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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 07/01/2014
Aurum City Chronicles: Welcome To Aurum
Born 1992, M, from London, United KingdomA large grey bus pulls to a stop with a high pitch scream as the brakes strain under the pressure from the drivers foot, "Last stop Aurum City Centre" he yells as he switches the engine off and the shuttle falls silent. People are shuffling towards the doors pulling their coats around them tighter as they prepare to step out into the bitter December night. A blanket of snow covers every inch of the ground and a howling wind tears through the air. The moon is full in the night sky and the snow crunches under the heavy boots of the man who just stepped down onto it. He was relatively large but his face was sunken, his hair was a scraggly mass of dirty blonde locks and his blue eyes were as icy as the waters of the Aurum City Delta's tonight. He takes a look at the surrounding scenery, the graffiti covered walls, litter strewn streets bustling with people doing their Christmas shopping, out of business signs hung in many shop windows and the occasional bin fire was surrounded by packs of homeless men and women. The voices of carollers were ringing out from the stage set up on The Main Parade in turn with the Christmas lights being switched on.
Almost everybody in the city gathers down on The Parade and the surrounding streets for the annual turning on of the lights and there is always a heavy police presence, but for the criminals that means there are weak points in the city, points in the city where the severely undermanned police's eye isn't watching as carefully as it should be, and that's when they strike. Crime doubles at night and skyrockets when there are big events on like the one on tonight. Large tv screens show numerous advertising clips and how many days are left until Christmas arrives and a towering tree stands tall covered in wonderfully elaborate decorations.
He takes in a deep breath and sighs "good to see you haven't changed Aurum" he says to himself with a crooked smile. He beats a path through the snow and merges with the ebbing flow of people along the streets of Aurum City. He walks away from the Centre and slips off down a side street along the Main Parade. After a few other side streets and alleys he is blinded by the cluster of neon lights before him. They advertise everything from naked girls to guns and ammunition. He makes his way toward them like a moth to a flame and heads in the direction of one promoting cheap rooms. There's an almost skeletal man sat behind the counter reading a copy of an adult magazine with a glint in his eyes, his long brown hair falls down to his shoulders but the top of his head is as shiny and smooth as a crystal ball, his skin is a light shade of yellow, and his arms are covered in distinctive marks, juice gun holes. The guest clutches his arm instinctively and then moves towards the clerk. "I'm looking for a cheap room, I'll pay weekly" he says pulling out a bundle of notes from his pocket and placing them on the oak surface. "Sure thing boss" said the helper without removing his eyes from the pages of his magazine, he swung in his chair, picked up a set of keys and dropped them into the mans waiting palm. "I need a name and signature for security purposes buddy" he says finally diverting his gaze and catching the icy blue stare. "My name, my name is Thomas Payne" he states as he scribbles on the piece of paper turning his back on the juice head and departing for his room.
"Come on guys we gotta move quick, the cops in this town are slow but they do work sometimes" came a gruff voice from a scruffy man with a beard that looked like it could be a nest for birds. he had white trainers and torn blue jeans which were covered in stains, a large green puffer jacket and an old fisherman's hat which was tilted to one side because of the matted locks of brown hair hanging from underneath it. he was with two other men both of similar appearance. "Alright Randy we'll be going a lot faster with your help!" Hissed one of the men, Randy steps into the shop through the broken window pane and opens up a black bag. he then smashes a display case with his elbow and proceeds to stuff handfuls of diamonds and pearl necklaces into it, a loud screeching noise rings in from outside. "I told you we should have moved faster you idiots now the police is here" Randy spits, all three men look at each other wide eyed, then to the street beyond the pane and then to the fire exit over their shoulders. they all move closer to the fire exit but stop dead in their tracks by the sudden spotlight raining in on them, Randy spins and raises his arms in front of him defensively trying to shield his eyes but dropping his bag of jewellery in the process. "alright officers we don't want no trouble" he said coughing. the air is instantly filled with a thick black smoke and the three robbers are doubled over with fits of coughing, there is a thud to Randys right and then another to his left but the air is so polluted he can't see his hand in front of his face. after another bout of coughing Randy also hits the floor with a thud. Six figures in gas masks appear around the unconscious bodies and heave them and their black bags off the floor before dragging them out of the shop and dumping them into a waiting white van which speeds off around the corner just as the responding police cruiser arrives and the smoke bomb stops spewing smoke and dies out. The only sign of a struggle was the broken glass from the robbery.
Thomas is sitting on the edge of a single bed in the corner of his room, there is a small dresser next to him and a hot plate next to that, a radiator was on the far wall and a cramped toilet was situated in the far corner of the room. The paint is peeling off the walls and mould is beginning to devour the ceiling. It wasn't much but it was good for its price and definitely better than his previous accommodations. He jacket lays crumpled on the floor at his feet and he is looking at his arms, there are two large scars running up each one, he runs his finger along one of the scars thoughtfully.
