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"Fini! How much do you love?" Gallant spun the chair around with a light giggle, then looked into the mirror to see Coco's immediate reaction. "Am I the first one to get this cut?" Of course, she wasn't surprised at all, not even curious to see what had changed."Because I'm working on becoming an Instagram influncer and I refuse to show my full asscrack so my hairstyle has to be on point."Gallant scoffed and gave her a quick spritz of hairspray.She fiddled with her hair, that still kept the warmth of the straightener, and posed to the mirror while Ryan walked behind her to unbutton the cape and letting the snippets of blond locks fall on the floor of the salon. "Who cares how many followers you have? You're a billionaire!" Murmured the frail figure in the black button up and flower print ascot."That's my father's money. I need to make something of myself. You did! you're the next Chris McMillan."Ryan scrunched his face and shrugged.A thin, blonde girl came rushing through the front door and excused herself while skipping among the other customers.She handed Coco a bottle filled to the brkm with a green substance."Take a sip so we can post." She said, pulling out her phone. Cold-pressed juice is trending super hard right now." She snapped the picture. "You're gonna get ten thousand likes in ten minutes." Coco coughed and gagged, her lips curled in utter disgust. "Are you trying to fucking poison me?" Coco squealed and tossed the bottle back towards the visibly apologetic girl. "This tastes like turtle shit. You're supposed to be my personal assistant, Mallory. Do you even know me?" Mallory had grown used to Coco's reactions. Over the years they'd been spending every single day in each other's company, she was quite accustomed to her arrogance and almost payed no mind to it. "Can't you just go and get me a Macchiato so I can rinse this taste off my mouth?" Mallory nodded and headed to the door, catching out of the corner of her eye the hairstylist with the bleached blonde buzzcut mumbling to her boss. When she looked outside, she noticed masses overflowing the street, screaming and running. Before she could speak up her phone buzzed and so did Ryan's. All of sudden he civil defense alarms went off, setting even more panic in the salon. ""URGENT ALERT BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO LOS ANGELES. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."" Ryan read out loud, gulping and scrutinizing the room. "What the fuck?" Mallory turned to Coco, not being able to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread as well as she did."It's bullshit. It's a hoax. It's like that time in Hawaii, they're gonna text in like a minute with the retraction." Immediately after, Coco's phone started vibrating and she plastered a fake smile on her lips to answer the Facetime call."Hi daddy! How's Hong Kong?" The words were muffled and Coco didn't have the time to sit and listen to her dad talk for hours about his boring life. "You know what? We have a terrible connection, I'll call you after I'm-" "Shut up! The missile alert is real." His eyes were glossy and filled with worry. "In less than an hour Los Angeles is gonna be an empty crater." "Daddy, you're scaring me." "You can still be saved. There are four spots reserved for our family. But your brother and mother are here with me and we're not going to make it. A car is coming, it'll take you to Santa Monica airport where a private jet is waiting. Go!" "What are you talking about?" "Coco, mom and I love you very much. Wish we could be together, but it's too late. Just try to be happy, baby." "Oh my god""It's the only thing that matters." The connection was interrupted and the call was over. "No, no, no, no!" Coco tapped repeatedly her phone, the nerves getting the best of her. "Wait, was that real?" "We gotta go." Mallory grabbed her arm and dragged her away."Come on, come on!" "Widespread panic is being reported in major cities around the country." Brock walked down the hallway and into the atrium where his coworkers were panicking. He stared at the TV screen, incredulous. "We can now confirm that a ballistic missile alert was texted to public approximately 3:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The Pentagon has not yet released a statement and there has been no word from the White House." His phone buzzed and he felt relieved to see his girlfriend's name appear on the screen. "Babe, are you seeing this?" "Brock where are you?" Coco sounded anxious and out of breath."What do you mean? I'm at work.vI just heard a fucking amazing pitch. Free Willy as a six-part limited series. It's kind of genius." "Brock, I love you. I don't want to live without you. Get to Santa Monica Airport." She said, sobbing, as the car sped through the crowded streets recklessly."What are you talking about?" "There's a plane waiting for us.""What? Coco?""Go to Santa Monica Airport right now!" He lost connection and the call was over. He looked up at the broadcaster. "WBN can now confirm Hong Kong, London, numerous sites in the Baltics and Moscow have all been hit and destroyed by nuclear ICBMs.This is it, ladies and gentlemen. I can't believe we actually did it. We have just been notified to evacuate. I'm not gonna make it home. So if my children are watching this... Daddy loves you very much." "Ugh. Esmeralda, the champagne's burnt again. You left it in the freezer too long." Evie groaned and rolled her eyes, leaving the flute on the coffee table. Her housekeeper ignored her and rushed to grab her coat from the living room. "Where are you going? You know I pay you for a ten-hour day.""I have to go home, Mrs. Evie. It's the end of the world." As the young girl left the villa, the hairdresser came running through the door."Nana, I've been trying to call you." He called from the other room."When he ran MGM, your grandfather, God rest his soul, would never return calls until the following day. All of the stars and all of the agents would have to go and see him in person if they wanted to get- What are you doing?" Ryan grabbed her handbag and tugged at her sleeve."The government sent a warning. Missiles are coming." He explained quickly and pulled her up from the couch."So is global warming. Well. It's probably fake news. I'm gonna call Donald." She was relaxed, certain it was all just a hoax but followed her grandson anyway."No. This is real, Grandma. People are going to die today.""Let's have some burnt champagne!" "Look, I can't get ahold of anyone. My mom's going straight to voice mail." Mallory's eyes were glossy as she looked up at her boss. "I got to go home, Coco.""No. No, no, no, no, no. You need to stay here with me. Okay?" Coco begged, grabbing her shoulders. "You can take my brother's ticket. Mallory, you know I'm helpless without you. I'm worse than Elton John. I don't even know how to work a dishwasher or open a door. Besides, after the bomb drops, there won't be anything to go home to." The realization hit both of them, Mallory's eyes dropped to stare at her hands folded in her lap. "Okay." She murmured."Why aren't we moving?!" Coco screamed. All of sudden a body crashed on the windshield."Oh, my God!" Blood was running down the cracks of the glass and Coco turned away, disgusted. "Jesus Christ.""Oh, my God!""People are committing suicide to avoid the blast." The driver groaned as he took a massive turn and the dead man was tossed on the sidewalk. "Coco!" Ryan yelled, honking in a crazed way through the airport. "Coco, wait!""What are you doing here?""I overheard your dad. There's four spots. Room for all of us." He grabbed the various bags from the trunk and opened the door for his grandmother. "This is my Nana Evie." "How do you do?" The old lady asked happily while tiptoeing on her high heels to the small private jet."No, I don't." Coco watched Evie get in the plane and grabbed Ryan's wrist. "What are you doing? Brock is gonna be here.""He's not gonna make it. It's chaos out there." She felt tears building up but nodded."Okay... Get on the plane.""Okay" She dialed Brock's number and nibbled on her bottom lip so hard she felt the taste of blood on her tongue."Brock, where are you?""No, look, I'm coming. I'm in the worst traffic nightmare ever." Cars were honking and the streets were flooded by hoards of people running nowhere. There was no possible salvation for them. "Okay, do whatever you have to do. Just get here. Hurry!" She begged and cried."Alright, look." He left his car in the immense traffic and started jogging through the panicking crowd. "I'm running. I will be there in ten. Wait for me. This doesn't look good." When Coco was already heading to catch up with the others, she saw figures running towards them."Oh, my God. Brock, they're coming."Her heart started to beat harder and faster, she felt the adrenaline levels rise."Who? Who is coming?""People are coming for the plane."Theirs was the last one to take flight and anyone would've killed for a chance to live. "Coco!" Mallory yelled, her eyes wide open. "It's now or never." Brock was still on the phone, panting as her ran as fast as he could."Brock, do you remember the contract that we had with each other?" "Coco, what?""The contract.""No, no, no. Don't go there, babe." He shook his head in disbelief."Uh, at any time, we can unilaterally release each other from our monogamous obligations." "What the fuck do you mean?""You are now free to see other people.""That's fucked up.""I'm sorry. I love you.""No, no, no, Coco! Do not leave me in fucking Santa Monica." She hung up and rushed into the plane. The alarms kept ringing as the door was closed and the plane's engine turned on. Evie, Ryan, Coco and Mallory all sat down in silence while people outside screamed, pleading to let them in.Brock sped down Dewey street, his heart was pounding. The woman running right in front of him suddenly stopped, her eyes caught by something up in the sky."It took off." She yelled into the phone. "The last plane. The- it already left.""Holy shit." Brock also looked up and saw it flying above their heads."What are we gonna do?" The woman fell down on the asphalt, sobbing loudly and holding her phone close as the person on the other end of the call tried to calm her down.Brock hoped that wasn't Coco's flight and when he called her again, she hung up. "You bitch!" "Where are we going?" Coco asked, staring out the window. Theirs was the only plane in the air."Didn't your dad tell you?" Ryan replied, quietly, his legs still quivering."I'll find out." Mallory stood up and walked to the door that devided the fuselage from the cockpit and opened it, finding the two seats empty. "There's nobody there." She murmured."What?!""No stewardess? Oh." Evie shrugged. "I guess I won't be ordering the fresh-cut fruit, huh?" The blast wave suddenly shook the plane and Ryan screamed, holding onto his seat as the brightest, white light flashed his eyes. They felt the impact of getting hit by a freight train, the jet was wrapped by a strong thermal radiation emitting from the blast itself.For a second they felt like they were inhaling fire.The ambient air temperature was so hot, their skin tingled.The controls of the plane readjusted, the automatic pilot changing the settings instantly. Coco stumbled to the window to see a humungous fireball as bright as the sun towering over Los Angeles, a silent, billowing cloud, aloft in black and white. "We're taking you to an outpost equipped for long-term habitation. It's one of ten around the world, each constructed in minimal fallout zones." The guy sitting in the moving van looked rather young, it was an unusual face for someone with such power.He was tired of all the questions but understanding, he had spent the past two weeks transferring people from their own bunkers to the facilities but still hadn't gotten used to the complete emptiness if the outside.Rei let his head back and sighed deeply. His full lips were parted, his hazel brown eyes closed slowly, he hadn't slept in a while.He wanted to cry but his frail body lacked the strength.Every day since the explosions he checked his rich, caramel skin to see if there were any lesions due to radiations, he never fully realized how real the situation was. "Are there other people there?" Andre asked, holding tight onto his partner's leg while his mother just kept her eyes closed, clearly not enjoying the bumpy ride. "Others like you, those who can afford to purchase a ticket. Rich people." Rei replied. "Of course.""The money they paid helped finance this operation." Suddenly the van stopped and the young man turned around to communicate with the driver. "Put these on." He said, going back to the three, and handed them anti-contamination suits.They did as it was commanded and followed Rei out of the van and through a large expanse of foggy nothingness that surrounded them.Andre kept his hold onto Stu as they approached figures standing with guns in their hand behind two people dressed in gray, knelt on the ground. "Sorry." One called."Please. It wasn't her fault.""Please. We won't do it again. We promise.""Please!" Shots were fired and Dinah shuddered. "Oh, my God." They kept walking, following Rei, who nodded at his colleagues who had just killed the couple, in the same black suit and mask as him.He led the group to a small circular building that looked nothing like a refuge but rather like an abstract sculpture of big dimensions.They entered and went through the decontamination process and then brought to the core of the facility where a woman with an intricate hairstyle and carrying a cane in one hand a candle in the other reached them. "Dinah Stevens. Just transferred from her personal bunker in San Diego." Rei spoke up while helpers unzipped his suit. "Thank you, Mr. Augustus." The woman stood in front of the group in a gothic victorian dress. "I am Wilhemina Venable. Welcome to Outpost Three."She ordered then to follow her as she walked down the dark hallway, into a larger room, lit by a central fireplace. "This is a fallout shelter?" The broad man looked at his mother then at Venable, confused. "It is now. For many years, it served as an exclusive boys' school." She said, cleanly irritated."What kind of boys' school is subterranean?" Asked Stu. "The Cooperative, to whom we owe our eternal gratitude, took ownership and converted it once they realized what was coming.""The end?""No. The beginning." Wilhelmina smiled, trustful. "The Cooperative has plans far beyond the temporary cleansing fire of the bomb. The Cooperative is not made up of nations or armies. It's a collection of the dozen greatest minds mankind has to offer.The visionaries." "They weren't visionary enough to think we might be able to use some generators?" "It may be seem to you a regression, Ms. Stevens, our way of life here, but you'd be dead wrong. Technology is what destroyed the world.Social media gave people the illusion they were equal.Now that's all been swept away. The natural order will restore itself." She took a long pause, the new guests weren't sure how to react to her words. "I'll show you to your rooms." Venable moved slowly through the poorly lit hallways. "As Purples, you will each be furnished with a private suite.""What's a "Purple"?""The elite. The worthy. Those chosen to survive." Rei replied from the back of the line the line and Venable nodded, clearly irritated. "Yes, thank you, Mr. Augustus." He smirked and followed the group inside one of the rooms. Andre walked to the open closet where their new clothes waited to be worn."I'm supposed to wear this shit?" He bursted out, his boyfriend groaned once he saw the outfists prepared for them:Two purple suits, one paired with a slim gray vest and one with a black ruffled blouse, and a victorian dress with a tight bust. "In The Outpost, everyone knows their place.The Purples wear purple, the Grays, gray." "Who are the Grays?" Asked Stu."Grays are our worker ants. Still a necessary component of any functioning society. The Grays are here to serve. And grateful for the opportunity.The alternative being nuclear winter, cancer, death." "So what are you?""I am neither." A faint smile formed on her dark purple lips. The flame of her candke trembled as she spoke. "Rather, I am the strong right arm of The Cooperative. Think of me as their face.""So you're not a Purple?" The questions were becoming insistent. "The house rules are simple." Her intimidating face scrutinized their expressions as she dictated the main points to follow. "You will refer to me only as "Ms. Venable."You may never leave the building.If you wander out onto the grounds, you will not be allowed back in due to the danger of radiation contamination. You will take your chances with the canker pus monsters beyond the gates.And no unauthorized copulation of any kind, under any circumstances, no exceptions." "What? You're joking." Andre chuckled and turned around to see if Rei would agree with Venable's edict."Ask the two Grays you saw on the way in if it's a joke." He answered. Venable's cane hitting the ground marked each step she took to leave the room and each second they were trapped in the facility."You'll find the evening wear on the left side of the armoire. We dress for dinner.Cocktails in the music room at 6:30. Be prompt. There's no excuse for tardinesswhen there's nothing else to do." Gallant sat on the couch, cradling his head with his hands while massaging his temples and groaning when "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by the Carpenters started once again. "This song... The same one every night.""Oh, here we go." Evie rolled her eyes as her grandson replicated the same routine. "Where is it even coming from?" He was exhausted, the monotony of the Outpost was driving him crazy. "And why do we have to listen to it?What are we missing here?" "About 99% of the world's population." Evie replied, bringing the almost empty glass back to her lips."Would've been better off dying with them.""Speak for yourself, darling." His grandmother disagreed as usual."Wouldn't have to drink this, whatever this is." Ryan set the glass on the wooden bureau."It's mineral water." Mallory murmured, then turned around to whisper to Coco: "You get a chance to talk to Venable?""No, she creeps me out." Coco cut her off."It's not fair that you all get to be Purples and not me.""Okay, he refused to touch my hair if he was a Gray," She pointed at Ryan, who was still circling around the atrium. "and my dad's the one who paid for this shit, so fucking get some perspective." "It just plays over and over, 24 hours a day." Gallant yelled, consumed by boredom. "It's like Satan's Spotify playlist."The door opened and Dinah Stevens, her son and his boyfriend entered the room, dressed and ready for cocktail in time, as Venable instructed. "Oh. New blood!" Ryan dropped his hands and sighed, finally seeing new faces, especially the ones of the two very hot pair. "Come in. Don't be shy.""You're Dinah Stevens. I used to watch your show. To me, dear, you beat the pants off Oprah any day." Evie smiled as the woman approached them, followed by the young couple."Bless your heart... A million of you and I wouldn't have been replaced by that telenovela.""What's happening out there?" Ryan asked, hoping for a somehow positive answer. "It's all gone." Dinah replied. "Everything."Behind them, Venable emerged from the darkness of the corridor and ran a small, silver bell."Dinner is served." They followed her to the dining room and sat down at the long table.Mallory and all the other Grays served the usual plates, with one single gelatin cube of which the colors ranged from pale white to a slight peach. Ryan, sat across from Andre, leaned in and sighed deeply. "It's all we get. Don't be too disappointed.""Darling, you don't know what disappointment is until you've slept with Yul Brynner." Evie giggled. "I want to die." Ryan was tired, he couldn't further bear the continuous sight of his grandmother and having to live in that fucking jail. "The cube on your plate contains every vitamin our body needs... or so they tell us." Coco popped the cube in her mouth immeduately and cried."I'm still hungry. I am so tired of the hunger." She whined and jumped from her seat, tossing the fork on the floor. "Fuck this bullshit! With all the thought that went into this place, they don't have a single bagof Pirate's Booty in the pantry?" As she yelled, Venable and Mead walked into the room, alerted by her screaming. "For a hundred million dollars a ticket, I expect goddamn Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen cooking us real food!"Venable stood right behind her and when Coco turned around, silent, she stroke her pouty face with the back of her hand, causing shock in the other guests."Oh." Evie gasped and helped her sit back down. "I'm going to be very clear so there will be no misunderstanding." Venable exhaled and her eyes scanned each scared face. "We have enough nutritionfor the next eighteen months.And if our situation doesn't improve, you can count on less and less." She started walking away until Ryan had the guts to speak up."Situation? What is our situation?" "We had a perimeter alert this morning.Something penetrated the grounds. It was a carrier pigeon, delivering a message from our benefactors.""Wait. A pigeon?Can we eat it?" Coco squealed."It was contaminated by the fallout." Mead quickly replied, her stern eyes shot her a withering look. "Can we boil it?" The two decided to ignore the whiny, blonde girl. With that, Venable started reciting off memory the message:""There are no more governments.
