Forum Thread

Sign-Ups

Today marks the day of the annual purge, in just a few hours chaos will ensue. Nowhere will be safe anymore, terror will reign supreme throughout this city as those cursed with a morbid mentality run rampant, taking advantage of the lack of rules. It's all just a sick game, and you're one of the many pawns playing in it. In just a few hours, the first move will be made. What will you do? What moves will you make to survive?

---

Another day, another year. Another day... Another year... Another day without them, another year without them, another purge without them. His family, his friends, his sanity, his will to live, everything he had, all gone, and he was forced to lve another year, another hell without them. He lied silently on his bed, his slim eyes pointed towards the ceiling, his face void of any thought or emotion. He would cry if he could, but the discomfort wouldn't be worth it evenif he still had that ability. Did he really want to keep going? Did he really want to keep living in this hellish world? Is the annual thrill that only satisfied him for a fraction of his life really worth it? Bang! Repeated, violent knocking could be heard at his door, a knocking that ot even he could ignore. See, Alex had an incredible ability to ignore literally everything if he wanted to, even his own mind, but some things just had a different feeling to them, one he couldn't block out like he wish he could. He tried to force himself to ignore it, tune it out and just sit in silence, but it didn't work. 1 minute, more banging, 2 minutes, even more frantic banging, 3 minutes... Agh, that's enough, it was getting infuriating. Slowly, he got up and carefully shifted his weight onto his weak limbs and begun walking to the door. The walk was a long one, but he finally made it. He opened the door slowly, and the amount of things thrown onto him was quite overwhelming.

"Sir, please you-" It was a lady, a young one about the age of Alex, but she was covered in dirt, what he assumed to be beer, and bruises. She was holding a small child wrapped in blankets as well, which almost made his face retort in disgust. He hated children, and his first thought as that she was going to beg him to take care of the filthy thing. The hesitation though, as soon as the lady's gaze fell on Alex's face, was something he was expecting. Either she recognized him, was shocked at his disgusting appearance, or both, but it didn't matter. Surprisingly, she continued, even after the sight she unknowingly walked into. Guess she was desperate, or she already knew him and it was a sick act. Let's just say... Alex had quite the complicated history. "I know today's the..." She paused, taking a deep breath after realizing what she was about to say. The boy could understand why she did so, most normal, level-headed people would hesitate to speak about the purge. "But my husband... He's gone crazy and.. Well, I just-" Alex begun to lean against the doorframe, trying to remain patient as the woman stumbled over her words.

He had to be careful, she now knew he lived here and could be just as crazy as everyone else, making the weak feel good about themselves by helping only to be backstabbed, quite literally most of the time, and stolen from. "I'm scared, and everyone else wouldn't answer the door..." A few seconds past, and the two sat in silence. The lady didn't speak anymore, but she constantly shifted her weight nervously. Her face seemed to be filled with fear and desperation, but Alex couldn't tell if there was something sinister behind those eyes. He didn't want to deal with anything like this, or anything at all, but he had a slight feeling something bad would happen if she rejected her. It's happened before, after all, he narrowly avoided the hands of death because of some psycho chick he didn't feel like dealing with when they first met. He gave a small sigh, lightly touching his fingers to the bridge of his nose as he bowed his head, preparing to speak. In a low, hoarse, and unpleasant voice, he gave his response. "I'm going out anyways... You can have the living room, but don't take too much food, got it?" He didn't lift his head once to see her reaction, but he somehow knew that she flinched as soon as a terrible, raspy sound left his mouth. It took her a moment to speak, but she immediately thanked her way afterwards and made her way inside.

He gave a mental groan as soon as he looked back after closing the door, instantly regretting the situation. You won't regret it in the long run, it's much easier to deal with this way. That's what he kept telling himself, even if he knew that not everything went the way it hoped he would. She could still turn on him, or even leave without taking her child with her. Now that he thought about it... The latter seemed equally as bad as the many other alternatives... He quickly walked back to his room to get properly dressed, putting on his pants, socks, gloves, mask, jacket, and his shoes, all a dull, dark color. It only took a few minutes, so he was out the door in no time. He shut the door and locked it as quietly as possible, hoping the lady wouldn't hear. He figured it was best to lock the doors in case she tried anything, just to be safe. He stuffed his keys in his pocket before slowly walking, or rather limping, his way to town. He would take the bus if he didn't hate being around other people, even if the bus was almost empty. It was a closed area and that meant people were more likely to notice him as soon as he stepped on. He walked along the lonely sidewalk, much more barren than it was before. Oh yeah, today was the purge, people aren't stupid enough to roam the streets... He gave a sigh of relief as he continued, the much more dense part of the city getting closer and closer. His plan, every year, was to scout out as much of the city as he could, just to see if anything changed so he could account for it whenever the time came. It was a solid plan, it worked every year, and he didn't intend on changing it.

He kept moving, not letting his eyes advert from the ground in front of him. He kept his head low and his hands tucked into his jacket. It surely got suspicious looks from others who were bold enough to be outside, but he didn't really care. Even the calls for him to stop or questions of what he was doing didn't make him budge.

How did he end up in this city?

Honestly, he can't remember anymore.

All that matters now is preparing for the consequences.

Right now, he's sitting on his front porch, trying not to think too hard about the MP5 in his hands as he loads it full of ammunition. He's familiar with this gun, the feel of it in his hands nothing new to the man as he looked at the cold metal. He seemed almost lost in thought, a sick feeling building in his chest.

Don't think about it. It's not like this is the first time, right?

Beside him sits a crate, locked with 5 different combination locks. Printed on the front, the same logo that resides on the handle of the MP5 in his hands. Perhaps the crate was full of more weapons, or supplies. One couldn't tell unless they decided to ask. Gordon hoped to god nobody did.

The last thing he needed was to speak to anyone right now. That would give the victims of the approaching slaughter a certain stroke of humanity that would make surviving a hell of a lot harder.

So, there he sat, loading his guns with shaking hands and a prayer to be ignored.

Atwood was checking all of his automated defense systems, all the weaponry and experiments. Good, everything in its place and functional. The Purge was soon. The annual bloodbath. What was goverenment thinking? Oh well, no mind to that. "I'll have to steel myself, I have a bad feeling about this year." Atwood turned on his computer and logged on to Porygon Simulator. It was a refreshing game, Atwood decided last year when he started playing. "Alas, the servers will go down when the game's owner hides from the Purge." Atwood said, to nobody in particular. There was nobody nearby.