*flashback* the room is dark, the only source of light is coming in from a gap in the ragged curtains, there is a strong smell of urine in the air and a mattress lays in the corner, the walls are covered in obscenities and there is rubbish everywhere. There is a man laying face down in a dirty white tank top and torn jeans, a juice gun lay in his hand, a young woman gets up from the sofa uncertainly and stumbles over to the man on the floor she reaches down and takes the fun from his hand, there's still some juice in the vial so she prepares her arm. She is about to inject when her head is yanked backwards and she is thrown to the floor, "stupid bitch" the voice says standing over her, he draws his leg up and begins bringing it down "Tommy please I'm sorry" she screamed*flashback over*
He jumps up and runs over to the sink turning on the cold tap, he let's the cool water fill his hands and then cascade over his face. He looks in the stained mirror and stares at his reflection for a long moment breathing heavily before turning on his heels and snatching something up off the bed, slamming the door behind him. He is on his way to the front desk when he hears the sound of voices stopping him in his tracks, "Mr. Medicini has already done you a service by giving you another day Leonard" said one of the voices, "I know I know. But it's all I've got! Tell the boss I'm sorry and I'll have it for him next week" Leonard pleaded, Thomas recognised the voice as that of the clerks. He thought the word X-ray and the wall in front of him became transparent. He viewed the figures I'm the room who were definitely doing something they shouldn't have been and then the figures on the other side of it, there were three men altogether. Leonard was bent over the counter with his head being firmly pressed into it by one of the men while the other was rummaging through the till snatching up all the money in it, "this just about covers your juice debt Lenny. I'll take it to the boss and see what I can do but I can't make no promises" he said tapping his cohort on the shoulder as a signal to release Leonard's head from his vice like grip. The two me left and Leonard slumped into his chair exhausted. Thomas watches through the walls a while longer ensuring the coast is clear, when he is satisfied he rounds the corner and enters the main lobby. Leonard jerks his head up and gives a nervous smile revealing a set of discoloured teeth "how can I help Mr. Payne?" He asks, Thomas looks around and the lobby and then leans in close enough to whisper into his ear "I need a juice dealer" Leonard recoils with a look of suspicion in his eyes "don't know any" he says crossing his arms to cover his marks, Thomas begins to smile "this is the Seventh Circle Lenny, the worst part of Aurum, the seedy underbelly where all the filth is drawn, I've seen the welts on your arms, the bags building up under your eyes. Now I know you get juiced and all I wanna do is be on that level with you?" Leonard reaches his hand forward but is cut short by Thomas hand clamping down on it, he let's out a yelp and the desks creaks under the pressure, when Thomas releases Leonard's hand it has already swollen to double it's normal size and has turned a violent shade of purple "don't go for the gun Leonard, it's not a good idea" he says looking through the wood at the pistol in a drawer beneath the desk. He picks Leonard up by the wrist until he is off the floor "Hey what the hell man, police brutality!" He exclaims wildly. Payne laughs "I'm not a cop Lenny I just want you to give me your juice link, I need to get juiced myself it's been a long day" he says placing Leonard back on the floor, "yeah yeah okay man whatever you want" he says picking up a pencil and writing a number down with a trembling hand. Thomas snatches it up and leaves the hotel lobby for the streets outside without glancing back.
"Help Me!!!" Comes the hair raising cry of a woman from down a dark alleyway as a tall thug stands looming over her, "call out all you like sugar, nobodies going to save you, they're all at the light ceremony" he chuckles as his hand fumbles with his belt, the blonde woman lashes out with all her might and catches him in the groin with her right foot, he drops to one knee but grabs the woman by her throat with a paw like fist, "now you've asked for it toots, I was gonna give you a nice time now your gonna wish you were dead" he snarls as his spit flecks her now purple face, "funny I could say the same thing to you" comes a deep voice from the darkness, "whose there?" The rapist asks releasing his grip on the girl and turning wildly in all directions, he draws a knife from his waist and begins stabbing blindly into the dark "you'll be sorry you messed wi..." He's cut short by the fist which rams into his face, his body goes limp and he drops the knife into the snow, the fist hits him in the face another couple of times before he is thrown into a dumpster a few feet away, the girl is still on the floor crying hysterically, "please don't hurt me" she screams as the hand reaches out of the darkness to her "don't be afraid, I'm the good guy" the deep voice says again, the girl takes the hand hesitantly and is hoisted back onto her feet, "now I suggest you run home and don't stop until you get there", she is looking into the darkness bewildered but doesn't hesitate any longer, she is at the mouth of the alley in no time and turns the corner disappearing out of sight, the figure is still slumped against the dumpster so the shadowy character searches his pockets and removes his personal belongings among which are a wallet with a little bit of cash inside and a key to a car, "sick bastard" the deep voice rings out as he snatches up the rapists legs and begins dragging him towards the street, once on the road the man is illuminated by the streetlights and is dressed from head to toe in black, he ties the lifeless body of the predator to a lamppost and then spins around and runs back into the alley disappearing into the back streets of Aurum City once again.
He pulls the balaclava that was covering his face off and shoves it back into his pocket allowing the dull glow from the full moon to illuminate it, Thomas pulls the scrap of paper from his pocket and stares at the number, he then pulls out his comms unit and punches the number in, he holds his finger above the activate key hesitantly and is bringing it down when he hears a crashing sound a few streets away. He deactivates the comms unit and places it back in his pocket, swapping it once again for the mask.