Only rotting mounds of corpses, too many to bury.
Starving people kill for a piece of bread.
Three outposts have been overrun.
We are the last vestiges of civilized life on the planet.
Be vigilant."
Everything we know is gone." "In two weeks? That's all it took?" Ryan his his quivering hands under the table."It was always fragile." Mead replied. "They made you think the system was a rock.It was a water balloon.One prick of the needle and that's all it took.We will only survive if we follow the rules." A tall woman rushed into the room, she leaned down to whisper in Ms. Mead's ear, then left just as quick."There's a problem." She turned to Venable. "We've detected a spike in the background radiation, centered in this room.""It's them! They just came from the outside!" Gallant pointed at Dinah and her family and she immediately fired back. "No, no. We were checked when we got here. We're clean!""No, we went through decontamination." Andre shook his head and Stu stuttered: "We were cleared.""Place your hands on the table." The tall assistant walked back with Geiger counters and handed one to Mead. "And don't move."She started scanning each one of them, the device crackled in an unbearable way."Radioactive contamination is a grave risk to our entire community.The clean rule is there to protect all of us.A single stray gamma particle can cause skin lesions. Your DNA breaks apart, your body disintegrates.You'll wish you died in the blast." Shs kept passing through them, her eyes fixed on the counter."But someone here decided that their individual needs were more important.Someone went outside. Touched something dirty.It makes me sick to think this person was selfish enough to risk contaminating all..." She stopped once the counter spiked up and got louder, right when she scanned Gallant's hands. "No. No, no, no no, no." He panicked. "That's a mistake, because the only thing I-I've touched is Coco's hair.""She's clean. You're dirty." Mead said and nodded at Rei, who wrapped his arms around Ryan's torso and pushed him up from the chair with a strength nobody expected coming from someone as small as him."No. This is impossible!That machine is wrong. Ow!" Mr. Augustus was ordered to drag him out of the room, helped by another member of the Cooperative."This is outrageous. Stop! Please stop." His grandma jumped up and screamed. "Bring him back!""Evie!" He tried to wiggle out of Rei's grip but they carried him away. Mead continued the examination and the counter spiked up once again when she scanned Stu."No way. No. No way. No! We were just cleaned!" He yelled as they got hold of him as well. "Get your hands off me!""No!" Andre protested and tried to follow him but was instantly stopped."Take them to the decontamination room." Venable commanded."No!" The two were stripped down, hit with gelid water, sprayed multiple times and scrubbed with brooms with hard bristles until the floor was tinted with their blood.When they were finished cleaning them, the guys laid on the cold floor, their lungs burning from all the screaming and their skin tingling from the lesions.Mead was handed the radiation counter again and scanned Gallant, whose shoulders shook violently as he sobbed and whispered. "No, no." "Clean." He sighed, relieved as she moved away and proceeded to examine Stu. The detector made a crisp snapping sound."Dirty." "Please, please. No. I can't go through that spray again." He begged in tears."You won't have to." Mead pressed the trigger and the bullets went right through his temple. Ryan screamed in shock, Stu's blood had splattered all over his face. Venable was startled by an unexpected knock on her door and slowly walked away from the mirror to answer."Yes?""It's me. Are you decent?" Mead asked and stepped into the room once Wilhelmina unlocked the door."Never more so. Well?" Mead untied her cloak and tossed it off, revealing a purple dress. "Ravishing might be too strong a word, but this one certainly becomes you.Don't you agree?""If anyone sees us..." There was a slight, resentful note in Mead's voice and Venable shook her head and stepped closer."We're the only ones who matter." She smiled and invited Mead to take a look at her reflection. They were glorious, hidden in Venable's room after everyone had already been forced into their own cubicle."How did you manage it?" Venable asked as they sat down at the table"Stu and the Geiger counter?" She nodded and smirked. "Easy. Set the sensitivity to ten, you can make anyone sound like Chernobyl.""It was lovely work." Venable admitted as they played the Old Maid by the fireplace."And a pleasure." "It's strangely satisfying, isn't it?" Wilhelmina's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Dispensing punishment?I love their faces... that stupid "can't believethis is happening to me" look they get.I'm not embarrassed to say, it gives me a tingle." Mead set the cards down. "I wonder what The Cooperative would say about all of this, making up our own rules, terrorizing the guests.""You're still uncomfortable with this and that gives me pause." Venable's eyebrows arched while she took a sip from the flute."I'm military. My dad killed so manyViet-Cong he lost count.Killing is in my DNA.But I still respect the chain of command." Mead spoke softly. "The Cooperative's paid my bills for a lot of years.It's just hard for me to pretend they're not my boss anymore." "Forget The Cooperative.It's only us." "How could he be contaminated? We had just gone through the decontamination. Stu never went outside once since we've been here. He was with me most of the time." Andre held his head in his hands, elbows on the dining table as his mither rubbed his back kindly. "Well, people do strange things when they're stuck inside 24/7. First in your own bunker, then here." Coco started, making sure her hair was still in place. "I've started masturbating with my off hand." Gallant chuckled, adjusting the purple sunglasses to sit better on the bridge of his nose."Are you saying he deserved this?" Andre looked up, disgusted."I'm saying Stu was worthless, and using up our food, and that lesions won't work with my complexion.""Fuck you!" He bursted out. "I hope they come for you next." "Nobody's coming for anyone. Not unless you break the rules." Mead entered the room, followed by the Grays, who carried trays with hot plates."This is a difficult time for everyone." Venable said. "As a small consolation, we have a special treat." A new smell had invested the room, it was unusual, yet familiar and missed. Warm food."No cubes tonight?" Ryan grinned, his eyes gleaming as the served dinner."Enjoy the bonne bouche. Don't get used to it." "You think bribing us with a hot meal's just gonna make everything okay?" Andre dried his tears as he felt saliva building up in his mouth, the hunger was too strong to pretend he wasn't enjoying the possibility to gave a real meal.Coco grabbed the spoon and rapidly filled it with the warm soup, eating as soon as she could. Her eyes rolled back and she brought her hand to her mouth."Oh, my God." She moaned. "I think my mouth had an orgasm.""Andre, we're not trying to bribe anyone, but there is something we all need to understand." Venable insisted. "There is no "us" and "them." We are in this together."This time Venable, Mead and Augustus joined them and sat down. "No individual is greater than the group.We did what we had to do.This is quite simply a tragedy." "Where have you been hiding the fresh meat?" Dinah asked, clearly not convinced by her words."We have resources... for special occasions.""I've never tasted anything like it." Gallant murmured. The meat melted in his mouth like raw tuns in a Los Angeles sushi restaurant. "It's chicken." Mead said in a dismissive way. The flesh tasted like pork, but a little more bitter, stronger."This is not a chicken bone." Ryan spat out a weird looking bone.Soon, Andre also pulled out of his mouth something looked quite like a phalanx."Tell me this doesn't look like a finger." His bottom lip quivered, his dark eyes brimming with tears. He pushed away the plate and felt the impulse to vomit. "Oh, Jesus Christ.Oh, this stew is Stu!" Panic was set in the room, Gallant gagged and Coco spat out the broth and ran off."Mallory, come here and stick your finger down my throat!" "For heavens sakes, don't be ridiculous." Venable rolled her eyes. "There are lines that can never be crossed. Not eating people is of the first rank." Evie was the only one that kept eating, she in fact shrugged it off and smiled at Venable."I don't care what it is. It's absolutely divine.And it's full of fiber. I'm going to finish every drop." "You're a monster." Andre murmured, glaring at Evie from the opposite end of the room. "How could you keep eating? You knew what it was."She scoffed."It was chicken, Andre. Delicious white-meat chicken." "You're a cannibal." He felt like gagging again, and screamed on top of his lungs."You're all cannibals!" "Andre." His mother ran to grab her tall son by his shoulder and looked up at him. "Think about it. She ate it, too.Stu was contaminated. Why would Venable eat irradiated meat?""That's right." Evie nodded. "Why would she feed us poison? The whole reason she is here is to keep us alive.""But where's his body, then?" He hugged his mother while loudly sobbing in the crook of her neck. "I want to see it. I want to see Stu!" "Shut up! Shut up!" Ryan screamed, stabding up. "Just listen." "I don't hear anything." Coco murmured."Exactly.""The song stopped." Dinah noticed as well. Suddenly "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern started playing. "It's been the same song for two straight weeks. Why would they suddenly change it?" Gallant's smile grew as he roamed around the room, listening to the new notes, to finally a new sound. ""Hold on Through the night."" He repeated the words of the song. "Don't you get it?! It's a message!" Ryan's heart pounded in his chest as he chuckled. "Aah!" There was hope in their hearts, Mallory could feel it radiating in to soothe her blood.
"Let's keep on
looking for the light"
"The Cooperative is trying to tell us something!" Dinah started laughing, feel more optimistic than ever before."They're saying, "Hang on. We're coming for you."" Coco squeaked."We're gonna be rescued!" Ryan screamed, grabbing his grandmother's arms and hugging her tight, suddenly feeling happy."Yes, The Cooperative is coming for us!""Halle-fucking-lujah!" -
[EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER]
They were right about the song. There was a morning after. It just looked exactly like the previous morning.They were never rescued, no one ever came.But nuclear winter came, and it finished off anything the bombs had left alive. The world got colder, deadlier. "Mallory..." Coco groaned, sprawled on the sofa. The Gray lazily passed her another glass of water.They all sat by the fireplace, slouched around and listening to the same song over and over again."Maybe it's time to eat somebody." Ryan let out a deep breath."Or just, like, an arm." The bell rang, which meant it was time for their first cube of the day.They walked to the table and plopped down into their usual seats. Venable hit the ground with her cane and the room got even more silent."I have an announcement.This will be our last breakfast: We're cutting back to one meal a day." "You can't be serious." Coco bursted out, clenching her jaw."An effective dieting technique." Evie commented."Yeah, so is starving to death!" Coco replied angrily."How are we supposed to survive on half a cube?" Asked Ryan."It's not optimal, but also not impossible. Either way, we have no choice. Not if we want to keep eating at all." "I fucking can't do this anymore!" He shouted, standing up and slamming his fists on the table."We don't know how strong we are until we have to face adversity." Dinah tried to appease him. "This could be an opportunity for all of us to grow.""Finish that bumper sticker shit you used to say on your show, and I'm strong enough to shove this fork in your neck!" He snapped."Oh, calm down." Evie glared at her grandson, worried Venable might not react well to his actions. "What is the point of all of this? Starving, killing each other, getting shot? All we're doing is waiting around to find out how we die." Coco added. "I say we take our chances outside." Mallory murmured and the other Grays gasped in shock, they had the prohibition of speaking up when their opinion wasn't asked explicitly. "She's right. We have to get out of here." Ryan nodded but instantly a warden jumped to her feet to get hold of him. "Nobody's going anywhere." Stressed Mead.Gallant grabbed the plate and tossed it to the wall, ceramic exploding everywhere. "What are you gonna do?! Shoot us all? Huh?! What are you gonna do?" He started backing up into the atrium and Rei started chasing him, when all off sudden the alarms went off and the room was bathed in a bright red, winking light."Perimeter alert. There's been a breach." Mr. Augustus and Ms. Mead were sent outside to receive the carriage, obviously sent by the Cooperative. The two black horses barely kept themselves up, worn out by the journey and by the infections caused by radiation. Their hooves split the silence outsude and cut the fog as they pounded into the dry ground.The hair if the dark manes had almost completely fallen off and their pelt was covered in lesions and coagulated blood. A dark figure opened the small door and stood in front of the main security supervisors, in a pitch black hazmat suit with a mask that appeared eerily similar to one of a plague doctor, that muffled his voice as he said:"I need to speak to Ms. Venable."He presented the Cooperative badge and Rei nodded. "Yes, sir, Mr. Langdon." "Tend to the animals." He tilted his head to the side, pointing to the horses and qalked towards the Outpost.Rei followed close and led him to the decontamination room where he helped him out of his suit. He then led him to the secondary living room where Venable was waiting, while Mead pointed her gun to the horse's head. The doors slid open to reveal a tall, majestic figure. The man stepped confidently into the room, his hands behind his back, his chin high. Cerulean eyes scrutinized the woman standing in front of him in the dim light of the candles and the fireplace. His long, golden hair flowed down his shoulders brought a strong androginy to his appearance. His delicate, feminine traits, high, chiseled cheekbones, plump, luscious lips and sultry eyes, were balanced by the sharp jawline, full, dark brows and broad nose. The amalgamation of features were motives of his great beauty, unique and intriguing. "Wilhemina Venable. I'm in charge here." The woman spoke up finally, trying to hide her intimidation behind a stern expression. On the other hand, Langdon's mouth was curled in a mischievous smirk. "Of course you are." His voice was unexpectedly sweet, stentorian, clear but smooth. Its sound was comparable to melting honey.Even if he was evidently testing Venable, he'd still sound kind. "You don't sound like you believe me." She admitted. "Why wouldn't I?" He smiled briefly and started pacing around the room, his long, black coat flowing as he walked.There was something sinuous about the way he moved his body, almost slithery. "Seems like you've done a wonderful job.The walls are still standing.Your people are alive and healthy.Which is..." He sighed, standing by the fireplace, glaring at the flames. "quite a feat, considering..." There was a long pause, Langdon was tentative but Venable was impatient. "Considering?" Michael turned around, slowly making his way towards Wilhelmina, studying her face deeply, tilting his head to the side to take in every detail."That three more Outposts have been overrun, and the remaining three won't last through the year.""Why are you here?" "Because it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to you." Venable swallowed nervously, keeping her gaze focused on the man she did not trust. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her. "The good news is, there's another facility, a sanctuary." His smile grew as he stepped closer. "This one's completely impregnable and stocked with enough supplies to last a decade." "You're here to take us there." She wishfully guessed. Langdon shook his head. "I've been assigned to evaluate the people here and select the ones most worthy of survival.I could take all of you... or none of you.Those who make it live.Those who don't..." He was so close Venable could feel his breath on her, as he leered her with his poisonous, devilish grin.