“ιт ιѕ fσявι∂∂єи тσ кιℓℓ; тнєяєfσяє αℓℓ мυя∂єяєяѕ αяє ρυиιѕнє∂
υиℓєѕѕ тнєу кιℓℓ ιи ℓαяgє иυмвєяѕ αи∂ тσ тнє ѕσυи∂ σf тяυмρєтѕ.”
― νσℓтαιяє

｡ೃ⁀ :｡.｡:+* ˚ ✦🗡✦˚ *+:｡.｡: ̗̀➛

The room was cramped. Aoi bounced their knee absentmindedly, gazing at the slowly bruising divot in their arm where they had unhooked him from a blood drip, the device which sat innocently off to the side of the room. With a final shuffle of paper and a roll of the office chair over laminated flooring, the doctor gave Aoi a warm smile. "Alright, we're all done here, Aoi. With just a few hours to go too." Doctor Moreau trilled, giving his patient a gummy smile. "Your anti-inflammatory medicine has been sent down to the pharmacy and you can get your monthly supply of blood bags from the local blood bank. All the standard things, really." The nearby printer whirred and chugged away, spitting out a small piece of paper which the doctor deftly snatched up and scribbled on before shoving it to his patient.

Taking the prescription, Aoi checked it over and made sure that each medicine they needed was there before nodding. "Thanks, doc. I've already emailed the list to you but here it is again so do keep yourself alive in time to give these to me." Taking out another sheet of paper, the lanky patient passed it over before getting up and steadying himself for a moment as the world spun before his eyes. "See you later. Happy Purge or whatever." Throwing a lazy hand up they sauntered out of the clinic and down towards the lobby. Around them, they threw greetings to the various nurses that roamed the hallways, staying behind to chat for a while. The hospital was essentially their second home, a place where they spent most of their life living in, hooked onto respirators and other machines as their life waned and waxed.

Tonight, as they had last year, they would be spending the Purge in this very facility. It was almost humorous that the place that had healed them would be their death place but they were fine with that. All everyone thought about during during the 12 hour period was murder and protecting themselves but that was kind of stupid in Aoi's eyes. Why would you go for murder when you could break any law possible? So each year they would steal from pharmaceutical companies. Lifesaving medicine that could be used by anyone all locked away for prices higher than anyone could ever afford, all stolen by one sickly person. The board members would be furious and it delighted them to no end. Humalog, Insulin, Tramadol, it was almost a second Purge when Aoi traveled around the next day to hand out their legally stolen goods.

Perhaps the best part was that most of the Hospital staff was in on this. In return for protecting the hospital for most of the Purge, nurses and doctors would gather any extra medication that they had and give it to Aoi at the 11th hour, leaving them another hour to raid the nearby pharmacies for more before time would run out. It was a clever system, made so that the Hospital could continue to treat any injured or preform any illegal yet life saving operations during the event or even experiment on live specimens (not that Aoi knew of any of those happening no sir) A symbiotic relationship if you could count it as such. Twisted, yes, but if it ensured the safety of his family well it made him just like any other "noble" participant in this twisted game, didn't it? Murdering for the continued existence of others.

Hopping down to the Hospital canteen, they waved to some of the familiar families gathered there and to the kitchen staff before hopping up to the counter. “Hi honey,” They greeted, faux flirting with the very much taken worker behind the till. “Wanna let me in so I can get some big scary knives to play with tonight?” Perhaps it was because of their winning personality of something because the worker only snorted and waved them over which Aoi did gleefully. Hopping over to a nearby knife case, he popped it open to start loading as many as he could fit. Butchers’ knives and other heavy cumbersome blades were thrown in for ease of transportation. The others found a home in one of the numerous straps littered over their attire. Knives certainly wouldn’t solve the unfortunate reality that they wouldn’t be stopping any bullets, the main danger for anyone partaking in the Purge. Because this was America, of course everyone had guns. To ward of the bears on campus of course, fivehead what else would they be used for.

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝
He didn't respond to anything, not to the rare sound of the opening door and the incoming footsteps that followed after. He sat perfectly still, leaning against the white-padded walls, looking at the similarly designed floor. There was nothing much he could do anyway, with both his arms restrained, so he just sat there as the man kneeled down to look at him, the strong smell of white musk coming from him was enough to make him dizzy.

There was the sound of metal clasps opening and he looked to see the man open the small box containing the needle and the vial of black liquid. He wasn't bothered by the menacing looking solution, since he'd been given the same thing everyday, for at least 10 years and nothing out of the ordinary ever happened to him, even though the identity of the liquid was unknown to him. He didn't put up any form as struggle as the needle pierced his skin and he was met with the usual searing sensation in his left arm. After the shot, the man tidied up his things and stood up, approaching the woman standing at the corner of the room. He heard their whispers as they spoke. No matter how quiet they were, his ears were still able to catch every single line, and the echo in the room made the job easier for him.

"The Purge is happening soon," the man stated. As he took off his rubber gloves and disposed them in the nearby trash can. The woman gave a small nod in response.

"Is the boss still going with the plan?" she asked, taking frequent glances at the boy, who met her gaze with his own bloody eyes. "I'm not so sure this will turn out well," she added worriedly.

"Of course, you know how he is. Once he sets something he isn't going to change it, no matter how ludicrous it is," he sighed. "He wanted to finally test the serum and get rid of his enemy while he's at it. It's not like he'd be there to witness the terror this monster is capable of brewing," he grumbled. The woman let out her own sigh in response.

"Whatever, let's just get him ready and get this over with," she mumbled as she approached the sitting boy. "Stand up," she simply ordered. She had already expected him to follow, just as with the other subjects around him.

And he did stand up, obeying her instructions but keeping his eyes to the ground. The man opened the door and they both got out the room. He didn't need any instructions, he followed behind them. The minute he set foot out of the boundaries of his door, he could already feel the ends of the guns pointed at him if he attempted anything. He's never been outside the room, conscious that is, so the corridors was a new sight for him after a few years. He looked around at the windows, showing the barren land and the tall building beyond, where the city resided. While most who had been locked up for a long time would look in awe, he felt nothing, just blankly staring at the outside world through the glass pane.