Thomas comes from the mouth of the alley just in time to see a man closing the door of a white van and speeding away leaving a trail of smoke behind it. He walks closer to the scene and sees it's a jewellery shop, the front window has been smashed through, the men in the van must've been robbing the place he thought to himself, he takes a step closer to the shop front but decides against it once he sees the police cruiser enter the mouth of the street, Thomas flees back into the alley. There will no doubt be helicopters out looking for the criminals who committed this robbery and being in a balaclava I. The vicinity was probably not a good idea Thomas thought as he removed the balaclava he began racking his brains as to where he could hide until it cooled off. He ran another couple of blocks before it hit him, the docks, they have plenty of disused warehouses and it's only a few more streets. The sound of police helicopters were also in the night sky now battling for supremacy with the wind, Thomas had gained entry to an empty warehouse and was laying on a pile of old rags, he had the number in his hand again and was folding and unfolding the paper repeatedly.
*flashback* Running through a dark street, feet pounding the pavement, comes up against a wire fence, spins round to see two men getting ever closer, begins screaming and crying out for help, a sudden glint and one of the men is revealed to be holding a knife as they circle the helpless woman she falls to her knees sobbing uncontrollably, one of the men hits her in the face and she crumples, then the scruffy blonde males face comes into view (he's the one holding the knife) he climbs on top of the woman and cuts a strip from her skirt. *flashback ends*
Panting heavily and drenched in sweat Thomas shoots up and takes a few steps forward before projectile vomiting, he is using a nearby wall to support his weight when he hears a slight noise about 150 yards to his right behind a pile of crates, he draws his fists up defensively and starts towards them "I'm not in the mood for this right now, so come out and we can get this over with" he calls out through gritted teeth, there is another slight shuffling noise but no direct answer, he thinks the word X-ray again and everything in his field of vision becomes transparent once more, it's a small animal of some kind, only a cat nothing to worry about, sleek white cat with a black patch over its left eye jumps out from behind the crates causing them to avalanche as they all tumble over each other coming to a stop only once they've smashed into the ground, the white cat slinks off through a hole in a broken window of the building. The noise of cars and people movin g through the streets rings out all around, trains thunder past on the tracks overheard and ships horns bellow as they pull in and leave port, somewhere in the city there is a crime being committed because Thomas can hear police sirens as they rush towards it. His stomach makes a loud rumbling noise begging him for food. He stretches pats down his hair and slips onto the street undetected. It's coming upto early evening and The constant droning of Christmas songs are playing through speakers set up along the Main Parade and another layer of snow has begun falling and settling on the ground, the more frequently used paths have already turned to the horrible brown mush that inevitably happens when snow is walked over too much.
Thomas bobs and weaves through the schools of people but is bumped into and knocked off balance by a passing teenager, "sorry" he calls back turning his head slightly, he cant be no more than 15 but has a crop of jagged brown hair which looks unkept, he has dark eyes which are magnified because of the glasses he wears, the lense of which are cracked he disappears among the crowd and Thomas carries on walking, his stomach churns with hunger and his nose sniffs out a hotdog vendor at the top if the Parade, "I'll have a Large one with onions" he says as he reaches into his pocket to withdraw the cash but to his surprise there isn't any, he begins searching all his pockets frantically, the vendor stares at him keeping a tight grip on the hotdog with one hand and holding his other one out waiting for the money, Thomas starts but then seeing the look in the vendors eyes knows its pointless, jabbing his hands back into his pockets he turns and walks away. He heads off the main Parade and moves back towards 'The Seventh Circle' hoping that he can get something edible at the hotel.
