“There is no longer peace in this world. War between the races and groups of man have ravished the land and left millions dead. Millions more changed for the rest of time. Red Death, a new race of demonic creatures, control the lands that once were known as North America. Now nothing but an apocalyptic hell of a wasteland. Home of the last free humans in one of the last groups capable of fighting back…Midnight Blade. Fighting to stay alive and give back freedom. But that’s what they say. How would I know anymore? Locked in this cell for about a year now and still waiting for Amidar? and Battosai to come save us all. Or for the signal in my case,” the man speaking sat on the concrete floor, sipping at something that was steaming in a cup in his hands. He smiled and glanced up. His green eyes and sharp white teeth reflected the moonlight that was seeping into the room through the barred window on the opposite side of the room. He looked no older than twenty-five with the exception of a streak of white running through his black hair. He wore a black jacket reinforced with carbon steel wires and chains. Matching black slacks covered his legs and the tops of his combat boots.
“Do you mean that you know of Battosai?” the only other man in the room asked him anxiously, crawling out of the shadows from under the window. The first thing that stood out was his long beard. Covering most of his upper body and face, only gray eyes were visible through the mass.
“Know him? Oh, I know him, and what he can do. Moreover, I’m glad to say he’s a close companion of mine. I am Kyroo Patton, Battosai’s military adviser and the only half Red Death being in existence. And that’s why I’m here now,” Kyroo spoke softly. His eyes looked down into the cup, his eyes meeting his eyes reflection.
“Red Death?” the man asked while sitting down in front of Kyroo. The man’s gray beard and baldhead was all that was visible. Only skinny hands with long nails could be seen in front of him.
“Yeah, Red Death…you know, Demons of the World and hunter of man,” Kyroo explained.
“I do not understand, nor have I heard of them. Please explain them to me,” he said with a hint of an Indian accent and very interested. Kyroo sighed.
“O.K. It’s not as if I have anything else to do here. Well when this war started, and they attacked the world, they launched nuclear missiles and devastating hydrogen bombs at my country, the United States of America. Millions died, but millions more survived. After everything cleared, there was another attack, but by creatures that were stronger than fifty humans and they had a nasty attitude,” Kyroo looked up. The man had scooted away about a foot, “Don’t worry. I’m not like them. They had no sense of morals or any conscious for the most part. Like zombies, all they do is kill and eat. However, they’re not stupid. Just as skilled as any human, but with incredible strength and as stealthy as a wolf. Their only thoughts were to feed and kill. They converted other humans into their own by injecting them with their own DNA. If they got away, they would become one of their numbers. They grew in numbers and took most of the U.S. very few survived. What was worse was that they were not easy to kill. Their heart must be completely destroyed. Sounds easy enough, but they regenerate somehow and their heart is the strongest part of their body. Let alone hitting them while they’re moving.” The man sat with wide eyes and silent. He started slowly, “What happened to you? How are you different?” he asked timidly. Kyroo looked up, eyes taking in the face of the man.
“I was with Battosai and Amidar?. It was nearing night, or what was considered night at the time. Battosai, Amidar?, and I were on our way back from an out post of ours. We had fought off several Black Rein soldiers. We were tired and about a mile out from our home base. We were coming up to the remains of a large highway. We were walking under the large overpass when we were ambushed. I pulled out my twin SMG’s and ran to use a rusted car as cover. The glass was broken and the tires melted to the ground, this was perfect cover. Expecting Black Rein, I was caught off guard as a Red Death flew over the car, landing in front of me. My back to the car and the demon’s back to me. It took only a split second for me to realize what just happened. I lifted my guns and emptied both clips into its’ back. I was sprayed with blood from it being so close. It dropped to the ground dead, I thought. Battosai and Amidar? were fighting the other demons off. I dropped the empty clips in my guns and replaced them with filled ones. I walked towards Battosai and Amidar? with guns at the ready. Another Red Death jumped at me from behind. I heard it and turned in time to see it flying towards me from several feet away. I quickly dove out of the way, rolling when I made contact with the ground. I had lost one of my guns in the process. The creature quickly recovered from its miss and ran at me. I unloaded another clip of thirty bullets into its face, but it didn’t kill it. Falling backwards onto the ground, a screech erupted from its whole of a mouth. The mangled and hideous face started to move. Bloody and mutilated body parts began to shape itself into the creatures’ original face. I ripped my eyes away from the gruesome sight and reached for another clip. Just as I found the clip, the demon let out another bone-chilling screech at me from a few feet away. I realized at that moment that this was the same creature that I thought I had killed earlier. No traces of any wounds were found on it. I realized there was no time and no other choice but to try to escape. I dropped my still empty gun and reached for my last resort weapon: twelve gage sawed-off shotgun. Its home in the side of my boot. The Red Death lunged towards me again. I threw the gun up towards its face and pulled the trigger as it soared towards me. Its head was completely mangled and gore erupted from its remains. All that was really left was a mangled jaw and neck throwing up blood. It was on the ground spazing out as I stood up. I took aim and shot it in the back where its heart was supposed to be. Its body twitched one last time and was still at last. I loaded another round into the sawed off and went to go grab my other guns. I looked down at my right arm and noticed something that I should have earlier. A long gash was carved into my for arm. Blood pored from it. The creatures’ claws had sliced right through the metal bracers I wore. I reached to pick up my guns with my left hand due to the fact I still held the shotgun in my right. I wasn’t expecting the blasted thing to get back up after those shots. I turned when I heard a growl. By the time I looked back, it was in the air and on top of me. I aimed the shotgun at its face again and pulled the trigger for a third time. But it had learned from its last mistake. A clawed hand shot out and took hold of my forearm, redirecting the shotgun and leaving me vulnerable. The shotgun rang out and was quickly followed by a squelch as it sank its fangs into my forearm. Blood spewed out between its teeth. I yelled in pain and fury as I retaliated with my combat knife that I produced from my hip. I plunged the blade into its back and luckily right through the heart and out the other side. I twisted it and ripped it back out in one fluid motion. The beast screeched in pain with a note of fear mixed in. it fell backwards and began spazing out on the ground. I watched it die in front of me. I was too tired to move. I was too tired to move. My body was reacting to the creatures DNA. Kyroo paused and looked up at the man. He was leaning in, hooked on every last word like it would save his life. Kyroo continued, “My body was loosing blood rapidly at the same time. Everything began to grow dark, all I saw was Battosai coming over to me. Speaking to me about something I couldn’t hear. Amidar? in the background, his guns unloading on something out of sight. Then everything disappeared into the black void of my mind. I woke up several weeks later, and changed. Superior hearing and increased strength. All of the pros of the Red Death without the side effects.”
“Why did you not change or die at least?” the man asked.
“Well they don’t exactly know why I didn’t die, but I didn’t change because of how little DNA there was in me and what they did to save me when I was back at the base. And that’s how I was changed forever,” Kyroo finished.
“So why are you here?
“They want to make more of me. But that’s not going to happen,” Kyroo stood up.
“Battosai and Amidar? are coming, I know it. And when they do, we will strike back,” Kyroo paused for a moment. Looked at the man on the ground in front of him and spoke, “Black Rein will fall. And we will be the ones to do it.”