"...end up like my horses."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Rei rolled around in bed, he searched the warmth the thin blankets couldn't give him. He missed his home, even though he had forgotten what it looked like, he couldn't even recall what it felt like to be safe, sorrounded by familar walls and following the routine that he loved.He shivered when he felt a light tickle on his back. A pair of soft lips was tracing his shoulder blade and tapered fingers ran across his waist.Rei turned and found Langdon right beside him. His naked body hovered over Rei's as he framed his face to pull him in a gentle but passionate kiss.The young man was startled but certainly not protesting his actions, instead he gave in and and ran his hands up Michael's arched spine and through the long, gold locks that brushed against Rei's face softly. They caressed his chest and stomach as Michael pressed feather light kisses down his body.Soon their skin was moving softly together, sliding against one another like the finest of silk, Rei was trapped by the breathtaking view of Michael moaning more and more with each thrust.He leaned down, his warm breath against Rei's lips, his suffocated groans aroused the quivering boy underneath him even more.His eyes fluttered open when he felt Michael's fingers running across his lips. But they were coated in a warm liquid.Michael was smirking down at him while covered in the same blood he was massaging over Rei's strong pectorals, his hair was slicked back, now tinted red, as he leaned down to catch a drop falling from Rei's chin with his tongue.Rei was weirdly quite compliant and he just wrapped his arms around Michael's neck and pushed him down for another kiss.His eyes rolled back, there was silence in the room, with the exception of their moans and heavy breathing, occasionally interrupted by ardent kissing, when suddenly a rattling sound filled his ears. He ignored it, too captivated by Michael to get distracted.Slimy skin brushed against his shoulder, something wrapped around his ankles, a forked tongue savored his scent. Rei pulled away and turned to the side, Michael kept nibbling on his neck and smiled against his wet skin. When his lids batted open he saw that the mattress was covered in snakes, they slithered around their bare bodies, one kept staring at Rei while the dark tongue flitted into the air every few seconds, tasting the fear, the blood, the sweat.Rei panicked as he sat up in his bed, and looked around the room. He brushed his fists against his eyes and realized he was alone. No snakes to be found.His communication device was beeping which meant it was five o'clock. Somewhere outside the sun was rising to shine light on the infinite expanse of dust and emptiness.His forehead was beaded with sweat so he grabbed his uniform and headed to the showers.The cold water pierced his soft skin as he faced the faucet, letting it hit his face.The drops became sharp nails tracing his back and a warm mouth was pressed into the crook of his neck."Michael." He moaned uncontrollably but when he looked over his shoulder there was just the pale, stone wall.Rei was clearly tired and his instinctive desires had kicked in to make up for the lack of human interaction in the last year and a half. He hated himself for fantasizing about another member of the Cooperative, especially one he'd seen just the day before for the first time.He quickly put on the clothes Venable had picked out for him and rushed down the hallway to look for his colleagues.When he passed by the dorms he noticed that one of the doors were open. When he approached it he heard Andre screaming."Snakes! Snakes!" Rei ran to call Mead and they both made their way to the room where the Purple was curled in a ball on top of his bed, his eyes fixed on the floor where many snakes laid, rattling softly."What the hell is going on?" Rei couldn't help but to feel a sense of familiarity with the scene that was presented to him. For the briefest of moments he knew precisely what was to occur, but soon that illusion was interrupted by Mead decisively slicing a snake in half with a butcher knife."I thought everything outside was dead." He murmured, grabbing another one so that Mead could kill that as well."God knows how deep they went after the blast. Maybe they came through the sewage or the ventilation system." She said, and watched as the blood dripped on the floor with a smile. "Hallelujah. Looks like we got some fresh protein.""Won't they be contaminated?" Andre asked, sitting up on the bed."No." Mead was quick to answer. "We'll scan 'em.""I don't see any mutations." Rei added."Boy, this looks like good eating, huh?" "I have a rule against eating things with no legs or too many legs." Coco groaned, revolted at the sight of the soup the were serving."Oh, right, but you're fine eating something with two legs." Andre scoffed."For the last time, we didn't eat your boyfriend." Ryan rolled his eyes, exhaling deeply."Eat it or don't. No one's gonna force it down you." Mead said."Adversity makes strange bedfellows and worse dinner companions." Dinah started. "It's food, and we're starving.We should be grateful for the fruits of the earth.""Well, steamed snake soup is actually quite delicious." Obviously Evie joined the conversation and Gallant let his head drop into his hands, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "It was the centerpiece of a dinner that I attended at the Royal Court in Kuala Lumpur with Gina Lollobrigida.""So, who's in your office?" He cut off his grandmother, turning to the woman sitting at the head of the long table."I beg your pardon?" Venable looked up from her plate."Alarms went off before. Someone came inside. Who else is here?""All questions will be answered in due course.Eat."When Ryan pulled up the lid up, snakes slithered out of the fuming liquid and moved across the table, scaring all the diners, who jumped up from their seats in terror. "Those snakes were chopped up and cooked." Rei whispered to Andre, while keeping his eyes focused on his surroundings, hoping nobody would see the two communicating. "How did they come back to life?""I don't know. There were a lot of snakes. Maybe they just missed a couple." Andre guessed, watching the hallway that Rei was supposed to control."You don't really believe that." Rei furrowed his brows."Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it at all." Andre sussurated. "I'm more interested in whom Venable is hiding in her office.""Langdon.""Who?" Mead turned around the corner and Andre fled. She stared at the other warden for long until she spoke up."Mr. Langdon has asked for our presence in the music room." He nodded and followed her down the stairs.All the people in the Outpost were reunited in around the room, they waited, hearing his ominous presencs approaching as his steps echoed in the abandoned hallways.The tall man with the long, blonde curls walked to stand in front of the fireplace and glared at Venable until she walked away, reluctantly handing him the power to run that place however he pleased."My name is Langdon, and I represent The Cooperative." He spoke loud and clear but his voice was still enticing. "I won't sugarcoat the situation. Humanity is on the brink of failure.My arrival here was crucial to the survival of civilized life on Earth.The three other compounds... In Syracuse, New York, Beckley, West Virginia, and San Angelo, Texas have been overrun and destroyed.We've had no contact from the six international outposts, but we are assuming that they, too, have been eliminated.""What happened to the people inside?" Andre asked and Langdon tilted his head to the side and his lips curled into a mischievous smirk."Massacred. The same fate that will befall almost all of you.""Almost all?" Mallory spoke up once again, Venable didn't really mind, she intended to study the head of the Cooperative, she wouldn't have trusted him if he had been her very last hope to survive, and he probably was."In the knowledge that this very moment might occur, we built a failsafe... The Sanctuary.""The Sanctuary?" Even Coco wasn't believing one of his words."The Sanctuary is unique. It has certain security measures that will prevent overrun.""Excuse me, sir." Venable turned around and watched Rei as he caught Michael's attention. "What measures? Why weren't we given them?""That's classified." The young warden felt overawed as Langdon' eyes finally looked at him and almost penetrated his soul. "All that matters is that the Sanctuary will... survive, so the people populating it will survive, so humanity will survive.""Who are the people who are populating it?" Andre asked."Also classified. However, I have been sent to determine if any of you are worthy and fit to join us.The Cooperative has developed a particular and rigorous questioning technique we like to call... "Cooperating."I will then use the information gained to determine if you belong.""What is this, The Hunger Games?" Coco snapped and groaned, her mouth contorted with anger. "This is bullshit. I paid my way in here, and that is the only cooperating I plan on doing.""You don't have to sit for questioning." Michael smiled, making Coco feel the need to be drop her defensive way of firing back."What happens if we choose not to?" She hopefully asked."Then you stay here and die."There was a long silence, until Ryan raised his hand."I volunteer to go first.""And so you shall." Michael was visibly pleased with his decision. "The process should only take me a couple of days, so you won't be kept in suspense forever.For those of you who don't make the cut, all is not lost.If the worst should happen and feral cannibals come knocking, down one of these." He pulled out of his pocket a vial filled with one powder. "One minute later, you fall asleep and never wake up. I will leave them in custody of Ms. Venable.I look forward to meeting each and every one of you."With that, Langdon walked out the room, his coat flowing as he paced around the atrium, all of their eyes on him."Well, smooth move, asking to go first." Coco grumbled."There's an old actor's adage.Either go first or go last." Evie was always ready to start a conversation but Coco wasn't having it, she was in fact fed up with having to hear her voice every day."You're not going anywhere.""Are you suggesting that he is going to pass me up?""You're ancient. He's looking for people to repopulate the Earth, not fill a bingo hall."You know, for someone with the mentalcapacity of a three-year-old, I suppose 52 might seem ancient.""You were 52 when Elvis took his last shit." She bursted out and Ryan rolled his eyes and yelled."That's enough!""Oh, no.""Let her spout. I remember a wonderful lunch that I had at Dan Tana's with Natalie Wood.Natalie turned to me and she said, "Evie, you are a survivor. You're gonna outlive us all."And dear Natalie... She turned out to be right.""Hmm." Ryan sat in the chair, his hands clasped, waiting for Michael to speak up. "So how's this work?""I'm not gonna tell you what criteria I'm using to grade you." His voice was low and caused Gallant to feel a tingle run down his spine. "Things you may feel are helpful may be hurtful.Things you may feel will compel rejection may be exactly what I'm looking for.""So I can't game the system?" Michael giggled softly, resting his strong chin on his delicate hands, cold rings caressing his soft skin."If you hedge, I will know.If you lie, I will know.And if you try to trick me, I will know, and this interview will be over, and you will die here painfully.Are we clear?" Gallant nodded, swallowing nervously. "What is your sexual orientation?""I'm gay, but I fucked a girl before in high school, and I finished and everything.She did, too.I think. It's harder to tell with girls. Um... but I'm just saying that I can do that, you know, for, for procreation if I have to.""We have techniques for harvesting genetic material. We still need a woman's womb to incubate the fetus, for now, but your ability to impregnate some poor girl isn't needed." Langdon leaned in, his fingers elegantly brushing against his blonde locks. "Tell me about your anger. Tell me about your grandmother."Why would you put those two things together?" Michael stared at him, he didn't say a word but the message was clear. Ryan couldn't hide anything from him. "Okay. I hate her fucking guts.""Good.Why?""Because she wants me to be the perfect gay: married, with a pair of Yorkies and a collection of Wedgwood dishes.""A eunuch.""A eunuch." He repeated. "That's not me at all. I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to remember when sucking dick was both a way to get off and an act of political rebellion.""She's shamed you. In the past.""What do you know?"Michael stood up and circled around the desk, keeping his eyes on the hairdresser."Maybe... I have a file that tells me all your secrets, or maybe I'm sensing something, or maybe I'm just fishing." He walked to Ryan' side and sat on the small table, his legs crossed, leaning in towards the man staring at him that was holding his breath. "Tell me who you really are.""Are you looking for some kind of confession?""I'm not a priest. I don't even know if I believe in God. I mean, if there was a God, why would he allow the Armageddon?" His arms rested on his thigh, crossed, one on top of the other as he kept gesticulating gracefully. "The concept of sin does seem a bit antiquated. Rules for keeping the chaos at bay.No need for rules anymore, chaos has won.""Uh, uh, Nana, she used to throw thesebullshit suburban gay lunches. God, it was like the homo version of The Bachelor. Walter, who was a lawyer who represented Scarlett Johansson and had an affinity for pleated khakis. Morris, who owned, like, fourteen dogs. And Mario Vestri, who was a manager at Pottery Barn.Anyway, they were all dipshits. They hated her, but they pretended to like her crappy food and listen to her dumb stories, because they thought that if they hooked me, they would get her money when she died. She never told them that she donated everything to some cat charity in her will."Ryan sighed and started telling the story of when he walked into his grandmother's villa with leather pants, beret and a gilet, worn over a white t-shirt and accompanied by a gas mask and a radio with her old cassette in it.He slammed it on the table and played "Relax", as he removed his dark sunglasses.The sight of his grandmother's disgusted expression as he sucked the bisque through the tube of the gas mask was sublime, he reached a completely new level of satisfaction he'd never experienced in his life.The words "You're pathetic." coming from her were more than he could ever ask for."And that was the last time she ever tried to tame me."Michael raised his eyebrows and looked down at him."So you like leather?""I like a lot of things. Can I ask you something?" Langdon stayed silent. "Are you gay? 'Cause I'm getting a real major hit off of you.""Does the idea of that excite you?" His tone was seductive and his sultry eyes were waiting for Gallant's reaction."Yes." He nodded and looked up at the mysterious man. "What are you gonna do about it?"Michael stood up and Ryan wished he could find the strength to walk up to him and kiss him. He'd always been the one to make the first move but he certainly wasn't going to try it with such an intimidating individual. Before he could act on his thoughts, Michael walked to the doors and spread them open."Let's continue this conversation another time.""What? That's it? How did I do? Did I get in?" Michael didn't speak, he just tilted his head towards the atrium and waited for Gallant to leave. "I want to get out of here." Rei murmured, buttoning his shirt and nibbling on his plump lower lip."Me too." Andre let out a deep breath and kept staring at the ceiling, with his bare torso beaded with sweat."I'm not gonna wait around to find out if Langdon chooses us." The warden slipped his arms through the sleeves of the black suit. "I don't trust him.""I say we steal two rad-suits and some food and take our chances on the road.Find The Sanctuary ourselves." Suggested Andre."Andre, there is no Sanctuary. Venable might fall for his bullshit but I won't." There was a trace of disappointment and anger in his almond eyes. "There is no impregnable facility. There is no way they could've kept fresh food for this long without uncontaminated air, soil or even without the fucking sunlight.""You...you think so?" Andre sat up on his bed and stared at the young man."Have you forgotten what it's like out there?" His words clearly hurt Andre."Langdon made it here okay, and he was all alone." He had a point, he was trying to support his own theories but Rei wasn't convinced at all. "He doesn't exactly look like Mad Max.""There's something about him. He's not like us." Rei groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Maybe... there's something in his room that'll tell us.""What?" Andre shook his head. He could have never stepped foot in that man's room, unless, well, unless he wanted him to."I bet he's not that strong under that facade. If you don't want to come with me, you don't have to. I know nobody will save us so I will do anything I have to leave this hell.""I... I'll come with you. I've nothing to keep on living for anyway."Andre tugged on Rei's arm and pulled him down to kiss him.Rei left the room silently and started walking back to his own. He heard steps following his, at the same pace and we he quickly looked over his shoulder, a dark figure stood behind him. But when he turned again, the hallway was empty. "Tell me who you really are." His words echoed in Gallant's head, played over and over like the song in the music room. He suffocated his moans, his fingers brushed gently against his sensitive skin. He was slightly weirded out when the images of Michael talking to him in his office were interrupted by the sight of the charming man showered in blood in a poorly lit room where the floor was covered in snakes.He was close to climax, when someone knocked on the door. He grunted and slowly pulled the hand out of his pants."What? Come in." The door opened to reveal a figure in a coverall made of shiny black latex.Ryan sat up and chuckled mischievously."Oh... you pack that thing in your luggage?"The man wouldn't answer and Gallant stood up and started walking towards him, tilting his head to the side in a playfully seductive way."Is this phase two of the interview, or... are you just here on your own time?" Langdon's mysterious ways elicited an high libido in Ryan.The rubber man grabbed the captivated hairdresser by the nape, causing a soft moan to leave his mouth.Gallant ran his fingers across his waist and his tongue on the shiny, black material of the mask."I am yours... body and fucking soul." The man grabbed Ryan's chin and pulled it up while pushing him towards the bed and closing the door behind. His thumb slipped in his smirking mouth that instantly wrapped around it in a submissive way.Ryan suffocated his loud moans into the pillow underneath his face and grasped the sheets as he was shaken by the strong waves of pleasure.He hadn't realized how easy it would be for someone in the hallway to hear him. Evie held her fur to her chest as she was drawn to the noises coming from what seemed to be her grandson's room.She looked around and stepped to the entrance, opening the door to peek in.Her hand rose to cover her mouth when eyes landed on Ryan on all fours on top of the mattress as a dark figure tugged on his hair and pulled his head back.She closed the door and swallowed nervously, walking away in shock."Oh, God." "Come." Evie entered the room and Mead glared up at her from her desk."I'm so sorry, I-I never thought I would have to do this, but I am truly at a loss.""You got something to say?" Mead sighed deeply."Well, I know that blood is thicker than water, but... oh, the things I have just seen.I'm terribly conflicted.Because this could totally destroy his chances of going to the Utopia.Of course, I can... console myself with the fact that his absence will leave an empty place for somebody more deserving.""What did your grandson do?" Rei held his breath as they hid behind the corner, Langdon walked out of his room, leaving the door open, and calmly left.As soon as he disappeared down the hallway, Rei slid inside and pulled Andre with him.He closed the door slowly, trying to lock as silently as possible."Is that on?" A macbook sat on his desk, illuminated by the screen."No, wait. What are you-" Andre tried to stop him but Rei was already sitting on Langdon' chair and looking at his laptop.He opened it and his eyes scanned the various files quickly. All the emails were from The Cooperative. "Radiation Mutation", "Brazil status", "Surrogate Wombs".Andre came to sit next to him and pointed at the date of a particular email."This was sent a week ago." He murmured."How is that possible? There's no infrastructure." Rei replied."I don't know how he did, but he did it.""He must have a satellite hookup or something." He started reading the email. "It's to The Cooperative about Venable."""She has deviated from operating protocols and has instituted her own rules forbidding sexual contact.Violation punishable by death."" Andre turned to look at Rei, who was nibbling on his lip nervously.They weren't alone. Venable waited for Langdon's visit, curing the very last details, rearranging the pillows on the sofa."You have a gift for making the ugly look presentable." She turned around when his voice cane from the spiral staircase.Michael wasn't wearing one of his long coats, he stood there just in his jet black button up and dress pants, his blonde locks shining under the light of the candles. "Order on the outside does wonders to keep the chaos safely on the inside." She replied with a light grin."I'm onto you. You've created your own rules in here.I understand why." He walked towards her, arms behind his back, chin high. "I'm sure it was impossible to resist the temptation of making this place over in your image, especially when you thought that no one who knew any better would ever be around to notice.Surely you were nervous when your new little helper joined you, but Mr. Augustus was fine, he didn't even notice the rules applied here weren't applied anywhere else in the other Outposts. He's just a kid, I don't blame him.""I'm not sure what you're talking about." Venable clenched her jaw and tightened the grip around her cane."Complete abstinence? Punishable by summary execution?""I received my orders in an encrypted communiqué from The Co-op before allcommunication lines went down.""Do you have it?" Michael got even closer, his eyes penetrating."No, I do not. The orders were to destroy it after I read it." She confidently said back."Odd. I was instrumental in drafting all of the directives in regards to the running of the outposts.""And nothing would be more humiliating to a man such as yourself than to learn that a woman had more information than he did.""A man such as myself?" His hand ran down his waist and to his crotch, Vebable watched his every move."You... and the others. Masters of the universe, titans of industry... swinging your dicks around so much that you managed to blow the whole world to hell."Michael walked past her and plopped down on the armchair by the fire, chuckling, entertained."You're a fighter. I like that about you!""I'm just doing my best with the mess men made of things." She turned around and looked at the man giggling, his legs spread open as he sat imperiously in her chair."Maybe that's what was needed around here, uh? Some improvisation. I'm gonna give you some important information, instead.You're the leader in here.You need to understand what's at stake, what's really going on out there." He sat up and pointed at the opposite chair, inviting her to seat."On the way here, I came across a woman. A young mother with two children. They were some of the unlucky ones who were far enough from the blast radius to survive the fireball but... not the radiation." She looked away, fiddling with her earrings as her ears were filled by his low voice and the crackling of the fire."They were covered in tumors. Sores.Their lungs were burnt from the toxic air.After a few moments, I realized that the child she was carrying in her arms was already dead." He clenched his fists, a tear running down his prominent cheek. Venable hadn't seen him look more human that in that moment, since he'd walked in the facility. "She was begging for us to murder her other child out of pity. Mercy. She didn't have the strength to do it herself, so she prayed for someone to come along and do it for her.""Did you?""No." He swallowed and dried his face ekegantly with the back of his hand before jumping up from his seat and hopping towards the desk. "So... who deserves a shot at salvation?"Venable followed him instantly, alarmed when she saw him grab the files."Let's start with... Coco Saint Pierre Vanderbilt."She clenched her jaw as she watched Langdon sit in her chair, marking the territory."The Vanderbilt girl is a vacuous abomination of inbreeding. She'd be my last choice to propagate the human race." Michael smirked, intrigued by her attitude. "The hairdresser is a cowardly homosexual.His grandmother is a festering pustule who just will not die.And the talk show host... well, actually, I don't know that much about that one.""At this rate, it sounds like you and I will have The Sanctuary all to ourselves." Langdon chuckled and stood up. "Come. There's no need for us to be adversaries, Ms. Venable."He walked up to her, his face inches away from hers."Take off your dress.""I will not." Venable scoffed and pulled away."Part of your cooperation includes a physical examination.""You can read my file." She insisted."Your file won't show me what I need to see. What brings you shame.I want to see that part of you that humiliates you the most."He circled around her, his hand running up her arm and across her shoulder where she angrily grabbed it."You won't get a second chance." His words convinced her and she did not protest when his fingers grabbed the zipper and pulled it down, exposing her bruised skin.Her spine curved, much like a snake and Langdon traced it, causing her to break down to tears."Does it hurt?" "No." Her voice trembled."But does it bring you great pain?""Yes." She could feel his breath on her cheek. "Is this part of my test?""Isn't everything?""So, then... do I pass?" Her eyes were set on Michael's lips just moments away from hers. The tip of his nose brushed against hers as he pulled away and shook his head."No." Venable stared at him, confused. She was desperate and humiliated. "You could've never passed."She was startled by a knock on the door to which Michael replied immediately, as if he owned the place."Yes?""I'm sorry to interrupt." Mead looked away when she found them so close. "I need Ms. Venable.""Good evening, Mr. Langdon." Venable said and walked away."Ms. Venable?" He called. "You might want to keep an eye on the little helper." She stayed silent and walked out, wanting nothing more than to never see his smirking face anytime soon."Sir." Mead indignantly closed the door shut, leaving Langdon alone in the office. "Who was he with?" Venable asked as Mead pulled the zip of the dress up."The old bat didn't get a look at the guy's face because he was dressed in black latex. Head to toe." Vebable rolled her eyes. "I pressed Gallant for a name, but he won't talk.""It's obvious who this seducer was.Look around, Ms. Mead. What's different? Who's new?""Langdon." Mead murmured."I think they know each other. Why else would he volunteer to be his first interview?""They're plotting something." "Langdon. How long have you known him?" Gallant stood in the middle of the room in his underwear, arms up and shackled to the ceiling, Nead behind him."In my soul, I've known him always." Venable looked over at Mead who cracked the whip. "Rip Taylor!""What are you two planning?" He looked away and stated silent, his back was lashed again."Larry Kramer!" He yelled. "Go on.With every crack of the whip, I'll pay tribute to the great gay radicals of the '70s and '80s.Their names give me strength!" The whip hit his skin even harder this time, leaving it tingling for longer. "Oh, Greg Louganis!""Again?" Mead asked and Vebable scrutinized the hairdresser, one quick look at his boxers and she shook her head."No. He's enjoying it.""Most fun I've had since the Folsom Street Fair." Moaned Ryan.They left him alone after that, for what seemed like hours until his voice echoed between the walls."In seconds, we can destroy everything humanity has built over thousands of years, but we will never be free of the desire to be cruel to our fellow man." Ryan watched as Michael stepped towards him slowly and hissed when he ran his habd traced his spine."It wasn't so bad. Could have brought out the cat-o'-nine-tails, and I still wouldn't have ratted you out.""Ratted me out? For what?" Michael ran his finger across the warm scars, causing Ryan to shudder. His hand travelled down his chest before stopping altogether."You know. For coming to my room the way you did." Ryan looked over his shoulder, his eyes trapped by Michael's. "In fact, all I could think about was our time together while they were having a go at me."Michael walked around the handcuffed man until he was standing right in front of him."I've never been to your room." He spoke softly, shaking his head."Right." Ryan scoffed. "And that wasn't you in the rubber suit giving it to me." He smiled as he saw a grin forming on Michael's lips as well."Let me be as clear as I know how to be." Langdon stepped towards him, inching his face to Ryan's, keeping his eyes steady on his captivated face. "I wouldn't fuck you if you were the last man on Earth, and you almost are."Michael's smirk grew as his glare shifted down on Gallant's body and his fingers traced his pectorals and stomach. "It's not because you're not physically attractive. It's your neediness.Your desperation to be seen and loved."He earned pleasure from seeing how Ryan was shattering with each word that rolled down his tongue. "The hole you need filled isn't in your face or your ass. It's in your heart.You're pathetic."Ryan nibbled the inside of his cheek, fuming and tugging at the chains that kept him from smashing Langdon's skull with his fists."I can see why your grandmother is disgusted by you.""You don't know anything about my nana." He grunted angrily."Why else would she report you? Make them do this to you.I'm sure she hoped they would put you out of your misery... and hers.""That's bullshit." She couldn't have done that to him. No matter how much she hated him, she would've never done such a monstrous thing."She's the reason you're staring at a death sentence. She would do anythingto increase her slim odds of getting out of here. You know she hates your guts.""You're a liar." He screamed, hearing Michael's steps getting further."Am I? Perhaps you should go and talkto her about it yourself, then." The door slammed as he left abd suddenly Ryan was freed from the shackles.