He hears a commotion coming from around the corner, and looks through the wall, he can see four large men dressed all in black lifting a man and woman's lifeless bodies into the back of a white van, the same white van he saw last night leaving the jewellery shop, he shoves his balaclava on and rushes out to confront the men but the van is already speeding away, Thomas gives chase making sure to avoid being seen by the driver of the van and the citizens of Aurum City although a man in a balaclava running through "The Seventh Circle" isn't uncommon Thonas would prefer if the attention was elsewhere. After following the van for twenty minutes it suddenly comes to a stop outside of an old import export compound, Thomas stops at the end of the street and blends into the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings, there is an eery silence which is broken by the electronic whirring of the gates to the compound opening and then the van bursts back into life disappearing out of site into a warehouse, there is an echo as the metallic gates hit the concrete and the warehouse shutters seal the building closed. Thomas walks across the street until he is a few feet from the gates, he crouches down and listens out intently for the slightest sound, there is a dull clunking coming from the body of the building in a rhythmic fashion and the sound of muffled voices, he strains his ears again to make out what exactly is being said, a thick Cajun accent carries from the warehouse "Faster!" is all that Thomas hears before the whirring of the gates begins again and he's forced to pin himself against the fence, a white van again shoots forward like a bullet from a gun. Thomas makes his move and darts towards the gates just managing to slide under before they clang shut behind him, he keeps himself low and stays to the shadows as he looks around, there is a ramp leading up onto a loading bay with another set of shutters being mostly shielded from view by another white van directly in front of him, a large pile of rubble to his right and a set of steel steps leading up to a second tier on his left hand side, he hesitates a moment longer to see if he can hear anyone in the surrounding area but the only noise is a low humming, broken by the sound of metal clashing with Earth. Thomas activates his vision and can see beyond the other shutter, it's a huge room and there are about 100 people in there all with pick axes, it looks as though they are mining. He stays low but sidesteps to his left making his way towards the stairs, "I said Faster" the thick Cajun accent is echoing all around the building stopping Thomas dead in his tracks, his eyes are moving wildly from one side of the room to the other looking for the source of the voice but he can't see anybody, he moves a few steps more making sure to be even more cautious than before. He places his foot on the rusted step of the steel staircase, its far from safe and clearly hasn't been used in decades but as his only route he doesn't have much choice, he begins his climb making sure to apply pressure to the next step before he puts all of his body weight on it, he is half way up the staircase when there is another whirring noise but this time it was to his right, it wasn't the van returning but somebody coming from within the warehouse itself, without thinking about it he runs the rest of the steps taking them two at a time until he reaches the safety of the platform, he hugs the grills tightly trying to make himself as minuscule as possible. A platoon of people all of whom have the same sunken faces, glazed colourless eyes and grime covered faces and hands emerge onto the loading bay in single file, Thomas counts 50 altogether, each one has a wheelbarrow which is dangerously close to overflowing filled with debris and they proceed to add it to the ever growing pile of rubble building up in the corner, once their wheelbarrow has been emptied they make their way back into the room behind the shutters, once the last person has left the loading bay the gates slam shut again. Thomas breathes out deeply and moves into a crouching position, he continues forwards along the walkway hesitating before taking each step, finally he comes to a doorway, placing his hand on the sliding lock he opens the door slightly with a little click and enters slowly.
The debris is being lifted from a huge pit in the centre of the room by more people in the same zombie like states, a wall of rubble surrounds them and there are thick ropes descending into the chasm. There is a large window looking out onto the bay letting moonlight shine in illuminating the room, there are thick chains dangling from the ceiling and another door on the platform opposite Thomas, there is a light coming from the doors glass panel allowing him to make out the word MANAGER imprinted on it. The gates which Thomas entered the building through suddenly spring into life behind him causing him to jump a little, he glances over his shoulder seeing the gates opening and the headlights of the van shining in, he is rooted to the spot eyes trained on the white van as it lurches into the warehouse. The rumbling of the engine dies out and the headlamps with it, three men exit the vehicle, two from the driver and passenger doors and one from a sliding door in the body of the van, before its slammed shut Thonas can make out two more bodies in the back. None of the three figures move or speak and for what seems an eternity there is a silence, broken only by the echoing coming from the activities in the adjourning room, suddenly the three men spring into action, they work swiftly and like a well oiled machine, two of the men remove the two slumped bodies from the back of the van with ease, hoisting them over their shoulders while the third has already opened the shutter connecting the two rooms. Thomas turns back into the room with the pit in it and sees the five men making their way through the maze of rubble and bodies, they are heading across the room directly for the Managers office. Thomas snakes his way across the platform until he comes to a halt at the edge if the walkway, there is a huge gap where the metal has rusted away, he looks down and sees it is a twenty foot drop and that there are large piles of earth and other debris under him, he looks up and sees two large thick pipes running the length of the room, reaching up tentatively he tests their weight by pulling down on them with his, once hes satisfied that they are strong enough to hold him he hoists himself up careful not to be seen and begins to shuffle along making his way to the Managers door. About halfway into his crossing he is stopped by the Cajun voice booming throughout the body of the building, cutting through the sound of the workers "It seems we have a guest" all the eyes if the workers turned in his direction and Thomas' stomach drops and he begins to panic, he loses his grip and falls onto the rubble below him, there is a blinding green flash which envelopes the entire room in a Jade blanket "bring him to me" comes the southern drawl. The bodies begin to descend upon Thomas, he is incredibly outnumbered. He draws his arms up defensively and begins to ricochet his fists off the zombies heads as they begin charging at him, bodies are being flung in a 360• radius but they keep coming. Thomas jumps up and with all his might slams his fist into the ground sending shock waves throughout the compound. The chasm in the centre of the room crumbles and widens even more and the mindless people closest to him are launched through the air like rockets some landing down the mine, the others collapse and fall over each other under the sudden impact, the whole building vibrates and the glass in the windows shatters all at once sending it raining down upon the warehouse. Thomas is panting heavily and is standing the centre of a crater when he turns his attention back to the managers office just in time to see something enormous flying at him. He recoils and lifts his hands up defensively but the creature has already wrapped itself around Him and is gripping him tighter and tighter, it sinks it's teeth into his shoulder and he lets out a howl of pain and then begans gasping for breath, the leviathan has left it's fang embedded in Thomas shoulder, he can feel the gears in his arm struggling to turn due to the blockage, he can feel his ribs straining under the pressure. Every nerve in his body is screaming and then he drops to the floor unconscious.
