
The stick figure's tone seemed sincere and gentle, this gave them a little more calm.
"here, wanna try?" He offers the instrument to the orange one, he looks interesting but hesitates a little, Green holds their hand and approaches the guitar strings.
Little by little Green tops the orange playing the guitar, they seems to like the melody they made, Green smiles, "See, it's easy!" They smiles. "well I better go home, you should do the same" he takes the guitar and the rest of his things, but he feels the orange holding his instrument a little nervously and looks at them.
"What's it?" He asks, looking at the orange rubbing their own hands and looking down.
"I... I don't have a home..." They spoke in a low, soft, shy tone, it seems like he's never spoken to anyone before, the musician looks at him silently, thinking about what he should do.
On the one hand, this was a stranger, someone Green had never seen before, least of all in this town, but on the other hand, they seemed harmless, even lost, and from ther earlier reaction, Maybe they were afraid of something...
Green sighs, "ok, you can come with me, but first, what's your name? Mine is Green!" He greets them smiling, the orange tries to touch and shakes his hand but accepts with an awkward smile.
But when they were going to say their name... They stop, their eyes widen, they... "I... I don't... I don't remember..." They start breathing fast confused, sweating.
"Hey hey! Calm down!" Green puts a hand on their shoulder trying to calm them down, "Do you at least remember something that might help you remember who you are..?".
Orange tries to think deeply, closing ther eyes to try to remember, but all that comes to mind is dark and confused, all he could hear was a hum. Then they hear a voice...
"Second Coming"
They remember! They remember something, it doesn't look like a name but a "title"? Even they didn't know for sure, but that's all they had.
"S-Second..." They speak softly, "Second Coming..." Repeating looking at Green, who look at them.
"Doesn't sound much like a name..." He pauses with his fingers propping his chin, "Can I call you..." He pauses and looks at them, "Sec?" he asks with a gentle smile.
Sec... Sounds like a nice name, the orange one smiles, "maybe..." They replied shyly.
The two smile at each other, Second helps Green pack his things into his backpack and tossing the crumpled up papers in the nearest trash can before leaving the park Green goes to a car and drums the guitar in the trunk and opens the passenger door.
Sec seemed curious about the machine, Green laughs seeing Sec's rather cute curiosity and they help them to fasten their seat belts. Green starts the car, driving to his apartment.
On the way, they pass a street surrounded by police, a store looks like it was robbed, The police were receiving a complaint from the store owner.
Looks like the police didn't arrive in time and the thieves left half an hour ago. Green snorts, the police in this city are very useless! They never arrive when people need...
"Green?" Sec noticed Green's annoyed expression and he shook his head and continued driving.
"I-It's nothing Sec..." He looked annoyed, but Sec doesn't press any further. One thing that Sec still didn't know, that in this city there were vigilantes, heroes and villains. The City is full of dangers on every street. And on top of a tall building, there was a figure watching everything around the city.
_
After arriving at the apartment and walking up the stairs together, Green opens the door turning on the lights, "home sweet home!" He says letting Sec enter the house from which he starts to admire the place.
Music records stuck to the wall, fluorescent lights hanging in the corners of the room, a music radio in the living room and a flat screen tv in the living room. A bed next to a window with a desk full of lyrics in Papes on it.
Sec starts to explore ther new friend's apartment which they was smiling at with Sec's reaction as if they had never seen a room. The smile fades as he realizes that maybe they never had a home before...
"where do I stay?" Green pays attention again.
"Ah, you're going to sleep on this mattress!" he says pulling a second mattress from under the bed, "i just need to get some extra stuff to make you more comfortable!" He goes to a closet and gets some blankets and some clothes for Second.
Second if he sits on the small sofa in front of the TV and takes the control curiously, he presses a button turning on the TV that scares them for a second. There was a news on the TV about the store they passed earlier, commenting on the police being late, some people being injured in the incident and the manager saying
"It took a full hour for them to arrive!! We called them as soon as the thieves broke in!! I don't understand what it's so important that my store, my family's store, isn't a priority?? And the safety of others?? These people are scared!! There were kids in the store!! I feared for my life!!" The man in the interview looked furious and almost in tears from the stress.
Green hearing this couldn't help but mutter over the police's incompetence, He was squeezing the clothes he was separating for Sec in frustration.
"I at least knew they were found, but not by the police!! The Watcher showed up and kicked them out of here before they could do anything!! He got them out of here and when they ran away, He went after them!! I don't see the police doing anything!!" Second was curious.
the report shows a recording made by one of the people in the store A mysterious figure in a dark hood appears frightening the bandits and being thrown out with great force and then fleeing the scene, the so-called "the Watcher" It ran at a speed that didn't appear correctly in the video! It was as if he had disappeared.
The report then shows the bandits held by ropes in another street not far away as if they had been caught by someone stronger than them.