"If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you"
Dinah paced around the music room, her hands clasped on her stomach."This song makes me so melancholy.They used it in a very special Hardy Boys episode where one of the Hardy Boys' girlfriends dies. Can't remember which one.I had the biggest crush on Shaun Cassidy.Innocent times."Coco rolled her eyes."Boring times.""The Hardy Boys was a very popular program.""Yeah, of course it was. You only had three networks." Coco started a fight once again and Mallory sighed as she walked into the room with a tray with more glasses of water. "You know what, this is exactly why this is so much harder on us youth than it is for you geriatrics.You're used to only having two or three lame things in your life, like TV networks, uh, ways to drink coffee, sexual orientations." The gray sat down next to her on the couch. "Mallory, help me with this, please.""Dog breeds." She added. "We had at least ten different Pomeranians to choose from. And you guys were cool with drinking tap water.""We had so many options for everything.Dental floss, air fresheners. We didn't just order a burger... We needed to know if we wanted turkey or veggie or that meatless kind that bleeds like the real thing." Mallory nodded with a cheeky smirk."We had at least four Chrises that could star in a movie. How many did you have?" Evie ignored their sassy tone and looked away, catching a figure coming towards them from the dining room.She was petrified when her grandson walked into the room and poured himself a glass of water nonchalantly."Surprised to see me breathing, Nana?" He moved closer, towering over her with his jaw clenched. "They usually shoot people for fucking. Or... did you not remember that when you turned me in?"Evie smiled."No hard feelings, darling.I want to live, and the only way to achieve that is to get rid of these ten little Indians who stand between me and that golden ticket out of here." Gallant's fingers shivered as they hold onto the glass, he had wished with his whole heart that Langdon had lied to him."Um, we're sitting right here." Coco whined."It's not my fault that you can't control your carnal urges." Evie sighed."You have lived!" Ryan snapped, pointing his finger at her. "I... haven't.""Oh, yes, you have." She stood up from the sofa and confronted him with the same anger. "You have crammed ten lifetimes of failures and screwups into your 30 years!""Am I the only one who makes mistakes? Hmm?" Ryan asked, looking around the room but nobody replied."No. But I'm always the one that has to clean up after you." Ryan paced around the room, passively absorbing his grandma' kisting of his mistakes. "Let me see.Three stints in rehab on my dime.Fancy lawyers to keep you out of prison.When your grandfather rejected you because of your perverted lifestyle, I took you in.And what did I get back?" Ryan choked back his tears and swallowed a whole glass of water. "Yes, you went and you bankrupted two salons and then you snorted the third one up your nose."Evie turned to the other spectators. "I deserve to live. I am the bridge betweenthe past and the future. I mean, when those poor survivors arrive, what do they know about culture and music and art?And I will be there to tell them all about it. One lifetime of me is worth 50 of yours.Humanity may be in a sorry state, but it deserves better than you.""I should have put you in that motion picture home years ago." He weeped, inflamed. "The only thing I ever wanted from you was for you to love me and accept me.Why couldn't you just give me that?""Sorry, darling." Evie shook her head and shrugged with a smile on her lips. "It's just not in my nature."She brought her hand to his face and patted his cheek lightly before walking out of the room.Coco looked up at Ryan."Well, it's a good thing you convinced me to bring your nana." "They've been making up rules this entire time and lying to us about it.What else have they been lying about?" Rei stressed, he was once again in Andre's room and clearly more invested in the situation than he was."Rei, I told you, we... we will figure out. Let's not risk to cause a disaster." The broad man wrapped his arms around Rei's waist. Rei was shorter than Stu, which gave away the illusion he built in his mind but for now the young warden was still a better substitute than Gallant would've ever been.He had tried to pretend he was interested in Rei's emotions and backstory but he would always regret asking him any private questions, when Rei would start being paranoid again.They had different ways of coping with the end of the world and Andre sometimes wished he'd never started this secret, occasional hooking up with Rei, but at least he was good fucking."I can't trust Venable and certainly I can't trust Langdon, either. What should I do?""It's enough for today. You can't put too much pressure on yourself. I know how to make you feel better, if you let me." Andre left soft kisses in the crook of Rei's neck and the short boy pulled away to look up at him. "Tomorrow we'll do more researching and plan something."Rei gave in and let Andre lay him down on the bed, but his mind was still crowded with thoughts and roamed with possible ideas on how to end both Vebable and Langdon.They fell asleep after, each on their own side of the bed. The door flew open and Rei woke up to arms wrapping around his waist and dragging him out of bed violently."Stop!"He looked up at his colleagues and Mead and tried to fight back but they soon grabbed both him and Andre and carried them to Venable's office. Gallant sat on the sofa, legs spread open, head fallen back, he breathed in and out slowly, his hands lyings folded on top of his stomach. "You're pathetic." Her voice was always present in his thoughts, reminding him constantly of how worthless he was.Ryan couldn't have ever accepted that she might have been right about her grsndson. He had lived, a relatively long, unsatisfactory life."If I could save time in a bottleThe first thing that I'd like to do" The words played over and over, it was a background noise he was getting accustomed to.Until it stopped.Ryan sat up as another song started."Rock on gold dust womanTake your silver spoonDig your grave" New music, after so long. He noticed the man in the rubber suit standing in the hallway beside him and got up on his feet.As the dark figure moved away, Gallwnt followed him down the labyrinth.He watched his movements carefully and walked towards the door that had just closed. He found himself in his own room, he looked around.The rubber man was standing right behind him. Gallant grinned and plopped down on the bed, looking up at the man approaching him. His arms went up and his fingers caressed the latex on his face, tugging underneath his chin, hoping to pull of the mask.Gallant's hand was pushed away and he got up and the pair of broad shoulders and pushed the man on the bed, straddling his hips. He leaned down, dragging his mouth across his chest, his hand wrapping around the man's neck."Wouldn't fuck me if I was the last man on Earth?" He breathed against the latex.Ryan pushed his head to the side, his heart was pounding furiously as he reachex out to grab the pair of hair cutting scissors that sat on his nightstand.In just a brief moment he gathered all the strength he had to stab Langdon in the stomach, twisting the scissors with each thrust.The door opened and he turned around, scared that Venable might have found him in that state. But when he looked at the figure on the treshold, it wasn't Venable, but Langdon, with his poisonous grin, staring at the terrified man's face, splattered with red.Gallant looked down on his bed and choked a scream when he saw his grandmother, stabbed to death by his own hands. She was lying on the mattress, her fur drenched in her blood, her expression petrified with horror and her lifeless eyes still open, looking right back at Ryan.
"This is extremely disappointing." Venable spoke up. "You know what has to happen now.""Nothing has to happen, because we haven't done anything wrong!" Rei protested, trying to wiggle out of his coworker's grip."I explained the rules when you arrived" She looked at Andre then back at Rei. "and you should know better.""Those are your rules! The Cooperative doesn't care if we have sex!" Rei yelled."Who told you that? Langdon?""He has a goddamn laptop in his room." He replied. "You have been making all these bullshit rules up.""You're sick." Andre added, and with a simple glare from Venable to the tall warden, he was smacked across the face."The world is strewn with the unburied corpses of seven billion people, and all you can think about is fornication?And I'm the sick one?Get them out of here. Their punishment can't come soon enough.""No, please!" Andre cried loudly, hoping his mother would hear him from his room."No!" Rei insisted on shifting and kicking, trying to free himself from the tight grip that forced his arms behind his back.They were brought to the decontamination room, accompanied by the two armed wardens and Mead."Venable's crazy!""We warned you. You brought this on yourselves." Mead admonished them and watched as they were brought on their knees."Rei, Rei, I'm sorry." Andre pleaded, crying desperately as the muzzle touched the back of his head."Get it done."Rei felt the gun pressing against his scalp and when he heard the level being worked he instinctively turned around and grabbed the gun with both hands, pointing it away from his face, before hitting the warden with its back, hard enough to have him staggering backwards. He hit him with a hard punch towards the jaw and knickered him out. He then pointed at the other warden holding Andre shot her in the leg, causing her to fall down, lamenting as Andre pulled the gun out of her hands and crawled away.Mead was backing away when Rei shot her as well, aiming for her stomach. She groaned in pain and stumbled down the corridor and towards the elevator. She pressed on the wound with her hands, which she expected to be covered in a warm liquid, but when she looked down she noticed a thick, white, viscous substance cascading from where the bullet hit. She couldn't comprehend, she was in agony and confused."Help!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"There's really no need to thank me.""Ms. Mead said you're the only reason Andre and I haven't been executed." Rei murmured. "You saved my life.""I've been charged with finding the seeds from which the future of mankind will blossom. It'd be grossly irresponsible to allow a minor infraction to keep out a viable candidate. The stakes are too high."Langdon stood in front of him, dauntless, powerful, his celestial features warmed by the bright light of the fireplace burning behind the chair Rei was quietly sitting in."Twentythree. You're the youngest in here, yet the most temerarious." He sat down, his fingers intertwining, elbows on his thighs, leaning in closer to the young man."I can tell you don't trust me. You're one of the few here that isn't as desperate to believe in the words of a stranger. I like that.""It's about common sense. My parents have taught me from an early age not to trust people I don't know." Rei looked down, fiddling with his fingers in his lap."And what about your parents? Your tone sounds very sorrowful when you mention them." Rei swallowed nervously."They both died in a car accident in 2018, sir.""I see. What a disgrace that must have been. Your parents haven't taught you anything about respecting someone's privacy?" He locked eyes with Rei, scoffing as the boy didn't know how to respond. "You had no problems looking through my belongings or reading my emails.""I... I am sorry, sir." He was visibly apologetic, Langdon sat up, sighing deeply and circled around him languidly, savoring the scent of submission."Next time you want to come to my bedroom, simply ask." He ran his hand up Rei's arm and over his broad shoulders. "I won't deny you a visit.""I'm not like Gallant." His voice was louder, clearer while Michael walked away to sit on top of his desk."What do you mean by that?""I'm not one to give in so easily." Rei proudly said."Yet you gave yourself to Stevens so carelessly. You know he doesn't feel a thing for you, don't you?""I know. And I don't feel a thing for him either." Langdon crossed his arms over his torso and slowly shook his head."You act like you're not suffering, but I can see you crave love.""You can see a lot of things, uh?" Rei's glare was holding onto Langdon's with no intimidation."There's no need to be defensive." Langdon spoke softly. "And there is nothing you have to be worried about."A different approach had Gallant."But I killed my nana." He whined, his fingers still quivering at the thought."Nonsense. She died peacefully... in her sleep.Trust me.You have nothing to worry about." He repeated once again."You see, I have a talent." That's what he told Rei. "Call it a kind of night vision of the soul.I can see into the dark places that people desperately try to keep hidden.""I don't have any dark places." Mallory had replied. She was the only one to protest Michael's words."Really?" A Gray shouldn't have been interviewed so early, but just like he did with Rei, Langdon had requested to interrogate them along with the Purples."So even though you've worked for Coco for many years, and... even though she saved your life after the bombs fell," He towered over Mallory who couldn't look back into the pair of cerulean eyes, tinted with bright red as they reflected the flames behind her. "why do I believe that you'd love nothing more than to pick up anything sharp enough to cut clay and slice her throat down to the bone?"She nibbled on her thin lips, her eyes scrutinizing the austere face through the thick lenses."I'd say that qualifies, Mallory.Wouldn't you?""She can be a handful sometimes, and... yeah, she sometimes makes medo things I'd rather not." Her mind went to the numerous times she had refrained from snapping at her friend and superior. "That doesn't mean I want to kill her."Michael stared down at her, needing more confessions, feeding on her secrets."She's spoiled, and she's entitled, but... she's also helpless.She needs me.""You wouldn't believe how many times I tried to fire her." Coco groaned when questioned about the timid Gray. "I mean, Mallory could fuck up a one-car funeral, but it was always just easier to keep her around.""The devil you know." Langdon walked off to sit at his desk. "It's interesting.""What?" Coco turned around to look at the man of heavenly beauty."After my speech about seeing into the dark places, I've come to realize something about you.""Something dark?""No." His fingers adorned by precious rings rose to adjust his soft hair as he looked over at the various files scattered in front of him. "True darkness requires a certain depth of character, but you're much too shallow for any kind of meaningful negativity.""I'm not quite sure how to take that.""I'm just saying it's wonderful to see you again." Michael told Dinah. "I was surprised to find you here when I arrived.""Pleasantly?""That depends." She glared at him, positive she was in good hands. "Should I be concerned about you causing me any trouble?""You know I'm not powerful enough to stop whatever it is you're up to." He smirked, pleased by such statement."No... but I don't like unpredictability, unless I'm responsible for it.""Neither do I, which means I don't like not knowing what's to come, at least when my life is concerned." Her tone was decisive, Michael knew she was going to fight for what she wanted. "I want to get to that Sanctuary.""You will." He leaned in, resting his helbow on the desk, his hand cradling his chin elegantly. "You're exactly the kind of soul I'm looking for to build my new world."She mimicked Langdon's pose and moved closer."And what kind of soul is that?""Evil." That's how Andre replied. "Sounds corny, I know, but there's no better word to describe my mother. It is all about her." He paced around the room and Michael got up from his chair and walked around him. "Nothing in this world even exists unless it relates to her.I'm sure she thinks this entire war was just, like, some conspiracy to cancel her show."Andre plopped down on the armchair while Langdon stared at the high flames."She doesn't deserve to be here.""You've made the assumption that I'm looking for people who are pure of heart, unblemished, pure lily white." He told Mallory as well, her eyes followed his looming figure. "The old world lived under a set of rules.Thou shalt not kill.Thou shall love thy neighbor, etcetera, etcetera.Rules that were clearly honored in the breach." Langdon studied her frightened, pale face, kneeling down to be at the same level, his eyes penetrating her soul. "I want a world without the hypocrisy, with the kinds of people who wouldn't just eat from the fruit of the forbidden tree, but who'd cut the fucking tree down and burn it for firewood."One hand rested on top of Mallory's, his fingers brushed against her jaw. He was establishing his territory, conquering another one of his victims."I think you're made for that world, Mallory.I sense it in you."The girl shook her head, breathing heavily as a tear ran down her cheek and Michael's thumb delicately brushed it away."I want to leave." She whispered, swallowing nervously."You're afraid. Aren't you?" His voice was deep, his presence invasive. "Of accepting who you are?""I don't know who I am." She cried out plaintively, breaking down and leaning into Michael's touch desperately. It felt so comforting, even coming from such a malevolent creature."What do you mean?" He basked in the feeling of manipulating her frail soul, blissfully watching her breaking to pieces so easily."Sometimes... I feel like there's someone buried inside me." Her face was contorted in agony."I know how it feels. I understand." His finger traced her jawline. "Tell me about it.""Someone trying to claw their way out.""Who?" Mallory was quivering while pushing Langdon's hands off of her."I don't know. I just want to go." She wiggled out of his grip and started walking off but the man followed her and grabbed her arm firmly."Let me go." She growled, her jaw clenched."Don't be afraid, Mallory.I'm offering you a chance to live." He was stern and enraged."I said let me go!" As she screamed, a fearsome power was unleashed, Langdon was thrown across the room, the flames of the candles were blown out.He retaliated, with a quick motion of his arms he blasted a wind so strong that forced the girl to step back as he leaned in, somehow altering his appearance to look revolting.His skin was no longer soft and impeccable, but coarse and his expression wrathful.Mallory shouted, and the room was ignited in a fireball fed by the flames of the fireplace. Michael stumbled, caught by surprise, for the first time Mallory saw him losing his composure, trembling back to his feet, eyes filled with concern."Who are you?" Mallory was as disoriented as him and she just reached for the door and ran away, leaving Langdon perplexed and scared. "May you rise from the void, Father.May your darkness guide me." Michael breathed in sharply, groaning softly as the blade sunk into the soft skin, tracing from his wrist up to his bicep. "Power in Satan to overcome my weaknesses."His shuddering fingers passed the dagger to the ither hand to repeat the cut on the other arm, he cried silently as he could feel the blood starting to pour out of his veins."Power in your name to be strong within."He let it drop down on the floor of the small room he had locked himself into, on his bare thighs, tensed as he felt a high bulding from the intense bleeding.He leaned down and ran his fingers across the pavement, lines crossing each other multiple times, slightly imprecisely, until he was surrounded by the sigil of Baphomet."I thought I destroyed them all...but one survives.I found her.She's here."Michael closed his eyes, reduced to agony as he desperately asked for help."I beg for your wisdom.Please, Father!Open my eyes!"He cried loudly.The