Aurum City Chronicles: Welcome To Aurum(BishopVsMonk)
A large grey bus pulls to a stop with a high pitch scream as the brakes strain under the pressure from the drivers foot, "Last stop Aurum City Centre" he yells as he switches the engine off and the shuttle falls silent. People are shuffling towards the doors pulling their coats around them tighter as they prepare to step out into the bitter December night. A blanket of snow covers every inch of the ground and a howling wind tears through the air. The moon is full in the night sky and the snow crunches under the heavy boots of the man who just stepped down onto it. He was relatively large but his face was sunken, his hair was a scraggly mass of dirty blonde locks and his blue eyes were as icy as the waters of the Aurum City Delta's tonight. He takes a look at the surrounding scenery, the graffiti covered walls, litter strewn streets bustling with people doing their Christmas shopping, out of business signs hung in many shop windows and the occasional bin fire was surrounded by packs of homeless men and women. The voices of carollers were ringing out from the stage set up on The Main Parade in turn with the Christmas lights being switched on.
Almost everybody in the city gathers down on The Parade and the surrounding streets for the annual turning on of the lights and there is always a heavy police presence, but for the criminals that means there are weak points in the city, points in the city where the severely undermanned police's eye isn't watching as carefully as it should be, and that's when they strike. Crime doubles at night and skyrockets when there are big events on like the one on tonight. Large tv screens show numerous advertising clips and how many days are left until Christmas arrives and a towering tree stands tall covered in wonderfully elaborate decorations.
He takes in a deep breath and sighs "good to see you haven't changed Aurum" he says to himself with a crooked smile. He beats a path through the snow and merges with the ebbing flow of people along the streets of Aurum City. He walks away from the Centre and slips off down a side street along the Main Parade. After a few other side streets and alleys he is blinded by the cluster of neon lights before him. They advertise everything from naked girls to guns and ammunition. He makes his way toward them like a moth to a flame and heads in the direction of one promoting cheap rooms. There's an almost skeletal man sat behind the counter reading a copy of an adult magazine with a glint in his eyes, his long brown hair falls down to his shoulders but the top of his head is as shiny and smooth as a crystal ball, his skin is a light shade of yellow, and his arms are covered in distinctive marks, juice gun holes. The guest clutches his arm instinctively and then moves towards the clerk. "I'm looking for a cheap room, I'll pay weekly" he says pulling out a bundle of notes from his pocket and placing them on the oak surface. "Sure thing boss" said the helper without removing his eyes from the pages of his magazine, he swung in his chair, picked up a set of keys and dropped them into the mans waiting palm. "I need a name and signature for security purposes buddy" he says finally diverting his gaze and catching the icy blue stare. "My name, my name is Thomas Payne" he states as he scribbles on the piece of paper turning his back on the juice head and departing for his room.
"Come on guys we gotta move quick, the cops in this town are slow but they do work sometimes" came a gruff voice from a scruffy man with a beard that looked like it could be a nest for birds. he had white trainers and torn blue jeans which were covered in stains, a large green puffer jacket and an old fisherman's hat which was tilted to one side because of the matted locks of brown hair hanging from underneath it. he was with two other men both of similar appearance. "Alright Randy we'll be going a lot faster with your help!" Hissed one of the men, Randy steps into the shop through the broken window pane and opens up a black bag. he then smashes a display case with his elbow and proceeds to stuff handfuls of diamonds and pearl necklaces into it, a loud screeching noise rings in from outside. "I told you we should have moved faster you idiots now the police is here" Randy spits, all three men look at each other wide eyed, then to the street beyond the pane and then to the fire exit over their shoulders. they all move closer to the fire exit but stop dead in their tracks by the sudden spotlight raining in on them, Randy spins and raises his arms in front of him defensively trying to shield his eyes but dropping his bag of jewellery in the process. "alright officers we don't want no trouble" he said coughing. the air is instantly filled with a thick black smoke and the three robbers are doubled over with fits of coughing, there is a thud to Randys right and then another to his left but the air is so polluted he can't see his hand in front of his face. after another bout of coughing Randy also hits the floor with a thud. Six figures in gas masks appear around the unconscious bodies and heave them and their black bags off the floor before dragging them out of the shop and dumping them into a waiting white van which speeds off around the corner just as the responding police cruiser arrives and the smoke bomb stops spewing smoke and dies out. The only sign of a struggle was the broken glass from the robbery.
Thomas is sitting on the edge of a single bed in the corner of his room, there is a small dresser next to him and a hot plate next to that, a radiator was on the far wall and a cramped toilet was situated in the far corner of the room. The paint is peeling off the walls and mould is beginning to devour the ceiling. It wasn't much but it was good for its price and definitely better than his previous accommodations. He jacket lays crumpled on the floor at his feet and he is looking at his arms, there are two large scars running up each one, he runs his finger along one of the scars thoughtfully.