Second seemed impressed by the video presented, "who was he Green??" They point to the TV with a smile, Green was distracted but Second's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"O-Oh! This guy is the Watcher! He is called that because he is a vigilante who watches over the city and people when they are in danger!" He looks at the TV and then at the clothes he held in his hands in brief silence.
"No one knows who he is, much less where he came from, they just know he's been protecting the city for years alone." Green puts the things he set aside for Second on their mattress.
"all right Sec! you're going to sleep here, some clothes for you and a blanket, the night gets really cold." Second goes to the mattress and sits on it like Green.
"Comfortable!" they say laying down on the mattress little by little with a smile, Green laugh, they look like a child.
"you are now my roommate! i wouldn't leave you with an uncomfortable mattress!" he says sitting on his bed, It wasn't the first time he let someone sleep in his apartment, a friend of his always went to sleep there after nights of hangover, he always let him sleep on the mattress (after a shower of course, this friend is pretty sloppy.).
Sec smiles at him, "thanks Green! you're a nice guy!" Green looks at them not knowing what to say, he blushes a little.
"Oh... y-you're welcome!" He smiles a little embarrassed at the compliment. Nobody ever praised him like that.
Second yawns lying on the mattress and starts to fall asleep, "Good night Green..." They fall asleep slowly hugging the pillow under their head.
Green smiles and covers them, they go to the TV to turn it off and look out the window. He thinks a little about the world outside.
If Second acted so easily like a child... They must be naive and innocent about this world they live in... How? Green didn't know He looks at Second and smiles again, all he knew was that he wished he could help Second no matter what, they were pure, Green could see that.
"good night Sec..." He covers Second with the blanket that smiles and Green takes off his coat and puts it on the couch and throws himself on his bed to sleep too.
He looks at Second one more time, Si wondering where they came from, and why are they so... different, before closing his eyes, "It's not like I'm normal either", he told himself looking up at the ceiling and slowly falling asleep.
_
Elsewhere, In a place seemingly far from there, a person in a lab coat and a battered face is put against the wall with the collar of his shirt being forcibly held. "I swear!! I don't know what happened to them!!" He cries covering his face against his attacker.
"you had ONE JOB!!! and failed at it you useless!!"A stick figure throws the scientist to the ground with force, "you guys worked to make the T.S.C project! NOW WHERE THEY ARE???" the scientist was crying, The assailant laughs and takes a cipher from his pocket and walks to the other side of the room.
"You know... You're pretty pathetic, you know... I've brought someone who can motivate you a little..." He flashes a crooked smile turning on the light across the room showing a young man strapped to a chair.
"Dad!!"The scientist panics, it was his son! They caught him, the man starts to tear up.
"please!! Do what you want with me!! Just don't hurt my son!! He's all I have!!!" The home The man cries loudly begging for mercy from his attacker.
The one in navy blue smiles, "So tell me... WHERE IS IT!?" the man hesitates but the aggressor points the syringe at the boy's neck who was crying.
"please dad..." The boy cries.
The man grits his teeth "OK!! I'm talking..." The one in navy blue smiles evilly and pushes the syringe away from the boy. "We sent them to Stick City! To another lab! To ensure they continue the project responsibly!! And to help people!! And not to you "The Collectors"!! You monsters... I know what you do...." the navy blue guy rolls his eyes, "I said everything I know!! Now please release my son!!!" He forced his eyes closed.
He then heard slow applause. It came from... From his son??
"wow, you're getting better with your transformations..!" The lights flashing for a few seconds, the boy's form changes to a totally different person... A dark gray Stick Man,With a devilish grin, pointy teeth and bloodshot eyes.
"He fell for it, Beast..." They both laugh, with the impersonator letting out an unnatural laugh.
"D-Does that mean... Is my son okay??" The navy blue goes to the door still with a smile.
The Beast stands face to face with the scientist, grabbing him by the back of his lab coat, "I'm sorry... But I must admit..." He smiles a demonic smile, "It was like a delicious snack..." He licks his lips, his eyes turn black and his teeth get sharper.
The navy blue locks on the door, from the window it was possible to see the beast change into a larger, beastly form before the room was surrounded by screams of horror and the grotesque sound of blood being splattered and flesh being opened....
"Eraser... The kid's in Stick City... It'll take a while to get there, but I'm sure it won't be difficult for you..." The navy blue smile, turning the card in his hand, As he walked away from his victim's screams...
On the other end of the line, a woman in a white suit was listening to everything and opened a slight smile, "what makes you so happy Miss White?" asked a woman beside her.
They were in a car, being driven somewhere, "Oh, just family in the interior! They're getting ready for a visit!" She turns off the communicator, only she could hear the call.
"oh, I'd like to meet them!" The other equally dressed woman smiles, the woman in white looks out the window, and opens a crooked smile full of bad intentions...
In the distance at the top of a building, the one known as 'the watchman' was watching the city from above He removes his hood and mask, showing a small scar on his lip. "I feel like tonight was the beginning of something bigger..." He pauses, looking to the side, Eyes glowing like burning flames.
"or something worse..."
[To be continued...]