Tom's P.O.V
Edd and approached the library, a place I will never understand, who comes somewhere to actually read? What losers. Tord is a loser. I can't believe he left, I knew I couldn't trust him and somehow part of me did anyway. But not this time. Not anymore. And on top of that he leaves me with this issue he caused in the first place. If this monster thing gets out of hand I don't know what to do. Since he left me to figure this out on my own I've started to get a better understanding. I spent all night in my room testing things out. One thing is for certain, when I get angry is when things get out of hand. When I get my eyes turned into a vibrant red-ish purple and glow, the angrier I get the more my body changes.
That still isn't much to go off of but it's enough.
For now.
"Hey are you sure Matt's in here, we've looked everywhere?"
"Edd!" We both turned around, Matt finished a conversation with a woman, I don't know why but just looking at her from behind the body frame seemed familiar. She walked past him and towards us, my heart stopped. It's her. Her voice rang through my ears as her words replayed back in my mind from that day, "If you ever see me, you are to report to me immediately. I don't care what you have to do to come to me but if you don't it will be seen as disobedience. Is that understood?"
I clenched my hands, and turned to my friends, "Hey I forgot I do actually need to get a book here for a project. I'll be back in a minute."
"Okay don't take too long though" Edd called.
I couldn't worry about what they were doing, I just needed to worry about keeping my temper and trying not to show any fear. But I was scared out of my mind." I met her in an aisle of books.
"Oh hello, sweetheart. How are you?"
"W-What do you want?" I sneered.
"Excuse me, is that any way to speak to your master?" Her hand reached into her pocket and clicked a button, everything in my body stirred and my senses were overloaded. I fell to my knees in a twisted sense of pleasure, but nothing about it made me feel good, all it did was make me feel helpless. The same way I did as a child. The same way Loraine made me feel every night. "Apologize now." I held my tongue and bit my lip. I'm not going to give in to her again. "You just love to be punished don't you?" Another click and I couldn't help the moans that escaped my lips, she picked me up and pinned me to the wall with her hand on my neck. "That's okay Mr. Thomason, because I love to punish you~" Nothing was worse than this. I'd rather be dead than someone's toy than be overwhelmed with shame and guilt and a pleasure that should be loved but is turned into hate. I could never forgive myself. She looked directly into my eyes before tightening her hand, it was getting harder to breathe and it was already hard as is, my breath hitched as tears threatened to fall.
My legs kicked and I squirmed, "Aghhnn ughh unnn p-p-p-pleas s-s-top I-I aghhnn I I I can-t-t-t--" The color drained out of my face as I cried. She let me fall on the floor as she pet me. I've never felt more humiliated. I watched as people whispered about the sounds they heard and where they might be coming from.
"What a little slut, you know you liked that. Didn't you?" She kicked me, "Didn't you?"
"Y-Y-Yes.." I cried.
She reached her hands in my pants as I quivered, "Thats yes Miss you little brat!" She grabbed me and a sob immediately fell out of my mouth.
"Y-Yes M-M-Miss" she took her hand out.
"Good boy, now sweetheart, those are your freinds aren't they?" I watched her eyes look to Matt and Edd. I froze. I couldn't move. "You are such a brat why can't you answer me?!" She kicked me in the spot that will make any man speechless. And I was. I sputtered and groaned and cried for breath. I felt rage building up inside me.
We could end her right now Tommy.
I looked down at my fingertips which were turning black, and my nails became claws, "N-No st-stop!" I whispered.
"What did you just say to me?!"
Let me help you--
"NO!" I yelled. I felt a shift in my body, I held my eyes closed, no one can know about this.
"Your in--" Her back hit the wall as if she lost her step, but there was nothing to trip over. Disbiblef was all over her face. "No way. No way." She grabbed something out of her pocket and I braced for another round of misery but I didn't get one. Instead, she kept looking back at me and back at the device in her hand. She grabbed my arm and called someone, "You'll never believe what I'm holding. The purple God is back in our possession and I think it's high time we make out next move Sir. Yes, yes, I know, don't worry, I'm sending a team now." She hung up the phone and widely grinned. "Well well well, turns out you are far more valuable than you'll ever know. And if you want those freinds out of harm's way then you'll corporate like a good little boy. Okay, sweetheart?"
The look on her face terrified me. "Y-Y-Y-Yes M-Miss.."
Tords P.O.V
"Sir, she's in the interrogation room. We picked her up from a bar on Lander Avenue at exactly 1 AM this morning. She's still intoxicated but seems to comply." A soldier informed me. "Do you need anything?"
"No, you're dismissed."
I haven't been back at the base in years. I've been moving around so much recently. What any soldier could have ever wanted, the title Red Leader fell into my hands, it's something I should be proud of. But the more time that passes the more of a burden on my shoulders it becomes. I still have time, a lot of time, I'm next in line but Red Leader Hans has things under control for now. He's at a different base, I've started my training by managing this one and a few others. I stepped into the room and pulled out my chair, I picked up the file in front of me, "Lorraine Bates, that is your name correct?"