*flashback* the room is dark, the only source of light is coming in from a gap in the ragged curtains, there is a strong smell of urine in the air and a mattress lays in the corner, the walls are covered in obscenities and there is rubbish everywhere. There is a man laying face down in a dirty white tank top and torn jeans, a juice gun lay in his hand, a young woman gets up from the sofa uncertainly and stumbles over to the man on the floor she reaches down and takes the fun from his hand, there's still some juice in the vial so she prepares her arm. She is about to inject when her head is yanked backwards and she is thrown to the floor, "stupid bitch" the voice says standing over her, he draws his leg up and begins bringing it down "Tommy please I'm sorry" she screamed*flashback over*
He jumps up and runs over to the sink turning on the cold tap, he let's the cool water fill his hands and then cascade over his face. He looks in the stained mirror and stares at his reflection for a long moment breathing heavily before turning on his heels and snatching something up off the bed, slamming the door behind him. He is on his way to the front desk when he hears the sound of voices stopping him in his tracks, "Mr. Medicini has already done you a service by giving you another day Leonard" said one of the voices, "I know I know. But it's all I've got! Tell the boss I'm sorry and I'll have it for him next week" Leonard pleaded, Thomas recognised the voice as that of the clerks. He thought the word X-ray and the wall in front of him became transparent. He viewed the figures I'm the room who were definitely doing something they shouldn't have been and then the figures on the other side of it, there were three men altogether. Leonard was bent over the counter with his head being firmly pressed into it by one of the men while the other was rummaging through the till snatching up all the money in it, "this just about covers your juice debt Lenny. I'll take it to the boss and see what I can do but I can't make no promises" he said tapping his cohort on the shoulder as a signal to release Leonard's head from his vice like grip. The two me left and Leonard slumped into his chair exhausted. Thomas watches through the walls a while longer ensuring the coast is clear, when he is satisfied he rounds the corner and enters the main lobby. Leonard jerks his head up and gives a nervous smile revealing a set of discoloured teeth "how can I help Mr. Payne?" He asks, Thomas looks around and the lobby and then leans in close enough to whisper into his ear "I need a juice dealer" Leonard recoils with a look of suspicion in his eyes "don't know any" he says crossing his arms to cover his marks, Thomas begins to smile "this is the Seventh Circle Lenny, the worst part of Aurum, the seedy underbelly where all the filth is drawn, I've seen the welts on your arms, the bags building up under your eyes. Now I know you get juiced and all I wanna do is be on that level with you?" Leonard reaches his hand forward but is cut short by Thomas hand clamping down on it, he let's out a yelp and the desks creaks under the pressure, when Thomas releases Leonard's hand it has already swollen to double it's normal size and has turned a violent shade of purple "don't go for the gun Leonard, it's not a good idea" he says looking through the wood at the pistol in a drawer beneath the desk. He picks Leonard up by the wrist until he is off the floor "Hey what the hell man, police brutality!" He exclaims wildly. Payne laughs "I'm not a cop Lenny I just want you to give me your juice link, I need to get juiced myself it's been a long day" he says placing Leonard back on the floor, "yeah yeah okay man whatever you want" he says picking up a pencil and writing a number down with a trembling hand. Thomas snatches it up and leaves the hotel lobby for the streets outside without glancing back.
"Help Me!!!" Comes the hair raising cry of a woman from down a dark alleyway as a tall thug stands looming over her, "call out all you like sugar, nobodies going to save you, they're all at the light ceremony" he chuckles as his hand fumbles with his belt, the blonde woman lashes out with all her might and catches him in the groin with her right foot, he drops to one knee but grabs the woman by her throat with a paw like fist, "now you've asked for it toots, I was gonna give you a nice time now your gonna wish you were dead" he snarls as his spit flecks her now purple face, "funny I could say the same thing to you" comes a deep voice from the darkness, "whose there?" The rapist asks releasing his grip on the girl and turning wildly in all directions, he draws a knife from his waist and begins stabbing blindly into the dark "you'll be sorry you messed wi..." He's cut short by the fist which rams into his face, his body goes limp and he drops the knife into the snow, the fist hits him in the face another couple of times before he is thrown into a dumpster a few feet away, the girl is still on the floor crying hysterically, "please don't hurt me" she screams as the hand reaches out of the darkness to her "don't be afraid, I'm the good guy" the deep voice says again, the girl takes the hand hesitantly and is hoisted back onto her feet, "now I suggest you run home and don't stop until you get there", she is looking into the darkness bewildered but doesn't hesitate any longer, she is at the mouth of the alley in no time and turns the corner disappearing out of sight, the figure is still slumped against the dumpster so the shadowy character searches his pockets and removes his personal belongings among which are a wallet with a little bit of cash inside and a key to a car, "sick bastard" the deep voice rings out as he snatches up the rapists legs and begins dragging him towards the street, once on the road the man is illuminated by the streetlights and is dressed from head to toe in black, he ties the lifeless body of the predator to a lamppost and then spins around and runs back into the alley disappearing into the back streets of Aurum City once again.
He pulls the balaclava that was covering his face off and shoves it back into his pocket allowing the dull glow from the full moon to illuminate it, Thomas pulls the scrap of paper from his pocket and stares at the number, he then pulls out his comms unit and punches the number in, he holds his finger above the activate key hesitantly and is bringing it down when he hears a crashing sound a few streets away. He deactivates the comms unit and places it back in his pocket, swapping it once again for the mask.