blood on the floor started boiling, a sweet choir sang, prophesying inside his mind. He caressed his body, moved by a sinuous dance that mimicked the one of the snakes emerging from the pentacle and sliding across the room.Michael smiled happily, overwhelmed by pleasure."Ave Satanas." "I'm not a sentimental woman." Mead murmured. "Some people have described me as cold, harsh, without empathy.None of which mattered, because I know who I am.I have a past and treasured memories.I remember the first time I was allowed to go trick-or-treating by myself. I was nine years old and I made my own costume."It was the night of Halloween 1962.She was so proud of how her costume turned out, nothing could be more exciting than showing her neighbors her creation but frustration started to kick in when another woman failed to recognize her costume."Oh, well, aren't you precious? Are you... Robby the Robot?""I'm Rosie... from The Jetsons!" She insisted but judging by the look on the woman's face, she had no idea what she was talking about. "Trick or treat!""I loved candy."She hummed, pressing her lips together as a red apple was put in her bag. She walked away, not even bothering to thank the woman and when she was far enough from her house, she dropped the apple on the ground."I hated fruit." Mead's mind wandered to another vivid memory. "I remember my first date. Rosemary's Baby, the Lyceum Theater.Bobby Lombardo.It was my first horror film. I was petrified.But I discovered I liked being scared.Made me feel alive." She remembered how disgusted she was when the adolescent guy felt up her breast without asking. "Bobby, on the other hand, made me feel dirty."Venable nodded, watching as a small grin formed on her partner's lips"I remember my first kill.I was an agent of the Mossad. Orin Goetsch was a terrorist. And I found him living in a suburb in Maryland.Our struggle was brutal and bloody, of course, but... almost romantic, too.Like a waltz.Till I choked him to death."She had dropped his body on the floor, and walked up to the door, her face splattered in blood."Trick or treat!" The kids screamed and gasped. "Your makeup looks awesome.""I can think the word "Halloween," and all the memories come flooding back." Her eyes were clouded by melancholy. "I remember all those moments in the most minute detail.I remember a little boy, beautiful blonde hair.I took care of him. I can feel the love I have for him. But when I turn to look at his face in my memories, he's just a blur.I loved him, but I must have lost him in some way, because...every time I think of him, I cry." A tear rolled down her cheek, she remembered his high pitched laughter and how his soft curls had the scent of sweet marple syrup. "Do I even have feelings?Are they just programmed responses?All this time, I thought my experiences made me what I am, but my memories are false." Her hands were clasped tight and her finger twitched slightly. "I was never a child.I never had a family.I never felt love.""Neither have I." Venable whispered. "But you have family. Here. With me."Mead shook her head, nibbling on her thin bottom lip."I'm nothing more than a machine.Following a set of codes.What do I do now? What's my purpose?""Same as it's always been: To protect The Outpost." Venable's voice was comforting and she nodded briefly in agreement. "What do you remember about the people in The Cooperative?Did you ever see Michael Langdon before he got here?""He's not in my memories." Venable let out a deep breath and stared at the logs crackling."We can't trust him to take the right people to The Sanctuary. I've already been told I won't be joining the fortunate few." Venable scoffed, clenching her fist around the cane."That's outrageous. You're the backbone of this Outpost.""And I'll be left here until we're overrun and my bones are broken and picked clean by the monsters.""If you die here, justice dies here.We have to take action to stop it." Mead's voice rose as she leaned in."You have a suggested course?""Kill them all." Mead was quick to answer and caused a smirk on Venable's purple tinted lips. "Even Langdon. Augustus said that Langdon has a working computer.We kill everyone, we take possession of the computer, we find out where The Sanctuary is.""And make that journey all that way on our own?""Why not?" Mead replied confidently. "You're mean and self-involved enough to survive anything.And I'm a goddamn robot."Venable smiled, feeling satisfied to see how much she'd influenced the warden in just a year. "I will never forget your loyalty to me.""I'm programmed to be loyal to you. I can feel no doubt in me about that.""Good." The four horsemen of the Apocalypse had walked across the Earth. Pestilence.War.Famine.Death.All that was left behind was ash and charcoal, vagabonds desperately searching for food or shelter through the mounds of rotting corpses.The air was thick, heavy with the smell of burnt flesh. A gray haze partially obscured the light of the sun, the oppressive heat rained down like the breath of hell.The strong winds carried the debris of the explosions, lashing Brock's face as he dragged his exhausted limbs across the ground, through the wastelands, cities that stood like skeletons.He groaned, kneeling down to a whimpering man on the ground and answered his silent prayers, slicing his throat then searching through is pockets. All he could find was a old packet of cigarette and a lighter.He accepted them gladly and left the man slowly ending his agony, his body would have made for a terrible meal.His feet sunk into the pale sand, Even the oceans stood still like semi-stagnant pools of death and decay."Think I went to high school with that bitch. Stuck-up cheerleader.""Come on, that's got to be ready by now." One of the men stood up to notice if the flesh had gotten any more cooked."I was a finalist on Top Chef, okay? Shit's like pork.If you don't cook it long enough, you'll get sick.""You're worried about getting sick?" One scoffed. "Fucking look at us.""Looks overdone to me." Brock spoke up and the armed men turned to face him instantly, holding their daggers tight."Who the fuck are you?""Look, I'm just trying to find my girlfriend." He pulled his hands up and studied their faces covered in purulent lesions. "We got separated back in L.A. when everything went to hell.I've been on her trail for about a year now.I heard a lot of rumors about this place, some kind of special shelter for rich people.Supposed to be in this area.You guys know anything about that?""If there was a shelter, we would have raided it ourselves." One laughed, his eyes shifting to quickly glance something over the stranger's shoulder. "You must've got some bad information.""Take a load off. Try the chow." The other tried to convince him to join them for lunch."Don't think I like what's on the menu.""Ah, it's not as bad as it looks.Grows on you.""Got a lot growing on me already, thanks." Brock heard steps behind him and turned around, grabbing his rifle to shoot the man sneaking up on him, then one of the guys.His aim had gotten better by the year."Where's the shelter?!" He yelled, hitting the last one with the back if his shot gun."I don't know. Please!I-I wasn't always like this.I used to be a special-ed teacher."He blew his brains out and kept wandering through the abandoned land, until two horses emerged from the haze.They drew what looked like a carriage, clearly directed somewhere.-"Perimeter alarm. Something's breached the gates." Mead yelled while approaching Venable, red, intermittent light flashing on her worried face."Could this be an attack?" Venable breathed in sharply. "Like those other Outposts?"She sent the Fist and Mead to explore and they slowly walked towards a carriage similar to the one Langdon arrived in at the facility."Get out of the carriage!" Mead ordered, her gun aimed at the door. "Show yourself.""Now!" The warden insisted, bashing it open.To their surprise, the carriage was empty, just a black box sat in it, nobody to carry it."The hell is going on?" "It's clean." Mead said, when she scanned the box. Venable nodded and they proceeded to open it, finding a pleasant surprise inside."Apples." They sat there, their color vibrant, their scent strong even from afar."Why would The Cooperative send a carriage with apples?""Not a blemish." Venable observed, grabbing one from the bunch."If they're prewar, how would they have been preserved?""It's really not that hard to imagine." The Fist replied. "Modern apples have a shelf life of months because of all the chemicals they inject into them at special atmospheric packing facilities."Venable's eyebrows knitted together as she looked up from the apple sitting in her hand so gracefully."I ran a nutrition blog before the war.It was really catching on, I think.""Maybe they were grown in The Sanctuary." Venable cut her off. "Langdon must have had them delivered to show everyone what will be waiting for the chosen."She brought the apple to her mouth abd Mead leaned in to stop her."Not sure that's a..."Wet and crisp as she bit into it, and it broke between her teeth with a soft crunch. Her mouth was filled with icy sweetness as she moaned softly."Exquisite.""I'd swear it was tree-ripened.""Looks like a Red Delicious. Probably grown on the East Coast." The tall warden added and Mead groaned."They're not from the East Coast.They're a gift from the gods.They're divine providence.The answer to our prayer.""Perhaps you should take care of the horses before they die on the lawn." Venable incited the Fist, who nodded and walked out of the decontamination room."There's not a bad apple in the bunch." A smirk grew on her lips. "What if they were all bad?""What do you mean?" Venable listened, intrigued."Poisoned." Her words brought a smile on Venable's face. "Might take a little work to extract it, but we've got plenty.""And we won't have to convince any of them to devour these." Her eyes lit up with trepidation."But we need to make sure they all eat them at the same time.""A party, perhaps." The warden's eyes scrutinized the horses as she stripped them from their bridles. She heard a rustling noise and turned around to find nothing but fog.Brock attacked her from behind, stabbing her in the neck and dragging her across the ground mercilessly until he reached the doors of the Outpost. "You're afraid. Of accepting who you are." His voice haunted Mallory's thoughts, she blankly stared at the fireplace in the atrium.Hel palms towards the flames, her fingers moved slowly as she tried to convey the same power she had shown earlier."Mallory." Another Gray scolded her, patting her on the shoulder quickly. "Come on, Venable called an emergency meeting."Rei rushed down the hallway to walk up to Mead."Ms. Mead.""Mr. Augustus.""No hard feelings, I hope?""Langdon has persuaded us to preserve you. After all, he will make the final decision and you're still one of the candidates.""Artificial intelligence, uh?" The young warden smirked. "That's cool. At least recovery ain't that long if somebody shoots you.""Mr. Augustus, I'm glad you decided to join us." Venable interjected, making her presence known."My honor, Ms. Venable." He felt remorse in having been so faithful to her, so foolish to never question the rules applied in the Outpost. He regretted having stopped after shooting Mead, but was eerily thankful to Langdon for saving his life.He certainly would have never thought he'd feel gratitude towards that man."These past several months havebeen difficult for all of us." Venable announced, her voice stentorian. "And perhaps, in my efforts to keep us safe, punitive measures have been taken too far.I believe now what we need is a moment of celebration, camaraderie.Which is why this weekend, as a gesture of goodwill, we will have a Halloween soiree in the style of a Victorian masquerade ball.""It's Halloween this weekend?" Gallant chirped, his mood quickly shifted as he removed his sunglasses and frowned. "If only my nana were here to enjoy it with me.""We've all lost track of time a bit." Venable continued. "And this festive occasion is the perfect opportunity to remedy this.And I encourage you all to use your imaginations, to create what I am surewill be exquisite costumes.Attendance is mandatory." "Mallory... why are you molesting my Loubs?" Coco screamed, catching the Gray in the corner of her eye rummaging in her closet."I was just thinking maybe I could use the spikes for a mask." She replied softly, turning to dace her friend and the hairdresser. "You've always hated this pair, you haven't touched them for years.""Well, have you ever heard of something having sentimental value?Besides, I don't think the, uh, fancy dressing up stuff is really for you Grays." Gallant chuckled and carefully adjusted her hair with the bsck of the comb. "Oh, my God, do you remember that Halloween where you dressed up as young Michael Jackson from The Jackson 5, and then I dressed as Michael Jackson on trial for touching little boys?""Yes! It was the best!" They screamed and giggled. "I fucking love Halloween. It's the one day of the year when the rest of the world puts in some effort to be fabulous, like I am every other day.""I don't know why Venable has such a hard-on for Halloween." Coco muttered. "It's not like we've celebrated any other holidays since we checked into this hellhole.The closest thing we had to a Christmas feast was Stu.""Yeah." Mallory rolled her eyes."Wait. What if Halloween is an excuse?Oh, my God.They're using the party to announce who's going to The Sanctuary.Okay, we have to rethink this whole look.""Excuse me?" Gallant squealed."I just, I think it's too much.""What?""I don't want to rub it in for the ones that don't get picked." Coco explained. "No offense, Mallory.""I didn't think I was going anyways." The Gray whispered."I think that the people who are gonna go already know." Ryan grunted."Wait. What do you mean? Did Langdon tell you you're in?" Coco knitted her brows and looked up at him in the mirror."Well, let's just say our one-on-one was very illuminating.""Wait." Mallory interjected. "Did something weird happen to you, too?""What are you babbling about? What did he say to you?" Coco asked, surprised."It wasn't anything he said. It was, uh... a feeling." Mallory looked down, the memory of Langdon's face replaying in her head over and over again. "I think I set the room on fire.""What? Like you knocked over a candle or something?""No. Like flames shot out of the fireplace and went everywhere.I know this is impossible, but I think I made the fire with my mind.""Yeah, we're definitely not talking about the same thing.""Maybe it was the blast, the radiation, it did something and now I'm like the Dark Phoenix." She guessed, trying her best to convince her the two."What are you saying? Are you saying you have superpowers now?" Coco scoffed, Gallant muffled a chuckle."I don't know.Never mind.""Oh, well, hey, Mallory, uh, there's a fire right there, bitch, do it again." She jumped up to her feet, followed by Ryan who kept his eyes on the hair sculpture he created, worried by her rapid movements. "Come on. Prove it!Make flames shoot out everywhere!"Mallory focused on her hands and tried to replicate the movements from earlier, her fingers danced in the air as she imagined controlling the fire in her mind.But it stayed as it was, no energy radiated from the Gray."Oh. This is pretty lame, even for you, Mallory." Coco giggled, stepping away. "Some people just have nothing special about them, and you have to be okay with that."Gallant hummed in agreement."Maybe you can see if you have a superpower that allows you to shut your piehole and get back to work. My costume isn't going to make itself.""And why are you even touching my stuff? Evie's room is full of crap that you can use, not that she'll be needing any of it anymore." Ryan's expression shifted, his grin disappeared. "Maybe I can see if I've got a superpower to make you disappear."Mallory stormed out of the room, infuriated and puzzled."She's out of her mind." They were all ready for the party, dressed impeccably and wearing masks, as they waited in the atrium for Venable to make her appearance.Ms. Mead carried a tray with something they hadn't seen in a long time.She grabbed each apple and dropped them in the basin filled with water.The Purples approached her, shocked at the sight of the gaudy red of the fruit.Andre reached to grab one but Mead smacked his hand away."Ow!""No treats until the time comes.""Nobody's even seen a piece of fresh fruit in over eighteen months.""Where did this come from?""Perhaps I should drag in one of the horses who rode through hell to giftus these sweet little wonders so you can look it in the mouth.""I know. It's symbolic. It's the Garden of Eden, apples from paradise." Gallant explained, his eyes drawn by the delicious looking apples. "It's obviously from The Sanctuary.""We should say grace to thank theuniverse for sending them to us." Dinah smiled happily, her hands coming up to her chest."You are so fucking annoying." Her son groaned and walked off."Enough." Mead said. "Ms. Venable said everyone will get a chance to bob for apples later."Mallory cleared her throat, intentionally catching everyone's attention."Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Ms. Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt."Coco entered the room gracefully, her Victorian gown causing Dinah to gasp softly."Can we clap, please?" Gallant urged. "Thank you.""You did that?" Andre asked, pointing at the hair sculture sitting on her head."Without a blow-dryer." Ryan grinned proudly and took a sip from his flute. "Sometimes I even astonish myself."Venable walked down the hallway silently, appearing, unannounced, behind Coco and leaning in to whisper in her ear:"Boo."Coco was startled and left the spotlight for her to introduce everyone to the party."Tonight is All Hallows' Eve, which marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, when the boundary between this world and the Other thins, and lost souls pierce the firmament, desperate to find their way home.It is a night to remember the dead, and there have been far too many to mourn.But also to celebrate that we have yet to join them." She walked towards Mead, Andre was surprised to see no trace of the other warden, he nibbled his lower lip, wondering if they'd secretly executed Rei and if he would've had the same fate."We delight in the small things that were once taken for granted.To eat. To drink.Music and dance.Everyone, and I mean everyone, should savor this night as if it were their last."And they did as it was ordered and danced to the new music happily, enjoying the unusual lightness of the occasion.Coco dropped Gallant as her dancing companion to walk towards Mallory to ask her for a refill, when a hand brushed her shoulder lightly.When she turned around, she found a tall figure towering over her in what looked like a medieval plague doctor mask and a pitch black coat."Oh. And who are you?Well, you're not Andre.And I would know my hairdresser anywhere.Oh. Well, this must be Mr. Langdon."She smirked and leaned closer, resting her hands on his chest as she swayed her hips from side to side along with the music. "I would be honored.""I know the whole interview thing is bullshit." She whispered. "You have to keep up appearances, but you already know who gets to go to The Sanctuary.I got into Harvard, so I know how things work.You'll make the announcement later tonight.I'll get in, of course. But I want us to be in sync on who's kept out."He stayed silent."I've spent eighteen months with these people, so I think my opinion holds a little weight.I mean, that's what I'm good at, opinions.I'm an influencer.People do what I do because I have great taste.But you already know that about me, don't you?"She brushed her fingers over his chest and smirked."But what is it you don't know? You see an intelligent, confident young woman who always gets what she wants.But what you don't know is I'm a woman who also likes to please."The man started walking away but she grabbed his arm and stood on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear."Wait, wait, wait, wait.I can offer you something I never even gave my boyfriend. I'm talking about anilingus."She didn't receive a proper answer but he followed her up to her room, and silently watch her kneel down in front of him."Defile me any way you like.Oh, but a warning, I have a very short tongue and a sensitive gag reflex.""I know." She looked up, eyes open wide, when she heard a familiar voice but not Langdon's. "I know all about you, Coco."She stepped back, disgusted by the sight of his face when he removed the mask. It had changed, the scars were so deep he was almost unrecognizable, The cicatrix on his cheekbone was broad and rough. This wound was blunt and looked like the injury had never been stitched or treated. His hair had fallen off, leaving spots of his injured scalp visible. His face had a gray hue, a thick dust covered his skin like a veil."Oh, my God, Brock." Coco yelped, her muscles rigid as she looked up at his infuriated, intimidating expression. "How the fuck did you get in here?What happened to your face?""Radioactive fallout. Cancer. Cannibal attacks. Infections that never heal." His voice thunderous."Oh, honey." Her voice cracked, she fidgeted with her fingers, picking at her nails nervously as rapid, fevered apologies started rolling out of her mouth. "There wasn't a minute in a day I didn't think about you.When that jet took off, I had to put you away in that place in my brain that had everything I loved but could never have again.Like... sushi."Brock bared his teeth, watching Coco reaching to grab his hand, swallowing uncomfortably, her lips curled."Oh, my God. I'm so happy.You're back. You're alive!" A pale casted to her face "You're so angry."Brock made sure his grip around her neck was firm then stabbed her in the forehead."Happy Halloween, bitch." He let go of her, smiling as she dropped to the floor.Brock stepped out of the room carefully, and jogged down the hallways, his stomach ached, he had spent over a week with no food, he'd grown used to the lack of victuals but he was certain somewhere in the shelter they would have provisions.He opened every single door until he reached the last one at the end of the hallway. He opened it but much to his surprise, he wasn't welcome by the sight of another empty bedroom but to a tall, dark figure that approached him confidently. The man in a black latex coverall wrapped his hands around his neck with an inhuman strength.Brock attemped to fight back, his voice reduced to a silent scream before his neck snapped and his body was tossed on the floor.The rubber man walked back into the room and the door locked behind him, as he stood against it, watching the warden sleep. "Congratulations!" The crowd cheered when Mallory successfully caught a stem with her mouth."Let's all wait until each person has had an opportunity to participate in tonight's activities." Venable announced. "Then we will feast together like civilized beings."She stepped back, hearing steps coming down the hallway and left them to their party activities."Where is Augustus?" Venable whispered to Mead as soon as she walked in."I can't find him, or The Fist or Coco anywhere." She replied nervously."And Mr. Langdon has declined our invitation.""We got to put the brakes on. Stop it now. No witnesses.""It's too late for that." Venable concluded. "Once they've had their fun, we'll bring the festivities and your gun to him.""Oh, I suck at this game!" Andre chuckled, not able to catch an apple without cheating."Yeah!" Gallant rose his arms up with glee, oblivious to the danger inherent in the small, tempting fruit.Each apple had been infused with the venom extracted from the snakes that had slithered out from the ventilation system days earlier."The venom will enter the bloodstream through their digestive tract...causing an immediate breakdown of their nervous systems and the lining of their stomachs." Mead had explained to Venable, piercing another one with the syringe. "It won't be pretty.""We give thanks to The Cooperative for this blessed fruit and the bounties they have bestowed upon us.Shelter from the nuclear storm and the savagery that threatens our borders.Our humanity." Venable stared at the apple in her hand and smiled during her announcement. "It is time to enjoy our good fortune.You have your treat."They were shivering with trepidation as they all took a bite out of their sweet treats.Gallant's teeth sunk into the scarlet skin that punctured fairly easily, his eyes rolled back as the juices hugged his tongue pleasantly.Dinah moaned at the strong flavor and her lips curled into a smile as she looked over at her son that started chewing slowly, bringing his hand to his chest, eyebrows furrowed together. Nausea clawed at his throat as he spat out bits of the apple. Soon Mallory started choking as well and forced down the bile, but it was too late.Ryan's stomach contracted violently, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat, he lurched forward and tried to hold onto the table, knocking off the flutes.The other Grays sunk to their knees or reached for glasses of water.Dinah heaved and dropped the apple to the ground, her watery eyes staring with terror at the drips of blood falling from her lips to the wooden floor.Gallant was gripping onto the couch so desperately, his knuckles turned white, his knees gave out and he collapsed on the ground.The stench filled Andre's nostrils, he hugged his agonising body as foam formed in his mouth.In just a few seconds they were all dead, Venable smirked mischievously towards Mead."And here's the trick.""Now, that went off rather well, don't you think?""Little messier than I would have hoped." Mead chuckled softly."Least we don't have to worry about cleaning up.""We shouldn't keep Mr. Langdon waiting." "Ladies, I'm a little busy right now formulating my selections." He ignored their presence, still typing on the keyboard calmly."This won't take long." Langdon closed the laptop and turned around."What's this?""We're making the selections now, Mr. Langdon." Venable said. "And I'm afraid you didn't make the cut."Langdon scoffed, chuckling softly as his fingers played with his blonde locks."I'm sorry. I wanted to let you have your moment, but I just couldn't hold it in.""You think this is funny?" His eyes scrutinized the woman and he stood up and leaned in towards her."I think I'm impressed, Ms. Venable.I wasn't sure you had it in you." His tone was manipulative as usual, his movements sinuous as if he was casting a spell. "You've passed the test.You're perfect for The Sanctuary.""Ms. Mead." The warden pointed her gun at Michael and he shook his head, a smirk on his plump lips."I wouldn't do that.""Ms. Mead." Venable insisted, when then she wasn't quick enough.When she looked over, she saw Myriam shaking, her arm slowly shifting away as her gun was pointed at Wilhelmina.Her mouth was twitching, her eyes tearing up as his something was forcing her hand in the wrong direction.Her quivering finger pressed the trigger and Venable collapsed to the ground, whimpering and gasping for air as blood furiously streamed out of her chest."I don't know why I did that.I was always loyal to her." Mead cried and watched Michael squatting down to savour Venable's suffering expression closely."It's all right." He reassured her. "You were obeying commands, like you're programmed to do.My commands."Mead swallowed nervously, her shoulders shaking violently, her eyes fixed on the woman struggling for breath."Did you enjoy executing the poison apples plan as much as I enjoyed coming up with it?" Langdon grinned mischievously and watched Mead still staring at her gun, trembling in shock."You wanted everyone dead?" She looked up at him, confused."I've never been a fan of getting my hands dirty.Learned that from my Father." Mead felt terrified watching him stepping towards her slowly, his grin even wider. "Always more fun to entice men and women to dirty deeds.Confirms what I've always believed.""W-What do you believe?""That all people, if given the right pressures or stimulus, are evil motherfuckers.""I-I'm having trouble with this. I know I'm just a machine.""Never say that.You're not just a machine.Not to me." He scolded her but his tone was gentle. "When I tasked The Cooperative's R&D department to have you constructed, I gave them a prototype to model.""A prototype?""Of someone from my childhood. Someone very dear to me." The muscles of his delicate face relaxed."The beautiful boy." She sighed with relief, memories came flooding back and she felt as if she was released from a state of unconsciousness.It was the first time Mead noticed a new sentiment in Langdon's expression. His smile was genuine, it reached his eyes that were now glossy. "That was me. But I had to keep the most important part of you hidden from your mind.""Why?""To protect you. And the plan. But now it's time to remember it all. I lost you, and I couldn't bear it." A tear ran down his cheek as he sighed, relieved. "I can't imagine a new world without you by my side.The only woman who ever really understood me.""Who ever really loved you." Michael engulfed her in a warm embrace and she was invested by his sweet fragrance, the same she remembered and held dear to her heart. The gates opened, moved by a powerful energy as the four cut through the dense fog and stormed towards the Outpost.The woman leading the pack forced the doors open and navigated through the corridors, her flaming red hair flowing as she reached the atrium and lit the fireplace with a quick flick of the wrist."Find our sisters." She ordered and Misty, Madison and Queenie rushed to search for them.Once they had dragged Mallory, Coco and Dinah's lifeless bodies across the floor and gathered them in one room, Misty knelt down to stare at their pale faces, her eyes veiled by a faint melancholy.The four witches grabbed each other's hands, circling around their dead sisters and breathed deeply, sending energy towards the corpses lying on the ground, who suddenly sat up and gasped for air.Madison chuckled and leaned down to face Mallory who stared right back at her, eyes wide as she removed her thick glasses that no longer helped her sight, but rather aggravated it"Surprise, bitch." Madison smirked, pleased to see her so terrified. "I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"She was the closest person I ever had to a mother. To this day, I don't know how she found me.I was glad to finally find a real home."Michael remembered, his eyes glossy as he held her hand lovingly.He remembered sitting across from her at a table just like they were in that moment but years earlier and in a much warmer and brighter house.His hair was shorter, his soft, golden curls crowned his head, he sat and watched Myriam grabbing the plates with a large grin on her face and handing one to Michael.He'd offered to help her in the kitchen but she had gently told him not to worry about a thing and to sit down, while ruffling his hair.Michael grabbed the fork that sunk in the soft bread covered in warm butter and marple syrup. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Mead scolded him and Michael nodded apologetically.He clasped his hands above the table and glanced at the altar sitting behind Mead before closing his eyes. Bless us, Dark Lord, for these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy infernal bounty, through the power of Lucifer Eternal.Nema."Once Mead nodded and he had permission to eat, he sliced the french toast in large bits and devoured it."I swear, the only other person who liked this as much as you was my first husband." Mead muttered, delighted to see Michael so happy. "And that's why it was so easy to poison him."Michael sat up in his chair, his chewing slowing down briefly. "You're not gonna poison me, are you?""Not if you clean your room, like I asked you to."He giggled and shoved more of the delicious bread in his mouth. "You didn't really kill your first husband, did you?""No. I killed my first three husbands." The boy let out a soft laugh. "You might as well learn this now: If something isn't working, it's best to just cut the cord.And make sure the insurance policy's up to date.""That's evil!" He gasped."Hell yeah! I'm a devil mama!" Mead smiled wide. "She made me feel happy and protected." Michael ran his thumb across the back of her hand and looked deep into her eyes. She seemed so real. "So you can understand why I gave you her form and her thoughts.I need someone to help me with the monumental task of remaking this world.Who better than the one person I never stopped trusting or loving?""Your jacket is stained." She observed, leaning in to see a drop of blood on the collar."So it is. There's another one in the dresser." She jumped up to grab it, her eyes glaring at the woman lying on the ground. She looked away, feeling a vague guilt at the sight of Venable's lifeless face.Mead helped Michael into a new suit, a red velvet one. She gently brushed his long hair out of the collar and stepped back when she turned around."What do you think?" He asked, running his hands over the soft material of the jacket, adjusting the sleeves."Hail Satan.""Not quite. But I appreciate the sentiment." He looked down at the lady staring at him with a genuinely content face and a large smile. "Ms. Mead, I do believe you're glowing.""For the first time, I feel I know my place in the world. By your side.""There's one more person we need." Michael snapped his fingers and smiled. Rei sat up in bed, breathing hoarsely as he stared at the figure in the latex suit. He was frozen, he had woken up to him watching his every move. Suddenly the young boy was overwhelmed by contrasting feelings and memories. It felt like he'd been asleep for years.Rei got up and walked towards the man that radiated a strong energy. "Michael?" He swallowed his fears and reached for the zip behind his nape, opening the mask.He gasped in shock to see the suit still standing, with apparently nobody filling it. Rei pushed the rubber suit and it shifted, now no longer standing in front of the entrance.He opened the door of the room he found familiar. The school.A man laid on the floor right outside, covered in lesions and with his neck bent in an impossible manner.He started roaming through the labyrinth, his screams bouncing off the dark walls."Michael!" Rei found himself in the atrium where cadavers were scattered on the floor covered by their own vomit and blood. "Michael!"He was lost, his throat flaming from his desperate yelling, and rushed down the hallway where he stopped abruptly once he saw two figures approaching him."Stay away! Protegas me, ignis!" With a quick flick of the wrist, the fire of the candles on his sides surrounded him in a circle of flames."Rei." The warm voice brought immediate tears to his eyes and he dissipated the fire and waited for the two to walk towards him.As soon as he saw the face he had long missed, he jumped in Michael's open arms."Michael." They held each other close, their arms wrapped so tight around one another that Rei felt like he'd suffocate.He rested his temple against his chest, he could hear Michael's rapid heartbeat as he basked in the warmth of the embrace. "You made it. The apocalypse. You- you did it."They pulled away and Michael looked down at the small boy, nodding and replicating Rei's wide smile."I am so proud of you." Rei laughed and pressed his lips against Michael's. He didn't even realize how much he'd craved his kisses.The languid way Michael would caress his ears on accident as he cupped his face gently with his velvety, delicate hands, caused Rei's cheeks to flush red. He breathed in Michael's rich, savory scent, his fragrance of leather and floral and looked up at him. "What happened to your hair?"He ran his fingers through the long, blonde locks as Michael stepped away, his hand still intertwined with Rei's, chuckling."Are they all dead?" Rei asked."Not yet, my dear. But we're close. Only a few more Outposts are left." Michael replied."Then we'll go to the Sanctuary?" Rei's eyes gleamed with hope."Love, there is no Sanctuary. All that's left outside of these walls is dust and rotting corpses. But trust me, we'll be safe."Rei nodded and engulfed Mead in a warm embrace, smiling happily. "How is this possible?""I'll answer all your questions soon. We have to leave."Rei nodded and grabbed Michael's hand firmly as he lead them down the hallways. The sense of relief and joy he felt was shortly interrupted when Michael stopped in his tracks and turned around."What is it?" Rei asked."A powerful presence.""What do you mean? Everyone's dead." Mead replied as they watched Michael shaking his head nervously."Not anymore.""What?""It's them." He framed Rei's face with his hands, his eyes desperately taking in every detail he had forgotten. "The witches are back. Go hide.""No. No, Michael, what do you mean? I'm not leaving you." Rei stressed, shaking his head."You have to go. Hide. Be safe.""But-""Trust me. Mead will be by my side. Don't let them find you." Michael looked at Rei one last time before pecking his lips and letting go of him. "I love you.""I love you, too." Michael grinned, he hadn't heard those words coming from him in a really long time."Burn those bitches down to the bone." With that Rei disappeared and Michael and Mead proceeded down the hallway. "I don't know what's going on." Mallory repeated and Madison quickly answered."Bad news, bitch. You're back from the dead.""I'm what?" Madison stood up and walked away, leaving Misty to take care of the confused girl."Just breathe deeply." Myrtle encouraged her. "You need time to get your bearings.""Poor dear, to be raised up and released from an Identity Spell at the same moment." Misty murmured, her thumb gently brushing against Mallory's cheek."I cannot believe Brock shoved a knife through my head." Coco fumed, pacing around the room. "That fucking bastard better hope he's dead.""He is." Queenie replied."Wow. She's by far the weakest among us and seems to be handling it the best." Madison exclaimed."People react to spells in different ways." Misty explained, still holding on Mallory's hands."I think the perfect antidote to stoke the blood and speed up the recovery process would be a spicy gazpacho Andaluz." Myrtle exhaled deeply."You think the kitchen here has a spice rack?""Can someone please tell me what's going on? What do you mean, Identity Spell?" Mallory questioned once again, hoping to finally understand, furiously jumping up to her feet, her legs feeling slightly numb."We placed it on you, for your protection." Misty answered, holding her arm kindly, in an attempt to calm her down. "Coco, too. It kept you from knowing your true self.""Why?""Because you're special, Mallory. And we need you. We need all of you." Myrtle said."You're on your own with that shit." Dinah bursted out. "I made a billion dollars in TV, and all I ever did was straddle the fence. I'm sure as hell not dumping that strategy here, sisters.I haven't promised anything. I haven't signed anything. And I'm not here to defeat anyone."Who cares? As if you could ever defeat anyone with your weak ass powers." Madison reiterated."How can any of you defeat me, when I've already won?" Michael stood at the top of the staircase, he surely had changed since they'd last seen him."You haven't won." Misty fought back, clenching her fists at the sight of the boy and the woman by his side."Perhaps you haven't noticed the state of the world.""It's almost as bad as your dinner jacket." Myrtle replied, causing Michael to scoff. "But at least the world can be saved.""By you?""By all of us.""Hey. Get the wax out of your ears. I'm here to watch." Dinah repeated."But I'm not." Coco protested. "Just don't let me die again, okay? It really sucked the first time.""When I'm done, you'll all wish you were still dead." Michael smiled mischievously and Myrtle laughed at him."I always thought the world would end with fire and ice, not witches and warlocks."