"Who wants to knowww~" She cooed.
"A very powerful man," I reply.
"Powerful men get bored too." Her red lips smiled as she seductively looked at me.
"Tell me everything you know about Thomas Thomason."
"Jenny's kid?" The look on her face suddenly changed as if she realized all the realities of what this integration could be. "H-Hey now, look, Jenny and I were freinds but I know nothing of the kid."
I groaned, if I wanted the truth I'd have to join her team. I unshackled her and grabbed a bottle and two glasses, "Your right, powerful men do get bored. And I'm not the only bored one around here." I poured her a glass of vodka. We both drank for a few minutes, she'd already had five glasses. She was drunk.
"Your a mannn of good taste."
"So I've been told. But back to business, I'm looking to, hmm, so to speak, 'recruit' a few new people to have fun with. Word on the street is a woman as beautiful as you know to have fun?"
"You've heard right then mhmmm. How can I help?"
"I've had my eye on one Thomas Thomson, I don't know much, but I've heard you do?"
"OOooo Jenny's kid wasa gooouuddd onee. Mhmmm kids are so sensitive you know, so vulnerable and so small." I had to contain myself, I had to hear everything first, I can't do it yet. "I had a good time with him so many nights, I liked it roughhh and so he did too. With all the experience he had with me I'm sure he'll be great to have himm *hic* but he has a hugggeee attitude. I always had to put him in his place. I left that ass so red he cried when he sat down!" She laughed and took another sip, "His first time he was suchhhh a little whinerrr, I had to tie him up and shoved a gag down his throat, I pulled down his pants and--"
I whipped out my pistol and shot her dead in the head, "FUCK!" I screamed and slammed my hands on the table, I fell to my knees. "...she's gone now Thomas.." I said to myself. "She's gone.."
"SIR!!" The door slammed open and a whole battalion stood in the frame. I quickly stood up, "THE RED LEADER HAS BEEN KILLED!"
"Excuse me?!"
"Right this way," They led me to another room, people stood up and saluted me as I walked by. I was led to the eldest.
"Gereal, what the hell is going on?"
He laid out a map, "Base 205 was ambushed here 10 minutes ago, but the base was infiltrated long before that. The base was infested with black army vermin. They captured him and shot him in front of the whole base. They executed everyone and left one soldier alive, They sent him to go tell another base after he told them the bombs then embbed in his clothes went off causing another 300 casualties. Tord L. Larson, although it is under dire circumstances, you are now officially the Red Leader. What do we do Sir?"
"..Okay, first off put all bases on lockdown and high alert."
"Should we have teams come back?" One man questioned.
"No!" another one argued, "they could have been infiltrated too!"
"Bring back squadron A304 immediately."
"Sir but-" The general started.
"Do not question me unless you want to end up like the soldier in base 205."
"Y-Yes Sir! I will have them back right away!"
~The next day~
"I'm okay I'm okay I swear!" I laughed, Edds mother-hen voice roared on the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure?" He asks again.
"I'm sure, I promise Edd. But things aren't going very well with my parents, I'll have to stay with them longer than I thought. One of them is-" I thought for a moment, "Well... one of them got really hurt and so I'll be staying with them in the hospital. Please don't worry too much about me, I'll be okay. I might just be away longer then I thought. How is everyone else?"
"Tord I-..."
"What is it?"
"Well, I've just been meaning to talk to you about something but you've got a lot on your plate so--"
"No no, what is it?"
"Oh just school stuff, I wanted to go out and tux shopping with you all thats it. Do you think you'll be in time for prom at least? It's a little over a week away? Matt's been really busy with planning everything, Tom has been, well quiet recently."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah me too, oh but I got to go, we're going to be late to school, I'll call you later! Bye, tord! Stay safe kay? I'm always here for you."
"Of course Edd, right back at you."
I hung up the phone and dropped my face in my hands with a sigh. I've been overwhelmed with work, decisions, plans, battle strategies, meetings, and them. My freinds. The Red Leader shouldn't have freinds. They are just a liability but I can't let them go. I'm too deep now. I'll just I'll fix things and they won't worry about me anymore then I can tie loose ends and go our separate ways. Besides I still have to fix Tom before I let them go, I need to get that monster back. Then they can go back to living their normal life.
I have to start acting like a leader.
I opened the box I'd had for so many years and opened it to an outfit made for me. I put on the Red Coat and its badges. Someone opened my door, "Do you have a death wish?" I irritatedly groaned.
"S-Sorry Sir! But we need you right away!"
I followed him out the door to the control room, a video waited for me. There was a blurred naked man behind a woman in front of the screen. She spoke, "Oh hello, lovely day no? Things must be pretty fun with all the changes you must be having over there. My condolences. In the meantime, I thought I'd celebrate my victory with you and let you know you have a war coming to you! Welah!" She moved out of the way, the man was curled up in a ball I could barely make him out, somehow the frame seemed to be familiar. She turned her back to the camera and approached him, "Be a good boy now why don't you."