They entered another room of what appeared to be a study, with books lining up one side of the wall and a huge screen on the other. A man in a black suit sat comfortably on his desk, his golden eyes looking at the newcomers, especially the boy.

"Ah, yes. Azrael Leviathan. This must be the first time outside your room?" he started. While he spoke, he could feel the restraints on his arm being opened and soon he could actually move them, looking at the scars the tight bindings had left. He felt a jab to his back with the barrel of the gun that was aimed at him.

"Answer," came the command. He willed himself to speak, letting out his voice after keeping quiet for so long wasn't easy. His throat was dry and his response came out like a croak.

"Yes," he stated. He fought back the urge to cough after saying just one word but he couldn't stop one from escaping his mouth, which he quickly covered with his free arm.

"You must be wondering why you're here. As you know, the Purge is happening in soon, in just a few hours I believe. I have a task for you. So..." he rambled on, of which Azrael didn't pay attention to. He bet it was something money related, seeing the position the man was in, and he couldn't care less. He'd never followed any of the previous Purge as he stayed locked up in that white room but whispers of what the event was leaked from the usual guard chats outside the door. Hours of chaos and destruction, where nothing is illegal, a bloodbath that imitates a glimpse into hell itself. He let out a sigh as the man strung out long sentences from his mouth, growing annoyed at the story he was spurting.

"Look, I don't care about you boring backstory so skip to the point," he grumbled, his husky voice surprising the man as he had the guts to interrupt him. The jab of the barrel came again and the guards behind him was about to scold him before the 'boss' raised a finger to silence them.

"Point is, you're the only one who'd survive the trials of the serums so far and that makes you one of our strongest assets yet. You may not know this, but your body has already developed some sort of instant healing. Though, this doesn't mean your previous sickness is cured You'll still have to be wary of going under the sun, but your healing and strength has probably amplified over the past 10 years you've been here," he explained. Azrael looked at him, uninterested in all of that. His raised eyebrow told the man he just wanted to know the details of his task, which the man met with a smirk.

"I have someone I need to get rid of in the city, and the upcoming Purge is the best time to do it. We're going to see how well the serum actually works, so I'm sending you off to kill him on your own. It'll be far more efficient than sending almost half of my people without your attributes," he finally outlined the plan. "If you do your task properly, you'll be granted freedom from this facility," he added.

"And if I fail?" Azrael asked. By fail, he included if he decided to turn against them. The man stood up and looked at him directly in the eye.

"A failed mission means nothing but death, of course," he stated, trying to act all scary, but it had no effect on the boy. He stood up straight afterward, fixing his suit. "Anyway, you better get going now or you'll be late for the grand event," he waved him off, turning his back to him. Azrael was then dragged out of the room, glaring at the man with hostility.

[TIMESKIP TO ARRIVING AT THE CITY]

Azrael leaned against the brick wall of the alley, looking at the huge mansion before him in the shadows of the tall buildings. His hoodie pulled up to cover most of his face, the black color blending into the dark. The roads were quite empty, as if everyone had hid into their houses to try and escape the inevitable destruction that will ensue. He looked down at the watch he was given. The time was coming, he readied his knives.

As much as he wanted to run, the planted tracker in him would immediately notify the boss and he was too lazy to create a chase he'd definitely lose. He decided to sharpen his knives while waiting for the hours to tick by.

"You might as well walk around," a voice buzzed into his ears. He pressed the button on the earpiece.

"Why would I bother to waste energy walking around?" he groaned.

"Hello, silly boy, you're dealing a rich man here. There are guards scouring the area all the time. Staying in one point is risky," the voice said sarcastically, making Azrael let out a silent hiss. "Just try to act normal. Look around, it's your first time outside after years, is it not? Enjoy the freedom a little," he added before the earpiece went silent with a beep, implying he cut the connection. Azrael sighed as he walked away from the safety of the dark, feeling the sunrays bouncing off his black hoodie. Him walking around with such dark wear could already raise suspicion but he didn't care. He started wandering aimlessly, staying close to the targeted building as possible.

---

Her eyes shot open, waking up to the familiar place she had been all her life. Even if it was hard to admit, she did always expect it all to be a dream and wake up in a nicer place. Amber fidgeted with her hair a little bit, yawning. Even though it was a good house, it wasn't necessarily in a good state.

Letting her legs sway off of her bed and plop down onto the floor, she felt refreshed after that short nap. She practically jumped after checking the time though.

"How did I even fall asleep with this big event happening in. . . soon?!" She asked no one in particular, fidgeting even more with her hair. It was a good thing Amber had gone shopping the previous day for supplies and a particular set of knives she had been eyeing for a long time. Her emerald eyes darted through the chaotic mess she had called a bedroom and checked if everything was still there.

"Yep, no break-ins last night!" She cheered. She had already gotten dressed for the event earlier in a thick sweater and tank top, light blue jeans and black combat boots. Even if they wouldn't necessarily protect her, it was better than nothing. She quickly tied her hair up into a ponytail, wincing a little at the pain of pulling her own hair.

She yawned again, rubbing her eyes.

---

Yukimore opened her eyes, taking a moment to take in everything. After a minute or two, she finally stood up. Where.. am I? She wondered to herself, looking around at her surroundings. She was on a unfamiliar planet. After she took in her surroundings, she realized her best friend, Rhulk, was not too far from her. She took a sigh of relief, knowing she wasn't going to be alone trying to figure things out.

Rhulk looked around and noticed Yukimore. "Ah, I see, you have been dragged in here, too?" Rhulk said as he turned his gaze to Yukimore. He picked up his glaive he had next to him on the floor when he randomly appeared here.

Yukimore nodded. "Perhaps, its disgusting." She scolded as she stood on her legs, regaining her balance before looking back up to Rhulk. "Maybe we were pulled in here by our Master, perhaps. Wait.. no. He wouldn't. Not us." Yukimore said as she approached Rhulk slowly.

Rhulk sighed. "I guess, lets take a walk around, then, and figure out something." Yukimore nodded, and followed Rhulk to wherever.

Cloudy circled another house on his map in red marker. He wanted to take out as many as possible. The Purge would be starting soon and he was going to finally get his revenge. Maybe he should burn their houses as well? He wasn't even scared of the Purge. Why should he. So what if people would attack my house? I don't really care about it anyways.