[2017]
"Ex forma mutata. Summa partes." The boys chanted, standing around the small table, holding their books open. In front of them, pieces of aluminum."Remember, gentlemen, a spell is much more than a series of arcane words." Chablis' voice echoed between the walls as he inspirited the students. "But it is the power you bring to those words that makes the magic.""Summa partes. Ex forma mutata"A young boy joined the circle, running into class late again."Mr. Banks." The teacher scolded him. "If you ever expect to rise beyond Level One, you will arrive on time.If punctuality is too taxing for you, join the Magic Castle and do card tricks with Neil Patrick Harris.""I'm sorry, sir." He murmured."And you forgot your book... again." With a quick tilt if his head, the book flew from the high shelf down to the kid's hands. "Now let's see if you've been practicing your spells, or just fiddling with your wand.""Ex forma mutata. Facti sunt figura novi.""Good. Keep going." The pieces of aluminum levitated up in the air, above their heads, moving rapidly, but pushed together to form a small globe."Your power is molecular. Woven into your DNA. See every atom. Rearrange them. Transform them.""Ex forma mutata. Facti sunt figura novi. Facti sunt figura novi. Ex forma mutata. Facti sunt figura novi."Finally the pieces were joint to form a shining sphere."Yes! That's what I'm talking about, gentlemen.""Mr. Chablis." Behold turned around when Baldwin called. "We've been summoned."They rushed to the meeting room where a tall man sat in a chair, smoking nonchalantly."John Henry Moore." Behold groaned. "Something must be grotesquely important for you to be stinking up my office with that cancer stick.I thought you quit.""I quit every week." John shrugged. "You might need one after you've seen what I've seen."Please allow our colleagues to make their own unbiased evaluation." That's when the two warlocks noticed the presence of the Great Chancellor."Ariel." Baldwin smiled, greeting him warmly. "Nobody told us you were coming.""I'll make arrangements for a celebration tonight." Behold started. "The students can meet their Grand Chancellor. I'm sure your son would be-""No." Ariel prevented them from making plans. "There is something much more pressing."He led them to the desk where a laptop sat. "This was sent to me by a sympathetic member of the Los Angeles Police Department."John started the video that showed a man aggressively interrogating a boy, curled in a ball in a chair."Does that help with your memory?" He barked out, leaning towards the blonde teenager, who trembled like a leaf."I didn't do anything." Michael cried out, keeping his head down and his hands in his lap."Except stab him with five knives." The man growled, slamming his fists on the table. "You were the only one there, you sick little fuck!""I didn't touch those knives!" Michael repeated, his voice high pitched and faltering. "You won't find my fingerprints anywhere."The man harshly pushed him off the chair and Michael curled against the wall, lying on the floor when he started kicking him in the stomach.Suddenly the broad guy was pinned against the wall by a powerful energy, that then dragged him on the ceiling where his limbs were bent in an inhuman way, breaking instantly.His body collapsed onto the floor."Save me." He begged, sitting up, when his head exploded. Behold looked over at Baldwin, startled at what his colleagues had just shown him and John turned around in the chair, nodding towards his cigarette. "Need a smoke?""Holy shit." Baldwin breathed out, watching the boy hugging his knees against the wall."It's a classic case of demonic possession." John Henry started, staring down at the man in the long cloak. "Ariel, as much as you want him to be, the boy is not a warlock.""He's not the provocateur. Look at him!" John insisted but Ariel cut him off."I disagree. I think it was a-a manifestation of wild energy. It was out of control but full of potency and promise.""Let's just say that you're right and he was responsible." John sighed deeply, stepoing closer to the warlock in front of him. "Then his magic is dark and volatile, and we should leave him the fuck alone.""Protection of our kind has become a matter of life and death." Ariel protested."Warlocks have always been second-class citizens." Behold added."That doesn't mean that we have to open our doors to just anyone, especially him.""This school gave us direction." Ariel closed. "His power can be harnessed for good. He could be the one we've been waiting for.Remember the prophecy.""You're talking about the Alpha." John raised an eyebrow and took a long drag."The warlock who becomes the Alpha will have power beyond comprehension. His magic will exceed that of the witches.""He could pass the test of the Seven Wonders." Baldwin murmured."And supplant their Supreme. The Alpha will allow us to take our rightful place at the top of the hierarchy." Ariel turbed towards Chablis, who was still shaken by the video. "Behold, what do you think?""I think you need to get a face-to-face with that boy." "Wake up." The officer knocked on the bars. "There's somebody here to see you."Michael slowly turned around to find a short man, dressed in black and in a long cloak, who approached the cell smiling at him in a friendly way."You're not a lawyer." The boy whined and turned back to his original position, lying on his side on the bench, ignoring the visitor."I'm a friend.""I don't have any friends." He replied, facing the wall."I think maybe I can help you, Michael, if you let me." The boy stayed silent. "I saw the tape of your interview with the detective. It was impressive. I'm not with the police or social services or any part of the government. I'm a warlock.And I think you're one."Michael rapidly sat up, his brows furrowed together."A warlock?""Your whole life, things have occurred around you that you can't explain. Maybe it was just a, a fleeting thought you had. An impulse. A moment of rage.But then it happened.Like magic."Michael nodded, his mind wandering to many episodes in his life."A warlock is someone who can control that magic. When that detective was hurting you, what went through your mind?""Nothing." He shook his head, nibbling on the inside of his cheek."No. You were frightened and angry, so you lashed out the only way you could.You made some awful thoughts come true.""I just wanted him to get away." A tear rolled down his cheek."How did you end up in here?""I was defending someone. Actually, the only person who's never betrayed me." They were at the grocery store near home, Michael pushed the cart down the aisle when he heard Mead yelling at the butcher."You're not understanding what I want." She rolled her eyes, groaning deeply. "I don't want goat meat. I want a goat's head.I need it for my incantations.""Lady, I can't sell you that." The man stressed."Why? Are you only butchering headless goats?""I'm not giving you the head for some insane shit." Michael gasped at his words, quickly approaching them."You're discriminating against my religious beliefs, Mr. Butcher Man!" The man behind the counter scoffed and shook his head. "Where's your manager? I'm gonna talk to your manager."Myriam stormed away and Michael walked to stand in front of the butcher, leaning towards him."You are rude. Don't ever talk to her like that.""Yeah?" The butcher chuckled. "Fuck you! And fuck that batshit crazy bitch."He slammed a cutting board on the table, turning away from the blonde boy whose eyes rolled back.Michael clenched his fist, the lights in the store flickered and when he opened his hand the knives on the counter flew up in the hair and stabbed the butcher, who collapsed on the ground, with a terrified expression. "I never wanted to hurt anyone." Michael expmained to Ariel who looked at him in a compassionate way."Michael, your life is about to begin. Time for us to go." The warlock smirked, putting on his hat, tilted on one side and moved his hand quickly, using his magic to open the cell and to shock the boy who stood up and followed him down the hallway."What the hell are you doing?" The officer jogged behind them and yelled. "You said you just wanted to talk to him.""He's innocent of all charges. I'm taking him with me." Ariel established."He's not going anywhere." The guard was pinned to the wall."That was awesome!" Michael gasped, his expression lighting up as a smile grew on his lips."He'll probably wet his pants, but he'll be released unharmed when we're gone."As they walked away, the boy clenched his fist and the man's neck snapped, Ariel too far ahead to notice. "Oh, I'm sure he won't feel a thing." The two walked to the car parked right outside the front doors, when Mead's voice spread through the parking lot. "I'm a true believer, Michael!"Michael smiled, but was urged into the car, his eyes following the small woman standing behind the car through the rear view mirror."I'll be here for you! Always. Hail the new world!"The boy's heart felt warm hearing her sweet words and he giggled softly while Ariel started the car. "Hail! Hail the new world!""Boy's gonna make me proud someday." Mead whispered to herself as they left. "This place is underground?" The warlock had stopped in what seemed like the middle of the desert, where only what looked like a black, circular maze stood tall."It wasn't always." Ariel explained while they approached it. "An actual building stood here once. It was beautiful, with big wooden beams and giant glass windows that let you see forever.Problem was we could see out, but others could see in."The sun beamed in the limpid sky, bathing Michael in a bright light, that brought a pleasant warmth to his pale arms and shone on his gilded curls as he took hesitant steps, following Ariel's."In 2014, when Miss Cordelia went on her publicity tour and outed us to the world, some locals decided they didn't want us in their neighborhood.They threw a little Molotov cocktail party and burned everything down.All that was left standing was the sculpture from the garden. So we went underground again.Literally."Ariel opened the doors for him, with a quick spell only the teachers knew. "Shall we?"They took an elevator to go down and wandered around the facility, around a big fireplace that reptesented the meeting point of the multiple hallways.Michael hugged his body as he walked into the candle-lit room where a large group of students around their teens waited for him."I'd like you all to meet Michael." Ariel introduced him, his eyes staring at the boy's bruised cheek as his hand gently rubbed Michael's arm. "Like many of us when we first arrived, he is not sure that this is the place for him.But in the days to come, we're going to show him that not only is this the only place he belongs, but that he's finally found his true home."He smiled and shrugged as the boys welcomed him happily and shook his hand one by one. His eyes scanned the crowd until they set on a familiar face. His grin dropped and he passively absorbed their compliments as he stared at the short, muscular guy looking right back at him. That night, once the students were ordered to go to their dormitories, Michael was brought to his room upstairs and left alone to get used to his new accommodation.As he slipped off his shoes and sat down on the grey blanketed bed."I missed you" Michael murmured, knowing he was standing by the door. He turned around and walked towards Rei, who had just transmuted into the room."Michael." Rei breathed out and jogged towards the boy to pull him in a tight embrace. "I was waiting for you.""Why did you leave me?" He cried, gripping on Rei's jacket, before pulling away from the hug to look down at his hazel brown eyes. He had wanted to ask him that question for a long time."I'm sorry.""Why didn't you tell me?""I couldn't tell you about this school. It wasn't the right time, yet. We've been studying you for a while. I knew there was something about you.""You're a warlock." Rei nodded and framed Michael's face with his hands."I couldn't have told you before. It wasn't safe." He rubbed his thumb against Michael's cheek slowly, his hand ran to the back of his head as his fingers sunk into his curls.Michael let out a deep breath, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Rei's."Two years." His words carried a deep sorrow that he was just now releasing after so long."I know, I'm sorry, Michael. I wasn't allowed to contact you.""Okay." He accepted it, he understood. At least he had Rei once again."I have to go, now." Michael tugged on Rei's cloak and leaned in for a kiss before he'd leave. "I love you."He could feel the inside of his stomach being tickled and a large grin spread on his lips.They smiled at each other and in just a moment, Rei disappeared.He couldn't put into words how glad he was to see the boy with the buzzcut. The blonde bleach had faded away and now his hair was his dark, natural color but Michael liked it even more.He went to bed feeling weirdly content, he was missing Mead but the thought of her safe at home consoled him.The next day Michael was given the books and the uniform. He was instructed to wear it for his very first lesson.That evening after practice Rei and Michael were sent to grab more volumes he needed for the semester.They stayed silent all the way up to his dorm room."Like it here?" Rei asked, looking up at Michael, rearranging the various books on the desk."To be honest, yeah. I really like it."Michael wrapped his arms around Rei's waist from behind and placed soft kisses on his nape.The short boy turned around and slowly unfastened Michael's string bow tie, locking eyes with him."Good." He whispered, leaning in to press his lips against Michael's as they made their way to the bed.No matter how long it had been since their bodies last touched, they remembered how to complete each other, how to fit perfectly like pieces of an intricate puzzle.Rei hovered over Michael, sprawled on the bed, and smirked down at him, inching closer to breathe in his cologne. He was eager, but Rei knew how to play with him and to challenge his patience just enough. He left a trail of kisses on Michael's neck, smiling as he watched the boy breathing hoarsely and closing his eyes slowly.Rei's fingers sunk into the soft, blonde curls as he pulled Michael's face closer for a kiss. Soon their clothes were being tossed away, Michael rushed to unbutton his shirt. The uniforms were on the ground and Michael was shivering in trepidation, Rei's lips were home to his.They fell back into the routine, they remembered the dance their body perfected in the walls of the house that Michael no longer missed: he had everything that he needed. Yet, a new, strange feeling held onto his heart. An energy part of him wished to never experience around Rei, not again."I missed you." Rei murmured, caressing his cheek, he was lying on top of Michael, head on his bare chest. The blonde boy smiled at him, his eyes sleepy, and kept rubbing soft circles on Rei's back.Rei leaned in to give him a quick kiss then scooted away to sit on the corner of the bed. As he bent down to gather his clothes off the floor, he felt the familiar, warm hand wrapping around his head, his palm pressing against his forehead, pulling it back to make sure his neck was exposed.The cold, sharp blade rested against his skin and Rei scoffed softly."Do it. If I had to be killed, I'd wish nothing more for my death than to be caused by your hands."Michael stayed silent, pushing the knife harder against his jugular."You think I didn't notice, the moment you walked into the coven." Rei was tossed against the wall, his back arching from the impact.Michael stood up, one hand rushing to his jaw and the other keeping the grip tight around the dagger he had kept hidden under the mattress."You're special, Michael. I've always told you." Rei's voice was soft, there was no fear in it. His eyes stared right back at Michael's, gazing him lovingly as usual."What do you know?" The boy growled through his clenched teeth, his cerulean eyes visibly furious."By slicing my throat, you'd just bring me more pleasure." Pushed against the freezing wall, Rei struggled to let the words out his mouth, the blade dangerously weighted down on his neck. "What an honorable way to die, to have the Dark Lord take my soul directly."Rei's lips curled in a smile as his hands slowly reached Michael's face, framing it gently. He softly tucked a strand of the golden hair behind his ear, brushing his finger against the burning skin."The mark of the beast." He breathed."Who are you?" Michael pulled the knife away and kept his grip loose around his neck."Still your Rei. I just know more than you thought I did.""Be clear.""The spawn of pure evil, that's what you deserve. Mead knows me, she knows you're in good hands. Mine." Michael let the dagger drop on the floor and stepped back."How do you know her?""I'll explain everything in due time. Just know that you're safe here, and you can trust me. Deep down you know I could never lie to you.You know my soul and you know that I love you more than anything else in my life."Michael stood there in silence, the storm had come to an end and the ocean in his eyes, blurred by the tears, was calm again. He let Rei hug him tight and nodded, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. He sniffled and left kisses on top of Rei's head kindly. Rei walked down the hallways of the school alone, the dormitories were abandoned, not a voice to be heard.He descended into the atrium where the students were all grouped up, forming a circle around their four teachers, standing still, looking down at something Rei couldn't quite see from afar.They were all silent and just stared at Rei with blank expressions as he made his way through to crowd to the middle.He choked a cry of pain when he saw the familiar honey blonde curls soaked in the blood that pooled around the frail, lifeless body."Michael!" His scream echoed between the walls, the flames of the candles trembled. He knelt down, his hands quivering as they reached to cup the angelic face. His plump lips had turned a pale pink and the neck that Rei so enjoyed to place feathery kisses on to, had been sliced with the knife that rested near his head.Rei was helpless, the grief impeded any clear thoughts. He turned around to the teachers that stared right back at him. "Do something!" He pleaded, his lungs burned and his throat was in flames."Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." Baldwin finally spoke up."Please, help him." The kid begged, his words interrupted by the violent sobs."A life for a life." Said John Henry.Rei gawked at him, until he finally understood and grabbed the dagger. He pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeve, swallowing nervously, and held the knife firmly as he traced the blade down his forearm, gasping for air as the wound opened up.The pain was excruciating but he leaned down, his hand cupping Michael's cheek desperately as he lifted his arm above his face and poured the blood on his slightly parted lips. "Come on, come on.""Not enough." He barely heard Ariel's voice over his laments.He immediately pressed the knife deeper into the wound, he was sweating profusely. He let out just a simple whimper when he cut down the opposite wrist, his heartbeat pounding in his ears."Come on, baby. Please, come on."The large, red drops fells in Michael's mouth, Rei started to feel dizzy.His eyes were blurred by the tears as he leaned down to rest his forehead against Michael's."Wake up, honey. Please, Michael." His voice was just a light whisper and he collapsed on his lover's body, his fingers rubbing against his cheek slowly. "Love."He tried to keep his sight on Michael's ethereal face as long as possible but he was starting to feel the life leaving his body. He whispered his name endlessly, wailing in agony. Rei sat up on the bed, screaming, and a pair of strong arms wrapped around him."Calm down. Calm down." Michael whispered in his ear, pulling him in a warm hug."It wasn't real?" He breathed out, panting heavily, his eyes puffy, his cheeks flushed red."No. No." Rei attempted to catch his breath, his temples were pulsing, he had tossed the sheets off of both of them and now he was cold, but Michael's hand instantly came to rub his back as he pecked his shoulder repeatedly.Once he'd calmed down Michael pulled back and framed his face with his hands. "You would do that for me?""Yes." Rei replied, nodding, his eyes scanning every single detail of the face he thought he'd seen for the very last time."Why?" Michael was honestly astounded, his heart ached to see such a reaction coming from his Rei."I love you." He furrowed his eyebrows, his arms dropping from around Michael's neck. "How do you know...?"The blonde boy was silent."Did you do that?" Rei asked, perplexed. "How?""I don't know, I just... did it." Michael murmured."Imaginem inducere.""I guess.""You controlled my mind." Rei didn't seem angry, he almost sounded proud."I'm sorry." So he seemed."I can see why you would do that. You shouldn't trust anyone." Michael grabbed his hands and brought them to his face to peck each palm gently. "Your body is to be kept safe. You have important duties. I know MY Michael trusts me deep down, I can see it in your eyes.""You would die for me." He smiled and sat closer to Rei who nodded and looked up into his eyes lovingly."As I suppose you would do for me." Michael nodded repeatedly and pressed his lips against Rei's briefly. "Promise."He pulled up his pinky and Rei grinned and held it with his own. "Promise." Michael enjoyed how much more powerful he was than any other student there and found it easy to memorize the spells.He