Thomas comes from the mouth of the alley just in time to see a man closing the door of a white van and speeding away leaving a trail of smoke behind it. He walks closer to the scene and sees it's a jewellery shop, the front window has been smashed through, the men in the van must've been robbing the place he thought to himself, he takes a step closer to the shop front but decides against it once he sees the police cruiser enter the mouth of the street, Thomas flees back into the alley. There will no doubt be helicopters out looking for the criminals who committed this robbery and being in a balaclava I. The vicinity was probably not a good idea Thomas thought as he removed the balaclava he began racking his brains as to where he could hide until it cooled off. He ran another couple of blocks before it hit him, the docks, they have plenty of disused warehouses and it's only a few more streets. The sound of police helicopters were also in the night sky now battling for supremacy with the wind, Thomas had gained entry to an empty warehouse and was laying on a pile of old rags, he had the number in his hand again and was folding and unfolding the paper repeatedly.
*flashback* Running through a dark street, feet pounding the pavement, comes up against a wire fence, spins round to see two men getting ever closer, begins screaming and crying out for help, a sudden glint and one of the men is revealed to be holding a knife as they circle the helpless woman she falls to her knees sobbing uncontrollably, one of the men hits her in the face and she crumples, then the scruffy blonde males face comes into view (he's the one holding the knife) he climbs on top of the woman and cuts a strip from her skirt. *flashback ends*
Panting heavily and drenched in sweat Thomas shoots up and takes a few steps forward before projectile vomiting, he is using a nearby wall to support his weight when he hears a slight noise about 150 yards to his right behind a pile of crates, he draws his fists up defensively and starts towards them "I'm not in the mood for this right now, so come out and we can get this over with" he calls out through gritted teeth, there is another slight shuffling noise but no direct answer, he thinks the word X-ray again and everything in his field of vision becomes transparent once more, it's a small animal of some kind, only a cat nothing to worry about, sleek white cat with a black patch over its left eye jumps out from behind the crates causing them to avalanche as they all tumble over each other coming to a stop only once they've smashed into the ground, the white cat slinks off through a hole in a broken window of the building. The noise of cars and people movin g through the streets rings out all around, trains thunder past on the tracks overheard and ships horns bellow as they pull in and leave port, somewhere in the city there is a crime being committed because Thomas can hear police sirens as they rush towards it. His stomach makes a loud rumbling noise begging him for food. He stretches pats down his hair and slips onto the street undetected. It's coming upto early evening and The constant droning of Christmas songs are playing through speakers set up along the Main Parade and another layer of snow has begun falling and settling on the ground, the more frequently used paths have already turned to the horrible brown mush that inevitably happens when snow is walked over too much.
Thomas bobs and weaves through the schools of people but is bumped into and knocked off balance by a passing teenager, "sorry" he calls back turning his head slightly, he cant be no more than 15 but has a crop of jagged brown hair which looks unkept, he has dark eyes which are magnified because of the glasses he wears, the lense of which are cracked he disappears among the crowd and Thomas carries on walking, his stomach churns with hunger and his nose sniffs out a hotdog vendor at the top if the Parade, "I'll have a Large one with onions" he says as he reaches into his pocket to withdraw the cash but to his surprise there isn't any, he begins searching all his pockets frantically, the vendor stares at him keeping a tight grip on the hotdog with one hand and holding his other one out waiting for the money, Thomas starts but then seeing the look in the vendors eyes knows its pointless, jabbing his hands back into his pockets he turns and walks away. He heads off the main Parade and moves back towards 'The Seventh Circle' hoping that he can get something edible at the hotel.