There was a knock on his door as a woman opened the door "Cloudy, are you alright in there?"

He hid the map "Yes, mom. I'm just making preparations for the Purge."

"Oh, sweetie you don't need to. We've decided that we're going to stay in the basement until it's all over"

Right. They were going to stay safe. "Oh, okay. " He wasn't going to listen anyways.

His mom nodded and left the room. He rolled his eyes and then pulled out his baseball bat. "Should I upgrade the bat?" He smiled. He wasn't interested in being safe; he was interested in being dangerous.

---

“You fried gizzard feet! You stained my dress!! The custom tailored white lace one I got from France!!! Do you even know how much it costs???” Andrea flings her silk slipper at her flustered maid. “Sorry, miss.” She replies, trembling as she fumbles into a curtsy. The frightened maid had been dealing with her mistress’s fiery temper ever since one of the other maids spilt a drop of coffee on the carpet floor— an insignificant mistake that with no doubt pushed Andrea’s mood over the edge. She scoffs, flicking a speck of dirt off her shoulder, dismissing the maid with a haughty wave. “Tsk. Can you believe it, Juliana? Stupid fools” She asks, cooing softly at the pure white albino snake around her neck. Silver and gold bracelets wrapped around pale wrists, and pretty necklaces adorned her neck. She had an abundance of gold rings on her fingers, way too dazzling and way too elegant for someone just staying at home. But then again, Andrea always did things extravagantly. Despite all the bling, she didn’t look overdressed or out of place, her home as elegant as her figure. She was wearing a poofy black dress, so wide she could hid several dead bodies under it. Underneath the curtain that was her dress, a neat row of knives, guns and more lay. However, the thing that took pride of place and bunned up her long locks of jet black hair with white streaks was a ornate Damascus knife inlaid with gold, with a blood red ruby embedded in its handle of white marble.

[a little while later]

Soft white silk gloves slid gently across the table’s surface. Andrea put it up to her eyes, staring at it quietly, frowning when she spotted dust on her silk glove. “Anne!! Didn’t I tell you to get someone to clean this up? There’s dust! It’s not cleaner properly” She shrieks hysterically. Another small maid wobbles over, balancing a huge pile of laundry, and apologises hurriedly, scurrying off to go get someone to clean up the speck of dirt. Andrea was partially a germaphobe, she didn’t like it when there was even the slightest mess. She whistles, summoning the head maid over, and dismissing them all to go take a break after that mess was dealt with. The head maid nods gratefully, and Andrea sighs once the maids have all returned to their quarters. She rips off her jewellery and her gloves with scorn, letting her hair loose and slipping out of her dress to reveal decently normal clothing underneath. If you considered combat wear normal clothing, that is. She rearranged all her knives, before picking up her accessories and clothing and whatnot, going to her room and dumping it all there. Andrea walks in front of her floor to ceiling mirror, swiping her blood on the small scanner hidden in the mirror, as gears softly whir to life, revealing a pristine white laboratory, with all sorts of bubbling chemical brews poofing out colorful smoke. She selects a test tube with white solution inside, and minimal effervescence. Swirling it around, she nods approvingly, before pouring it into a bowl. She then takes out a mortar and pestle, and a clump of red looking rocks. Arsenic, and red metal cinnabar. She sprinkles a few dried leaves and a bunch more powders, checking it against some sort of journal. She pours it into a flask when ready, and pockets it. Next, she takes a needle, drawing out some of her own blood, and then gently uncoiling Juliana from her shoulder. “Spit” she tells the snake, and venom trickles into the test tube. She empties the blood into a separate vial, then some of the venom. She watches the blood, then dropping a few jasmine leaves in it, a special orangey-purple flower, leaf pulp, Good. The venom was no longer effective. She smiles, having gotten her desired results. She could the albino back around her neck, labelling the test tube. Whilst crooning softly, she picks up a pétri-dish, well labelled and pours agar solution into dish, setting it to solidify. Meanwhile, she takes a small container, using a micropipette to extract bacteria from it, then applying it to the agar. She spreads it, then sprays a bright pink solution onto it, before putting it into the incubator. If she was right, the growth should increase rapidly. Perfect for starting a biochemical war. Her lips curve upwards, tugging the corners of her mouth into a smile. The Purge was soon. This was going to be fun. She steps away from experimenting for now, hanging her coat and lab goggles, before stepping into another section of the lab, scanning her thumbprint, retina and her DNA, as a small slit in the door turned into a handle, swinging open to reveal disguises of all sorts, credit cards, fake documents and a singular, simple handgun with ammo. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, then looks out the window. The idea of using guns disgusted hr, yet she was pretty sure they were all going to be blowing each other up anyways. Hip hip hooray. Maniacs, blowing everything up. But then again, she did have a wide collection of knives….soooo she couldn’t judge them either. She cleans up, locks everything, and with one last look, she locks the lab and steps out of the mirror.

She flops into the bed, and screams into the pillow, muffled, strangled shouts for some random reason. “Ughhhhh…oh sorry Juls, did I squish you?” She puts the snake on her stomach, lying spread-eagle, face up, staring at the ceiling. “Too much light….dammit I still have a biology paper to finish.” She snaps her fingers, hologram flickering to a starry sky. She groans, getting up, changing, before flopping back onto her bed, covering her eyes with a Hello Kitty blindfold, and taking a catnap. She would deal with more problems sometime…just not now. “Good evening, madam. How may I assist you?” A voice cuts through the peaceful silence, and Andrea groans again, throwing a pillow at the talking gadget. “Shut up, I’m trying to get some sleep here.” She mutters. “That’s not very nice” The digital voice speaks again. She flips it off, pulling her pillow to cover her ears. “I dont care.” She grumbled. “You seem down. How can I help?” The A.I repeats. Frustrated, Andrea moves her hand around blearily, smacking the device off the table and onto the floor. “That wasn’t very nice either.” The A.I says, from its spot on the floor. Andrea groans, getting up, and disconnecting the stupid Bluetooth…thing. She flings it out of her window, whines at the light outside, and flops back onto her bed. Juliana, sensing her frustration, hisses comfortingly, slithering around her hand. Andrea screws her eyes shut, puts the blindfold back on and takes deep breaths, slowly calming down. Barely 10 minutes have passed, and her phone rings, causing her to sit up in shock. “SHUT UP” She roars, staring at the phone. Great. A call from one of those pathetic, arrogant side companies. “Here missus, I’ve done up the draft for ya. Do take a look and tell me how great it is.” The man-child on the other end of the phone chirrups. “You’re fired, Daniel’s taking over. Goodbye.” And with that, she ends the phone call. What with the purge, her companies, and her own studies all converging into one, she sighs, throwing her phone across the room and going back to sleep.