"Y-Y-Yes M-Miss--" My heart stopped beating, my stomach dropped, my head throbbed.
"N-No fucking way.." I gasped.
His voice was cut off by screams as she injected him with something, she moved out of the way to reveal Thomas, his body was covered in bruises, hickeys, scratches, and wounds, his body began to change into a monster. "FUCK!" I screamed. "Did you idiots track that location?!"
"No sir we couldn't find anything."
"We think it's in one of the bases but we don't know for sure."
"I have to go find him--"
"You can't Tord." I turned around as my eyes searched for that voice, Paul and Patryk looked at me, "Hey Kid," Paul starts lighting a cigarette.
"It takes more than some zombies to knock us out, they did get me pretty good though," Patryk says showing his wrapped-up shoulder.
They approach me with warm looks, in the midst of the chaos, they really did make me feel better. "I'm glad you two are back but I have to go, you need to secure the base--"
Paul grabs my shoulder, he looks around at everyone else, "Give us a moment," They all walk out. Patryk immediately hugs me, I hold him too. "Tord, look, I don't really know what's going on but someone was sent out for us and said the Red Leaders are dead and you're in charge now." He looks to Patryk who speaks up.
"I don't know why you are so admit on leaving but your the Red Leader now. You absolutely cannot leave, I'm sorry Tord but you need to step up. If the general and others of high ranking don't see you fit you know that it's treason. Years back a leader was hung for that."
"I know things are hard right now but for your own safety and the army's name you have to think of other things." Paul says before huffing a cloud, "Give us the rundown."
"Okay.." I quickly explained everything, everything about Edd, Matt, everything about Tom. About high school, the friendship I said I would never form, the monster, and the video. "I don't know how but she has him. I have to get him back. Not just for me but this army, the black army cannot possess the Purple God. It's too powerful and dangerous."
"Now you're talking like a leader," Paul smirks.
"Okay Red Leader, here's what we'll do. You absolutely cannot leave this base right now. Your other two friends seem to be safe and unknowing of any of this. We'll go through school records and see his absences, the army could be working through the school. Try and get in contact with Thomas after school, and see what he tell's you. See if he's with the others. They are waiting for an opportunity to strike, and I don't think it's against us."
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"The black army wants more than to defeat us. They're not just after us they're after everything. They have a weapon in their hands, and that weapon is a high schooler. If they are doing this through the school then--"
"All they're waiting for is an audience," Patryk finished.
"They want the world, not just us, you get that through fear." The two turn to each other and start discussing what it is they could be planning.
"Prom."
"What?" They say in unison.
"Prom it's prom they're going to attack at Prom." I called everyone back in and started yelling orders, "Paul, Patryk, your right, I have to stay here, until Prom. We are going to attack them before they can attack anyone else. I need you two to go to that school and find anything you can. Protect them, please."
"Yes sir," They looked at me one last time before going off.
"Sir!"
"What is it, soldier?"
"He pointed to his screen, the student you asked about has been marked present in all of his classes today. Not even a single tardy."
It'd been 2 hours, I've watched the video too many times to count. How did the Black Army even find out about him? I called Matt, "Hey Matt!"
"Tord hey! Oh Edd told me about your family-"
"Oh no worries about that, I just wanted to call and let you know I can't go tux shopping with you guys. But I will be there at the prom. I'm coming back that day."
"Really! Thats great news! Edd will be so happy!"
"Hey, how's Tom?"
"To be honest, not good, he hasn't been eating, or drinking, he's quiet most of the time."
"He's home?!"
"Yeah? Why wouldn't he be? School got over a while ago, we're all home. You sure you're okay?"
"Yes I'm totally fine, hey I have to go, sorry but my dad needs me."
"Okay bye Tord!"
"Goodbye Matt," I hung up and threw my phone on the bed. "This makes no sense?!" Edd and Matt don't know, he's going to school, he's coming home, but he was in the video. "This is a tough shot.. But I need to know.." I dialed his number it rang and rang, no answer, again, no answer, again, no answer, again.
"Can you stop calling me?" He dully sighed.
"Thomas--"
"Shut up you traitor."
"What are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?! What am I talking about?! You left you LEFT! I should have never trusted you, I hate you I hate you! You're not my friend and you never were. I hope I never see you again." The phone hung up and I sat there in silence.
Of course, I left him, of course, someone knocked at my door, "Red Leader Sir,"
"What is it now?"
"The woman in the video, we found her on campus," I jolted up and ran through the door.
"Who is she?"
"She is working as a substitute teacher in room A219 for an English class in 6th period. Thomas Thomson is in that class period with her."
"Bingo. Okay, we cannot simply attack her, they'll know we're onto them. Do you have a picture of this teacher?" He pulled up her file, "It's the same woman. I'm sorry Thomas but you'll have to suffer a little longer. Hold on." I threw the file in the air and grabbed my pistol and shot the paper. "Disopse of the body in the interrogation room."
"Yes Sir!"
"I'll kill that Miss. I promise"