He hears a commotion coming from around the corner, and looks through the wall, he can see four large men dressed all in black lifting a man and woman's lifeless bodies into the back of a white van, the same white van he saw last night leaving the jewellery shop, he shoves his balaclava on and rushes out to confront the men but the van is already speeding away, Thomas gives chase making sure to avoid being seen by the driver of the van and the citizens of Aurum City although a man in a balaclava running through "The Seventh Circle" isn't uncommon Thonas would prefer if the attention was elsewhere. After following the van for twenty minutes it suddenly comes to a stop outside of an old import export compound, Thomas stops at the end of the street and blends into the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings, there is an eery silence which is broken by the electronic whirring of the gates to the compound opening and then the van bursts back into life disappearing out of site into a warehouse, there is an echo as the metallic gates hit the concrete and the warehouse shutters seal the building closed. Thomas walks across the street until he is a few feet from the gates, he crouches down and listens out intently for the slightest sound, there is a dull clunking coming from the body of the building in a rhythmic fashion and the sound of muffled voices, he strains his ears again to make out what exactly is being said, a thick Cajun accent carries from the warehouse "Faster!" is all that Thomas hears before the whirring of the gates begins again and he's forced to pin himself against the fence, a white van again shoots forward like a bullet from a gun. Thomas makes his move and darts towards the gates just managing to slide under before they clang shut behind him, he keeps himself low and stays to the shadows as he looks around, there is a ramp leading up onto a loading bay with another set of shutters being mostly shielded from view by another white van directly in front of him, a large pile of rubble to his right and a set of steel steps leading up to a second tier on his left hand side, he hesitates a moment longer to see if he can hear anyone in the surrounding area but the only noise is a low humming, broken by the sound of metal clashing with Earth. Thomas activates his vision and can see beyond the other shutter, it's a huge room and there are about 100 people in there all with pick axes, it looks as though they are mining. He stays low but sidesteps to his left making his way towards the stairs, "I said Faster" the thick Cajun accent is echoing all around the building stopping Thomas dead in his tracks, his eyes are moving wildly from one side of the room to the other looking for the source of the voice but he can't see anybody, he moves a few steps more making sure to be even more cautious than before. He places his foot on the rusted step of the steel staircase, its far from safe and clearly hasn't been used in decades but as his only route he doesn't have much choice, he begins his climb making sure to apply pressure to the next step before he puts all of his body weight on it, he is half way up the staircase when there is another whirring noise but this time it was to his right, it wasn't the van returning but somebody coming from within the warehouse itself, without thinking about it he runs the rest of the steps taking them two at a time until he reaches the safety of the platform, he hugs the grills tightly trying to make himself as minuscule as possible. A platoon of people all of whom have the same sunken faces, glazed colourless eyes and grime covered faces and hands emerge onto the loading bay in single file, Thomas counts 50 altogether, each one has a wheelbarrow which is dangerously close to overflowing filled with debris and they proceed to add it to the ever growing pile of rubble building up in the corner, once their wheelbarrow has been emptied they make their way back into the room behind the shutters, once the last person has left the loading bay the gates slam shut again. Thomas breathes out deeply and moves into a crouching position, he continues forwards along the walkway hesitating before taking each step, finally he comes to a doorway, placing his hand on the sliding lock he opens the door slightly with a little click and enters slowly.
The debris is being lifted from a huge pit in the centre of the room by more people in the same zombie like states, a wall of rubble surrounds them and there are thick ropes descending into the chasm. There is a large window looking out onto the bay letting moonlight shine in illuminating the room, there are thick chains dangling from the ceiling and another door on the platform opposite Thomas, there is a light coming from the doors glass panel allowing him to make out the word MANAGER imprinted on it. The gates which Thomas entered the building through suddenly spring into life behind him causing him to jump a little, he glances over his shoulder seeing the gates opening and the headlights of the van shining in, he is rooted to the spot eyes trained on the white van as it lurches into the warehouse. The rumbling of the engine dies out and the headlamps with it, three men exit the vehicle, two from the driver and passenger doors and one from a sliding door in the body of the van, before its slammed shut Thonas can make out two more bodies in the back. None of the three figures move or speak and for what seems an eternity there is a silence, broken only by the echoing coming from the activities in the adjourning room, suddenly the three men spring into action, they work swiftly and like a well oiled machine, two of the men remove the two slumped bodies from the back of the van with ease, hoisting them over their shoulders while the third has already opened the shutter connecting the two rooms. Thomas turns back into the room with the pit in it and sees the five men making their way through the maze of rubble and bodies, they are heading across the room directly for the Managers office. Thomas snakes his way across the platform until he comes to a halt at the edge if the walkway, there is a huge gap where the metal has rusted away, he looks down and sees it is a twenty foot drop and that there are large piles of earth and other debris under him, he looks up and sees two large thick pipes running the length of the room, reaching up tentatively he tests their weight by pulling down on them with his, once hes satisfied that they are strong enough to hold him he hoists himself up careful not to be seen and begins to shuffle along making his way to the Managers door. About halfway into his crossing he is stopped by the Cajun voice booming throughout the body of the building, cutting through the sound of the workers "It seems we have a guest" all the eyes if the workers turned in his direction and Thomas' stomach drops and he begins to panic, he loses his grip and falls onto the rubble below him, there is a blinding green flash which envelopes the entire room in a Jade blanket "bring him to me" comes the southern drawl. The bodies begin to descend upon Thomas, he is incredibly outnumbered. He draws his arms up defensively and begins to ricochet his fists off the zombies heads as they begin charging at him, bodies are being flung in a 360• radius but they keep coming. Thomas jumps up and with all his might slams his fist into the ground sending shock waves throughout the compound. The chasm in the centre of the room crumbles and widens even more and the mindless people closest to him are launched through the air like rockets some landing down the mine, the others collapse and fall over each other under the sudden impact, the whole building vibrates and the glass in the windows shatters all at once sending it raining down upon the warehouse. Thomas is panting heavily and is standing the centre of a crater when he turns his attention back to the managers office just in time to see something enormous flying at him. He recoils and lifts his hands up defensively but the creature has already wrapped itself around Him and is gripping him tighter and tighter, it sinks it's teeth into his shoulder and he lets out a howl of pain and then begans gasping for breath, the leviathan has left it's fang embedded in Thomas shoulder, he can feel the gears in his arm struggling to turn due to the blockage, he can feel his ribs straining under the pressure. Every nerve in his body is screaming and then he drops to the floor unconscious.
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