---

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝
The streets were literally deserted as Azrael wandered around, kicking small rocks and pebbles as he strolled along the pavement. He saw the eyes of the men in suits look at him warily. Of course they'd look at him that way, a random stranger absentmindedly walking, almost circling, a house you were meant to guard would obviously raise suspicion. As if on cue, he heard the familiar buzz in his ear.

"Change of plans boy, he's not in the house," came the man's voice, laced with a hint of annoyance. Azrael held back a groan and didn't say anything, expecting the man to tell him his target's new location. When an answer didn't come within the next three minutes, Azrael started increasing the distance between him and the mansion.

"So, where is he?" he irritatedly asked after moments of silence.

"If the spies were right, they said he was in the hospital just deeper into the city. Said he was testing something of his own there too," the boss answered. Azrael pulled out the phone and checked the new place, a hospital a few kilometers away from where he currently was. He started making his way towards it, not giving the man another reply as he headed towards his new coordinates. As the time drew closer, he could see several figures hiding in the dark while he glanced around. He could catch the thin whispers in the wind as they supposedly planned their moves, the grating of metal and the bang of a gunshot further away in the alleys. It felt like an army of devils just waiting to let their monsters free the minute the countdown ends.

Then again, everyone in this world was born a monster in the first place. To him, that is.

The rhythmic sound of footsteps following behind him raised a red flag that he was being tailed and a quick glance confirmed his thoughts as he saw the black-clothed shadows following him. He casually took a turn and entered one of the dark alleys, a risky moves with the number of heartless murderers probably concealed behind the dumpsters and the pillars. As he went deeper, the sounds of footsteps grew fainter until the two men were no longer there. Maybe they took a detour through a safer route or maybe they were reporting his wary behavior to the enemy. Whatever they were planning, Azrael didn't worry much for now.

*WOOSH*

His eyes slightly widened as he narrowly missed the blade that was thrown at him, sharply dodging it but still earning a slight scratch to his cheek, he looked towards the area from where it was thrown from to see some younger people snickering at each other, pointing their finger at him.

"We got him," they chanted jokingly as Azrael heard another knife getting pulled out and probably aimed at him. Another attempt to hit him failed as he gripped the handle of the thrown knife and swiftly threw it back with utmost precision, earning a satisfying sound of gurgling and shocked gasps. A thump to the ground came soon after following the terrified screams, probably so loud they could be heard from a distance. Azrael let out a chuckle.

"You [:O] are very impatient. The Purge isn't happening yet and already you're playing with fire?" he taunted as he stepped closer to the two teenagers who looked up at him like he was the angel of death himself. "But I don't blame you, a few early prey wouldn't hurt at all," he added evilly as he slit their throats with a quick slash, the two following their dead friend in a puddle of blood before they can cry out for help. Azrael threw the bloodied knife onto the ground before moving along, coming back to the streets. He came out clean, without a single blood stain on his clothes, and merged with the scarce number of people as if he hasn't just killed off three kids way before the Purge even began. He raised one hand to try and check for the scratch on his face, but he only felt smooth skin without any trace of scabbing. It really did heal that quickly. As he got closer to the inner part of the city, the number of people slightly increased and he bumped into civilians every now and then compared to the outskirts. The buildings also became more modernized, with shining glass replacing the cracking bricks. It's surprising to him how it all still stands even with the countless years of Purge that happened before that would have surely involve explosions at some point. After a few more minutes of walking, he reached the steps of the hospital. The incoming event didn't give the medical teams any reason to rest by the looks of it with the bustle going on in the building. Except for the barricades that are positioned at several areas, it looks like they were indifferent to the signal that was about to blast any minute now.

"I can see why they'd choose to come here," he sighed as he slumped against the white walls outside, watching the doctors go in and out of the building, not dressed in their usual white coats but bulletproof vests over casual wear, which was a somewhat humorous yet nostalgic scene for him.

As his attention was diverted for a bit he didn't realize the oncoming footsteps of the two men earlier and couldn't react quickly enough when one grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. The doctors just outside the entrance looked at the two shocked and ran inside, screaming hysterics for god knows why. Azrael grimaced as this'll definitely alert the person probably in the basement. He groaned as he flicked the ring on his finger and sliced the man's arm, loosening the grip for him to bend his arm back and give more damage to their throat. Just as the second man approached him he kicked him as he got up and sent him flying a considerable distance before he heard the sound of breaking glass in the distance. He felt shocked at the surge of strength. When was he this strong? He used to be incapable of landing a decent punch. The usual alert in his ears greeted him once again.

"The Purge hasn't even started and you're already letting loose? Keep it together boy," he heard. The boy's lips curved into a sinister smile as he pressed the button.

"I'm pretty sure starting the party early would do no harm," he hummed in an unusually excited voice. He couldn't see it, but he could tell the man was smiling somewhere elsewhere as Azrael flipped into an entire different being.

"What can I say, the stage is yours I guess," was the last sentence he heard before he busted through the hospital entrance, met with the shocked screams and instructions to attack. The alarms rang out through the city, a cry for help to some but a declaration of freedom for the insane ones. The police may be on the way as it's still not within the legal hours, or maybe the government just doesn't give a damn anymore.

"Now where could that sneaky rat be?" he wondered out loud as he took a step forward.

---

Andrea finally realises she’s never gonna be able to sleep properly. Not before the Purge, that is. She sighs, packing a small satchel, putting the stuff she needed inside, then coiling Juliana around her neck, and throwing on a hoodie and some sweatpants over her combat gear. She steps out, winces and the bright sunlight and heads off to the hospital to nick some supplies. She was sure the hospital had epinephrine, and vast supplies of it. Of course, she could just buy some, but that wouldn’t be much fun would it? She sneaks in, somehow missing the commotion entirely, grabs what she needs and saunters back out the storeroom, only to witness this random freaky guy looking for someone. Leaning against the countertop, she asks Azrael. “Who are you lookin for, sugar? Not a very nice day to be calling people names, isn’t it? Purge coming soon and all.” She rummages in the satchel, taking out two lollipops, and throwing one over to Azrael. “Catch” She states, unwrapping her own lollipop daintily.

---

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝
Azrael turned to look at the newcomer, a look of uninterest on his face. He didn't bother catching the lollipop offered to him, letting it bounce off his chest and landing on the white tiled floor. Sweets weren't his thing anyway. If anything, all it brought back were painful memories. Ones that he couldn't clearly remember. He examined her closely and just based off the way she talked, he probably wouldn't like her. The snake with her, however, seemed to have made Azrael's eyes spark in wonder, which he quickly diminished.

He didn't say anything to her as he walked off towards the hallway, with his hands in his pockets.

"Now, now, Azrael. That's not how you treat a lady," said the buzz in his ear. Azrael let out a loud laugh as he raised his finger to press the button.

"Says the man who ran one over with a car," he backlashed, remembering their journey to the city outskirts. The boss laughed at his response.

"Hey, she was almost asking for it. Crazy lady standing in the middle of the road," he replied.

"It was a pedestrian crossing old man," Azrael added as he left the reception area and started making his way towards the corridors lined with wards, hearing the panicked ruckus of the people inside, fretting over why the chaos was erupting so early. He could hear the doctors rush towards him as he tried to find the stairs to the basement.

"On a serious note, maybe you should talk to her. She may have valuable information, or she could be an ally," the man said.

"I have no interest in creating any fake relationships with anyone only to kill them off later," he answered, probably loud enough for Andrea to hear, as he pushed open the huge double doors leading to the next section. He was instantly met by a wave of doctors and nurses, holding up guns aimed at him.

"Whatever. But remember, just because you have an up with your stats, doesn't mean you're invincible. Even if you can heal quickly, damage to vital organs are still fatal. I highly recommend you partner up with-"

"Yeah, yeah, ramble on. Talk to you later," he grumbled as he took out the tiny earpiece and tossed it to the ground. He felt a slight shock in his arm, probably from the tracker planted in him, as a punishment for what he did. But he didn't care, this pain was nothing compared to what he put up with throughout his childhood.

Just as the doctor was about to call out the order to fire, Azrael took out the knives burrowed deep in the pockets of his hoodie, gripping one on every gap between his fingers and throwing them, each one hitting a spot on the staff's neck. He did miss one, which managed to shoot him, a straight hit to his arm. He let out a wince, but nothing more to give them the satisfaction of watching him in pain. He took out another knife and hit them properly before he went to pick them back up. Maybe they weren't the best weapons, but they the ones that Azrael was definitely best at handling. He also picked up the earpiece he threw away.

"Anyway, stop zapping me, it's getting annoying," he complained as he put it back on, continuing his journey through the hallway. He could already feel the bullet wound healing, slowly but still abnormally quick.

"Don't get too cocky," the man warned, which was met by Sephtis rolling his eyes. The earpiece went silent after that, not even the beep that told him the connection was cut. The old man must be pissed. Serves him right.

As he traversed the endless hospital hallways, he could feel memories flooding. Everything from the needles lying on the trolleys to the empty gurneys and the clean smell that lingered in the air, it reminded him too much of that hell hole he'd been penned up in. It started getting too quiet as he walked further and the screamings and ordering were now reduced to sobs and whisper-cries. The number of obstacles, though, increased and he had to repeatedly climb over the randomly placed gurneys and trolleys that were obstructing the corridor. Tired from all the leaping, he decided to chill for a minute and threw himself onto one of them, the surprisingly soft pillow catching his head, but it was a huge contrast to the mattress that felt like it could break his back. He laid there for a second, staring at the fluorescent lights on the cieling-

Stop! Please!

He shot up from the gurney immediately at the sudden, vivid image in his head. He glanced down and saw that he had gripped on the sheets in his shock. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes and continued on his way again.

He quickly reminded himself that laying down on a gurney was a bad idea and should never be attempted again.

New Info: Hospitals gives Azrael bad flashbacks

---

Amber counted the steps to her kitchen. She didn't know why she counted them, she just did. It felt comfortable. Taking her mind off of the tik-tok-tik-tok of her wall-mounted clock, she looked around her kitchen the same way she did with her room. A little bit of disgust, mostly just sadness that she had to wake up in this place.

Amber wouldn't even call it a kitchen. More like a rundown place that had burned the house. Twice. It had a small stove that never worked, a toaster, a fridge and her set of new knives. Taking a quick glance out of her window, she then realized how lucky she was to live at this location. It was mostly deserted and nobody would probably even check here, and her house looked abandoned on the outside.

It was unusually quiet. She didn't like it. Trudging over to her knife set and picking one up, she admired how clean it was. Unlike everything she owned. "This thing, this will change my life- ahh!" She flinched back a little, dropping the knife. She had cut herself and it was a small cut, but it had caused her finger to bleed. "I really need to get better with knives." She quickly ripped off a sheet of paper towel and held it in place on the cut.

---

“I’m not that easy to kill, teacup. And you should take the old man’s advice. You may be skilled in elegantly bashing other people’s heads off and acting like a complete maniac of a gentleman, but when it comes to other kinds of wars? Biochemistry is my specialty, and I’m not too shabby at technology either.” She calls out after him, swiftly reappearing a few steps in front of him. “Alliances will be helpful, especially during this Purge. And by the way, please clean up after yourself, it doesn’t look very nice to leave blood and body parts all over the place. Not very…hospitable” Andrea laughs at her own joke, her eyes twinkling as she fiddled with the syringe in her hand.

---

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝
At the sudden return of the female's voice, Azrael stopped in his tracks and turned back. To be frank, he wasn't one who likes nor was interested in anything related to science so whatever she had said didn't really appeal to him much. He did hear the word before while the doctors worked on him as a kid, but his idea of what the word meant was vague and the only thing he could think of was diseases and genetic stuff since that was how he commonly heard it back at the facility. Cleaning was the last thing on his mind, they'd all crumble to rubble after this anyway, it's no use. However, he could maybe use her skill in technology for... later, though he wasn't going to just accept forming an alliance with her just yet.

"I'll think about it," he said blankly as he leaned against the wall, watching her play with the syringe. His eyes thought he saw the black liquid inside it again, but it was empty. He watched as she almost twirled it around her fingers like a knife, watching the shiny, grey needle reflect the rays of lights from the celing. He directed his attention to his arm that just got shot and the last scabs of skin had fallen and his arm looked as good as new, though a throbbing pain still ached on the area. At the sound of the snake's flickering tongue, he stole glances at it, almost mesmerized by it's pristine colors compared to the menacing black ones in the lab, which they dumped into his room once...

"Anyway, if you're just going to pester me I might as well make use of it," he grumbled as he took out the phone he was given. "Do you happen to know this guy?" he questioned, showing Andrea the picture of the man he was sent to kill for a few minutes before he switched off the phone. The target was probably in his 60s if he heard it from the boss properly and one thing that stood out from the man was his pitch black eyes which were just as unusual as Azrael's bright red ones. Even if his facial features weren't uncommon, his eyes gave his identity away and he was told he wore a hood or a hat most of the time to hide his most prominent feature. The man somewhat reminded Azrael of his father, with the face full of scars from battles he never knew and the dark bags under the eyes.

He couldn't remember much of the man except his blue eyes. Whenever he thought of those dead eyes that still shone it's soft blue, even when it loses it's light of light, a weird feeling tingles in Azrael.

But also the whispers that taunted him in the back of his mind.

He stretched as he stood straight after resting his body on the wall and started moving again, finding his way to the staircase, he checked his watch to see the time. Time really does fly when you're having fun. he thought, as there were only a few more minutes to the grand event. He kicked opened the door to the staircase and forgot about his enhanced strength, the impact of his boots on the door caused it to crack and come off all it's hinges before smashing against the wall, causing a slight rumble in the building. He looked at the pieces of wood for a few seconds before he made his way down the stairs.

---

“Thanks. And him? Haven’t seen him, but give me a laptop or something of that sort and I’m sure I’ll be able to hack the surveillance cameras and see where he was last seen. Also, biochemistry is pretty cool. Whatever happened to you? The work of biochemistry. Whatever may continue to happen to you? It can also be biochemistry. Take piranha solution for example. It burns through bone, and it is reasonably easy to get. It would be handy. And arsenic, epinephrine and more….you know? I would tell you what they do, if you made and alliance with me. And I’d let you pet Juliana too.” She tells Azrael, following him down the basement steps daintily as she admires his work. “Don’t kick the door down so hard, you have enhanced strength.”

---

Commotion, commotion, commotion... Things were already happening and it annoyed the hell out of him. It was too loud... Too loud, too loud, too loud... He grit his teeth and slammed his eyes closed in anger in disgust. A low, quiet growl escaped between his teeth, but not enough for anyone to hear. He hated this already, he hated this day, these years, the people, everything. He just hated it. He was disgusted by the souls of this damned world, rage filled every ounce of his body at the thought of the horrors of humanity. People were impatient, stupid, maniacal, selfish, heartless, and everything in between. Alex raised his hands to cover his ears as he walked, gripping his hair tightly in the process. Too much talking, too much screaming, too much rumbling, too much quiet, too much... Oh it was just too much... He walked faster and faster until he had broken into a sprint, passing a rather... beat up hospital, which made him stop for a second. People were impatient, they were stupid, they were reckless... Yeah, they were, weren't they... These thoughts made up the entirety of Alex's being, driving him to wake up in the morning and do the things he did. What he didn't realize though, was that he was the exact same way. He was no exception to the outlook he had. He was the same as everyone else, probably even worse. Oh what a tragedy it would be to see him realize the error of his ways, the battle in his mind, the blood that blinded his vision. Oh to see the day when he finally realizes... Thank goodness the day is near, it may even be today...

---

Tick... Tick... Tick... Boom. The sound of the bell tower rang through the city, alerting everyone and every thing that the time has come. The purge was here, and it was here to stay for a long and grueling 12 hours. No rules for another 12 hours, a heaven to some, but hell to the rest... Screams got louder, rubble started flying, smoke slowly filled the air, and the faint smell of blood could be smelt all over. No one was safe now, not even the most fortified stronghold is safe from the wrath of these ruthless creatures. Things were getting quite chaotic, and Alex hadn't even done his daily routine. Oh well, too late for that.

---

As a distant explosion rang through the air around him, Gordon gave a harsh, momentarily terrified flinch. He kept his eye shut tight, fists clenched, breathing steadily and slowly as he reminded himself where he was.

He wasn't there anymore. He was okay...

Well, as okay as he could be in the circumstances. He looked over his weapons again - an MP5, a Colt Python revolver, a Glock-17, and a SPAS 12 shotgun. A belt of grenades was already strapped firmly around his waist, with 3 separate holsters for select firearms attached. Honestly, he felt somewhat under-prepared - but in that commotion, this was all he could have taken.

He shook that fear off and set his worries aside, assuring himself he'd be okay. It was only 12 hours. He had to put his past behind him. He could feel fear, regret, worry, all those emotions that made him vulnerable later. For now, he only needed to be concerned with three things.

Staying present, staying focused, and staying alive.

He strapped the MP5 over his shoulder, and placed the shotgun, glock and revolver in their respective holsters. Gordon adjusted his eyepatch, toed his hair up into a ponytail, and looked out at the already deteriorating battleground of a city before him.

This was gonna be easy! Not trusting anyone and being overly hypervigilant? He did that every day anyway. He'd be fine, he'd be fine, he'd...

He shut his eye tight, pushing back a wave of unwanted memories. The first wave of many, he was certain.

He stood at his spot on his reinforced balcony, staring out over his barrier with a one-eyed glare of false malice. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't.

---

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝
Azrael tried to block out the ramblings the woman behind him, almost purposely stomping the ground harder as he went further down the steps to drown out the noise of her words.

"If I'm going to be forced to make an alliance with a person who rambles all day long, I'd rather cut off my ears. Would you shut-" he started but it was interrupted by the sounds of the ringing bell tower followed by the loud explosions and the tremor of the ground below they're feet. The hospital remained sturdy, but it began to shake with every blast that happened outside, the sound of shattering glass ringing everywhere from the force of the flying debris. He could hear the faint screams of the people outside and already the stench of blood and smoke was worsening. There was no doubt.

The shots were let off, and the Purge has begun.

"Good luck, boy. Y̴̛̛̯͋̊̿͊̚o̴̖͉̤̠̓̐͛̈́̂̏̾̚ù̵̫͍̗̱̼̅ͅ'̷̨̞͉̩̼̯̊͌̄̌l̶̹̆̈́̓̽͋̉̽͌̋͘l̶̤̺͈̩̺͚̔̃̀̈͊͒̅͛͜ ̴̨̙̘̥͈̫͉̲̻̤̒̌̈́̆́̑͝n̶̪̘͇͐̍͆̂ẹ̴̡̦̳̐̔̀̈́͊͂ë̶̡̖̣̱́̀̕d̸̟͍̪̱͓̺̮̘̱̐̚ ̷͈̰̹̳̯̗̗̫͉͌̆͌̄͒͗̕ͅį̵̬̣̳̫͖̃͊̅̋t̷̛̗̺͇̔̌̂̅̌̎͠," the earpiece said, the words seemingly came out broken towards the end. Suddenly, the boss's words were cut and he was greeted with an unusual silence. Taking the small piece out, the blinking green light earlier had turned red, implying that the connection was cut. A sudden thought almost excited him.

Would that mean he was free from the man's grasp?

Before he could process what just happened, however, the sudden sound of running boots from every direction overwhelmed him and the two were met with men in black suits, aiming the guns at them. He was stunned in place. If he moved an inch, these men wouldn't think twice to shoot. They're fingers hovered over the trigger, surrounding the pair in the center of the staircase. All the gaps had been guarded and there was no way to escape.

Suddenly, a feeling of panic swelled in his chest. He couldn't move. His brain was already thinking this was the end.

As he waited for the trigger to be pulled, a faint image played in his head. His room, surrounded by silver machines, pointing the barrel of the guns at him, a boy panting and crying in pain on the ground. He had familiar looking black hair and the same glow of the red eyes.

He felt the panic, the fear and the anxiety as the robots drew closer and he felt the sharp pierces in his skin, blood slowly trickling out with every shot and an unbearable pain spread throughout his entire body before disappearing as soon as it came. He was trapped, he didn't know what to do.

"Azrael! Azrael"

He turned to his right to see another boy, his white hair covering the warm yellow eyes, darkened with worry. His face was also showing how much pain he was going through, having taken the same number of hits as he did. Though, through the suffering he was going through, a smile radiated on his face as fended off the needles shot at them.

"We'll get through this," was the last thing he heard, the voice wavering and fading before it vanished out of his head. He couldn't recall anything else. He didn't know who the boy was, he didn't know why they were friends. He had no memory of having anyone on his cell but himself. All that followed was the random splotches of blood.

But a raging anger lit inside of him, so wild that he confused himself with the burning hatred in his heart.

The minute Azrael's eyes looked up from the ground, he didn't see the humans by what they really are. His eyes had created some sort of illusion of the robots that once surrounded him in his room, shooting him until he'd eventually get up and be strong enough to fend them all off.

And just in the blink of an eye, the room was filled with gunshots, the sound echoing through the hallways followed by the screams. One by one, they dropped dead, slumped onto the ground.

And standing above the bodies was Azrael, clutching an injury from getting shot in the abdomen. The wound didn't heal as quickly as the others, the mending process itself was painful and he let out a hiss of pain as he forced his legs to stand up. The adrenaline pumping through him just seconds ago seems to vanish as the mysterious throb left his chest and he was left confused over what he just experienced.

He looked back at Andrea, who seemingly didn't take any hits and stood perfectly fine while he had probably been shot at several places, acting like her shield. he groaned as he fought his way to get down the stairs.

"Come on, we got to keep going. And keep that mouth shut," he warned angrily as they continued their way down the spiraling flight of stairs.

[BACK AT HQ]

"Boss! The connection has been cut!" the man announced, hurriedly entering the room where the boss sat on the luxurious sofa, drinking the red liquid from the wine glass.

"Well, what can you do about it," he asked. Though he seems calm, a cold air lingered around his words. "Get me back with the boy as soon as you can. God knows what he does if we let him go like that," he added before he continued looking out at the city, half of it crumbled into rubble with the bodies of the victims lying around. The other man let out with a low scoff.

"You shouldn't have let him go in the first place," he heard the man mumble. The man was met with a knife on the pillar besides him, just inches away from his ear.

"Why don't you say that right at my face?" the boss challenged, sending the man scrambling away in panic with a string of apologies. The assistant standing off at the far corner of the room looked at the boss warily, the smile on his face was not anywhere near comforting.

"Do you think I made the wrong choice?"

"N-No sir," he answered shakily as the man stood up from rest and began to circle around the room.

"I do think he is the best for this job, knowing the man we're facing with," the boss said, almost twirling the glass with his fingers. "In addition to the current strength and healing boosts he has now. The training will surely do lots too," he added.

"B-But his memories were erased right?" the other man asked, trying to confirm what he was hearing about the boy they sent out. He was their first successful subject and the boss was very pleased with how he turned out, despite the expenses he had done to get him that far.

"Not quite, while he can still see them, he wouldn't be able to make any sense of it," he corrected, taking another sip from the glass. The assistant was confused.

"How does this help him in any way?" he inquired.

"You see, though the mind forgets, his heart remembers the pain. The pain of losing someone he built such a bond with," he explained. "And that anger is what will push him beyond the limits we currently know..."

"But anyways, let them handle the issue. The Purge has begun, let us enjoy the show," he said with a chuckle as he looked out the window at the destruction that unfolded in the city. "Speaking of which. That boy is in for a surprise once he gets down there. He might start getting mad at me," he suddenly added with a laugh.

---

Amber's train of thought was interrupted by the ringing bells signaling the hell had just started. She glanced out her window into the secluded area she had called home. She secretly hoped that her house looked abandoned from the outside, and her little plan set into play. She had turned all of her lights off and closed her blinds earlier, or what was left of the blinds.

Amber could already hear explosions and gunshots. Her plan wasn't the best or the brightest, and it was solely based on luck. Luck that someone would see the crumbling house, the burn marks on the side, and the vines crawling up the porch and to the second-floor windows, and think that it was abandoned.

She held the knife in her hand, a bit shakily. She still had a plan on what to do with intruders.

---