had learned that Rei was one of the best warlocks there, he could finally see him in his full glory, blossomed, immensely strong within his powers.If it was possible they'd grown even more attached, not just because Rei was a believer, but because they weren't hiding from each other anymore. Their bond was based on trust and honesty.No matter what duties they had during the day, at night they would always meet in Michael's room and he would always end up in Rei's loving arms.Michael adored waking up to his caresses, to his soft voice as he whispered his morning prayers, his hands clasped together and his head against Michael's chest.Michael would rub his fingers on his back as he pecked his head repeatedly, smiling as Rei's sweet words left his lips."I believe in the force of Satan The father of the void Ruler of the earth, king of the world, And in Lucifer, the guiding light and the morning star above."They were secretive with their relationship, but nothing would bring them more joy than to practice together and see what a powerful duo they were.They were easily to greatest students at school and that filled them with pride, but there wasn't the slightest trace of competitiveness against each other. Each one desired to see the other flourish and become more and more powerful every day.That's why Rei felt so proud when Michael was called to have a meeting with the teachers.Michael sat in a chair in front of the four warlocks, fidgeting with his fingers when Ariel spoke up."Now that you've had time to settle and you've immersed yourself in the study of magic here at the coven, it's time to evaluate and see where you stand.""Normally, this would happen at the end of the first year." Added John."Well, I've only been here a month." Michael muttered."Well, seeing your progress, we feel justified in accelerating the process." Behold explained and Ariel nodded in agreement."To begin, each warlock at our school is assigned a level, one through four, according to their talents and the breadth of their powers.""Are you all level fours?" The boy asked softly, receiving scoffs and giggles as reply."Sadly, you're looking at a bunch of threes.""Sixes after a few cocktails!" Chablis laughed."A level four would mean a warlock that is categorically as powerful as the female Supreme." Michael nibbled the inside of his cheek, trying to hide his smirk as he caught a glimpse of Rei hiding upstairs, watching them. "He would be the one we call the Alpha.""We shouldn't burden the boy with theory." John Henry interjected, sighing deeply. "In the history of the coven, there's never been a level four warlock. Let's see if he can pass level one. "Scrying is the ability to see things in a reflective surface. Messages, visions, prophecies." Baldwin had asked Michaek to stand in front of a mirror as the teacher sat on a bench and watched him closely. "But today, we're not looking for the next Nostradamus.All you need to do is to tell us where we hid a particular book.The New-""The New Adam and Eve." Michael anticipated him. "By Hawthorne. First edition.""Yes." Baldwin's eyebrows rose as he smirked towards Ariel.The boy stared intensely at his reflection, until the mirror vibrated, its surface was soft.Michael brough up his hand and to the teachers' surprise he slid it inside the mirror and pulled out the requested book"Well, that'll get some extra credit." Baldwin commented, shocked."Tremendous!" A large grin soread on Ariel's lips."He was only tasked with telling us where the book was hidden!" Behold leaned in towards John. "Even you have to admit that was impressive.""Impressive. And troubling." He thundered back. "Quite simply, he ignored directions." "Salire per spatium." Michael was brought into the atrium where he stood against the wall, facing Baldwin. Two things laid on the floor next to his feet, a brick and a knife. "The ability to transport yourself instantly throughout physical space.Just pick a spot in the room, envision yourself there, and make it happen."Rei had helped him perfect the power of transmutation one day, when they started playing tag in the woods.The two objects fluctuated in mid air."What are those things for?" Michael asked."Motivation." As soon as Baldwin's words left his mouth, the brick flew rapidly towards Michael, who quickly transmuted on the top of the staircase on his left.Baldwin sent the knife towards him but before it could hit him, Michael disappeared."Anything else?" The teachers looked up, the boy's voice coming from above and saw him lying on the ceiling, giggling. "You want me to dust up here?" "This final test requires an understanding not only of magic, but of nature." He had been brought back to the room where the test had begun, he sat in the chair, waiting for instructions. "Stiricidium."Michael nodded, he had read about that particular ability but never practiced it."Molecules of water are all around us. Change the weather inside this room, and turn the water into snow."The boy got up, swallowing nervously and moving the chair away to stand in the middle of the room.He inhaled deeply, raising his arms with movements so elegant, as if he was directing an orchestra.He channeled his energy to his hands, that caressed the air softly and a snowflake dropped from the wooden ceiling."Beautiful!" Soon the floor was covered in a thick blanket of white and Ariel chuckled happily. "Wow."Michael's wide smile dropped, his eyes rolled back, his arms shifted rapidly, and a strong wind howled in the room, winter's breath on his skin.The frigid air kept the teachers in the moment, preventing them from reacting instantly, whisking heat away from their bodies and leaving them pale, frozen.The cold licked at their faces and crept under their clothes, spreading across their skin.Their breaths rose in puffs as they desperately hugged their bodies."I can't breathe.""Enough!" Ariel blurted out, jumping from his seat and pulling Michael out of his trance.The boy's lower lip quivering as he felt a warm drop running over his cupid's bow. He was shaking violently, and ran a figer under his nose only to find out he was in fact bleeding."I'm sorry." He whispered apologetically. "I didn't know that was inside of me."Once the teachers recovered from the chilling weather that had invested the room, they jumped up and Ariel rushed towards Michael who was still stuttering."You're testing your wings." The warlock said. "Once you're fully in control of your powers, you'll have the confidence to soar."His hand rose to stroke Michael's cheek, reassuring him in a warm, paternal way."Thank you for your spirited participation, Michael." He flicked his wrist and lit the fireplace again. "You've given us a lot to consider." "Everyone in this room can do some of what he did. Not a single one of us can do it all." Ariel finally spoke up during dinner. "He crushed every test, surpassed all our expectations.""He is the most powerful warlock I've ever seen, and I've seen a few." Baldwin agreed."The witches' dominion over us will soon be a thing of the past." Behold said, flicking up his fingers and watching his glass fill with more wine."Are you serious?" John bursted out. "He almost killed us!Can't you see that there is a malevolence to his magic? To him? We should be afraid.You can't corral the darkness."He furiously laid the napkin on his thighs and searched for agreement in his colleagues' faces."Don't be afraid of Michael." Ariel defended the boy. "Be afraid of the status quo. Be afraid to do nothing."We have an obligation to our kind, to our future, to see if he can rise and lead us to our rightful place.We can't stop now. We're at the cusp.This is the moment when everything changes." "It might seem easy to alter the color of a flower, but the rose is unique. It resists change. Why?" Zoe spoke softly, her eyes scrutinizing the face of each new girl. Cordelia had left her the task of teaching the new witches the basic notions of magic.She held a white rose in her hand and explained its history, the students sitting at the table holding their own roses."Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, wife of Napoléon and proud witch, cultivated one of the largest rose gardens in Europe.It's said that Joséphine enchanted her roses so that the colors she produced remained fixed as she wanted them."Cordelia joined her young disciple and stared at her with a proud smile on her lips."Maybe so."Zoe looked down at her rose and closed her eyes as it changed color to become a bright red."But one thing's certain." The supreme's heart was full seeing the reaction on the girls' faces. "Nothing is immutable when the will of a strong woman is applied.Now show me how strong you are."Zoe walked to Cordelia's side and discretely elbowed her and tilted her head towards the blonde witch carefully holding her rose up in front of her."Watch her.""You really think she's something special?" Cordelia whispered."I'll let you be the judge."Mallory's rose shifted to a soft blue color and the Supreme grinned, before the petals started falling onto the table."She has some ability, no question.""Look." Zoe insisted. The fallen petals started flowing in the air and circling around when they suddenly became butterflies."My God." Cordelia breathed out."She claims her grandmother told her that her bloodline stretches all the way back to Salem."Myrtle interrupted them, rushing into the room."What is it?""The Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men." The lady explained, clearly bothered by the news. "They called an emergency council.We're obliged to get on a plane immediately.Airline food for lunch when I made reservations at Galatoires.It's just too cruel." "Are you sure we couldn't have made them come to us?" Zoe asked, stepping out of the car, watching the four warlocks standong by the doors of the school."The rules are the rules." Myrtle sighed deeply, her hands elegantly resting on her stomach as she walked slowly behind Cordelia. "Besides, did we really want all those men traipsing around our house?"The witches were welcomed in and sat down at the table, in front of the four men who studied them carefully."Let the record show that at the request of Hawthorne School, that we have assembled an emergency meeting of the council." Cordelia spoke up, looking oved at Baldwin rapidly pressing the buttons on a typewriter."In order to address what must surely be a matter of grave and pressing importance." Myrtle murmured. "Proceed."Ariel stood up, his hands clasped together and a large smile on his lips."Illustrious members, I want to thank you for coming and giving us the opportunity to share with you what we've discovered. We recently took in a boy here at the school. At first, we thought he was simply one of us, a warlock who needed our help and training.""But?" Zoe interjected causing to four to glare at her, surprised."The things he did were extraordinary, and after conducting the requisite test of his powers, we came to the conclusion that his abilities are so impressive that they rise to the level of Supreme."Cordelia was frozen, Zoe turned towards her and watched her confused expression while the warlock sat down.Myrtle scoffed softly. "Did you say this was a boy, as in male?""Ariel, you actually believe this?" Cordelia asked, perplexed."We wouldn't have summoned the council otherwise.""In all recorded history, no man has ever approached the level of Supreme." She was leaning over the table, her tone stern. "Men are simply not equal to women when it comes to magical ability.""Not to mention everything else." Added Myrtle."Testosterone is a known inhibitor. It impedes access to the ethereal realm. Frankly, I question your judgment by calling us here for this.""You're not even hearing us out!" Ariel shook his head."There's nothing to hear. There will never be a male Supreme. It will simply never happen." Myrtle attemped to end the conversation but Ariel fumed."Listen to yourselves! You say that something hasn't happened, so therefore it can never happen."Cordelia took a deep breath. "What exactly is it that you want from us?""We want you to administer the test of the Seven Wonders.""That is out of the question." She replied instantly."Why?""Because I'd be condemning this boy to his death!" Her eyes were clouded with melancholy. "I lost one of my most promising witches, Misty Day, by sanctioning a test before her time.I won't make that mistake again.I take care of my own.""At least the ones you care about." Behold commented."What do you mean by that?""One of your own, who you abandoned, Queenie." He explained. "Of course it's the black girl you leave behind. I see you, Ms. Supreme.""You don't know what you're talking about! Queenie was missing.She traveled to Los Angeles and never came back. I knew something awful had happened to her. Her life force just vanished.So I went searching for her. And when I found out she was trapped in the Hotel Cortez, I went immediately to bring her back from that monstrous place.And I had no illusions about it being easy.The Cortez is a place of evil. A hell mouth."Queenie had spent some time in that disgraced hotel, she still hadn't grown used to the unusual company. She sat across from March as they played cards once again."Damn, I have to take that trick." He chuckled. "I'm so glad I killed you, the only player worth playing in this entire establishment.""How long does this game go on?""Eternity, my dear. But not to worry, besides hearts, I can teach you spades, poker, blackjack, bridge, rummy." The suprene stepped into the room, rushing towards the witch. "Ah. A live one.""Cordelia.""Let's get out of here, Queenie." She said, releasing the girl from the hug to grab her hand and pull her away."Gladly.James scoffed, gathering the cards from the table for another round. "You're a plucky one... I admire that... But as you already know, Queenie, you can never leave this place.""Fuck you, March. This is Cordelia." Queenie followed her closely and looked back one last time at the famous killer. "She knows exactly how to get me out of here." They ran to the front doors and did what Queenie had already attemped numerous times but she wasn't able to get out."Shit."Cordelia could hear the souls screaming in the walls, desperate for a way out.She realized then that the hotel wasn't merely haunted, but an entryway to all things dark and satanic where the devil reigns."Queenie!"They went through every door and every window, but they couldn't escape the hotel.All her spells and incantations were useless in that dark realm.The light from which they draw their power was extinguished by Satan himself.She was there for days.The ghost of March got bored and finally left them alone."Cordelia, nothing's ever gonna work. You should just go back to the coven.They need you.""I'm sorry, Queenie.""I'm so sorry." "My effort to rescue Queenie is by far my greatest failure as Supreme."She looked over at Behold, her voice shaking from the soft sobbing."But I tried.And I do care about all of our people. All of our people.So I won't throw this boy's life away on some useless endeavor.There will be no test.That is this council's decision.""Why do you get to decide that?" Ariel was desperate."Because I'm the fucking Supreme!" She roared, slamming her fist on the table."No, you're just a scared bigot." The warlock fought back."Scared of what?""Of the Alpha. Of a man rising to the level of Supreme. Of an end to ages of female dominance. I'm telling you, that time has come.""And your time is up." She interrupted him, jumping up on her feet. "This council is closed. The decision is final. There's nothing more to be said." Upstairs in his room, the young boy furiously drew on his notebook, the charcoal consumed and his pupils bitch black, staring into the corner of his room as an orchestra of voices echoed in his mind.When he snapped out, he saw the outline of a sign that read the word "Cortez".In just a moment he was no longer in the school, but somewhere else, he knew his mission.Michael walked down the dark hallways, his steps confident, but stopped when a gentle voice called him."What is a handsome man like you doing all alone in this hotel?"He turned around, finding a woman in a long blood red dress and a matching turban walking slowly towards him.Her skin was translucent, you could've traced her veins right through it. The soft lights in the hotel gave her lovely face a faint golden hue, her bright clothes stood out against her pale complexion.Her eyes were framed by feathery, white eyebrows and a dark smokey eye. Her plump lips were accentuated by her crimson lipstick. She had high cheekbones and a prominent nose that made her face unique, memorable.She was a creature of ethereal beauty."I'm lost. I fear I might have to go to the reception to ask for the room I'm looking for." Michael replied and she smiled seductively, devouring him with her eyes."There is no need to stress yourself. I know every single hallway and room here. I will be more than happy to help you around." She slid her finger across Michael's jawline and he smirked down at her. "Has anybody ever told you you have the bone structure of a greek God?""You must certainly know plenty about beauty."She stepped back, glad to see the man responding so well to her avance. "I'm the Countess, I run this place.""Countess of what?""For you, dear, I'll be the Countess of whatever you like." She breathed out, her voice rich, melodic."My name is Michael Langdon.""Tell me, Michael, what room is it you're looking for?" She asked as they started walking down the hallway, Michael scanned the numbers on each door he passed by."206, I believe."She placed a hand on his back and kindly lead him to a corridor on the left."So quiet and mysterious, I like that in my men."Michael stopped in his tracks and turned around, stepping closer to the woman that smirked and lifted her hand to run her fingers on his cheekbone."You look like an angel." She whispered and Michael smiled and leaned in, towering over her. She stole a kiss but he pulled away, shaking his head and chuckling softly."Elizabeth, my love, listen:" He inched closer until his nose brushed against hers but his tone was severe. "if it wasn't for my father you'd be burning in the pits of hell right now.I'm much more powerful than any entity that has ever stepped into this Hotel and it is quite foolish of you to think I'd fall for your tricks."His eyes scrutinized her confused expression, as he pushed a strand of her platinum hair behind her ear."While your beauty might be compelling, I'm not dumb. So, if you're trying to kill me like you've done to all your past lovers, forget about it.""What are you talking about?" She bursted out, pushing him away furiously, her eyebrows furrowed together."You think I don't know? Rudy, Ramona, Natascha, Tristan, Donovan, Will, James, but you never really loved him... I could name many, many more.Did you want to add my name to your endless list?"She remained silent for a moment, her eyes glossy, then a soft whisper left her scarlet lips:"I didn't kill Rudy."That was all she could reply as a tear rolled down her cheek."Your love and greed killed him." His words were poisonous, they were tearing her apart slowly."Who the fuck are you?" She fumed, pinning Michael against the wall and wrapping one hand around his neck firmly whilst she flicked the other and a sharp blade was released from the ring around her index finger.She held her hand up, tightening the grip around Michael's neck, waiting for an answer.With a quick motion of his hand, she was shoved against the opposite wall and when she attempted to fight back, a fearsome energy held her in place."We could've been such a great pairing, too bad your ego surpasses grandly your brains." "Gin." James angrily tossed his cards on the table and Queenie grabbed them to shuffle them. "This is the 56,433rd hand I've won in a row.""Only amateurs keep score." He commented, then turned around when the young boy stood by the door. "What a fascinating specimen."He walked towards the two, his arms behind his back as March studued him with a smirk on his lips. "Alive, yet so intimate with the dead.""Who the hell are you?" Queenie asked."My name is Michael Langdon." His tone was soft and kind, yet he seemed so strong as he offered her his hand. "And I'm here to do for you what your Supreme couldn't.""Yeah, right." She scoffed but March shook his head."Take his hand, Queenie." He suggested."And what if I don't want to?" Michael was silent."I'm not sure you have a choice.""Be right back." She reluctantly grabbed Michael's hand and followed him out the room.James let out a deep sigh and started mixing up the deck. "Solitaire it is." Michael led Queenie down the stairs and to the entrance, walking by the woman sitting behind the reception desk and watching the witch walk away."You got yourself a boyfriend?" Liz chuckled and Queenie kept her eyes locked on her as she followed the boy who let go pf her hand once they reached the doors that he opened with a quick motion of his arms."Come on." He invited her to surpass the treshold that usually sent her back to James.She had lost all hope but when she opened her eyes, she was setting foot out of that place, her lungs expanded pleasantly as she finally breathed fresh air.She felt present in her own body once again, as if Michael had brought her back to life with a simple tilt of his head."There's one person left to get. Let's go." "The policy clearly states that I can return this for any reason for a full refund." The woman insisted, pushing the pot over the desk, towards the saleswoman begging her to leave."It's used." Madison repeated.""For any reason."" The customer quoted. "This thing cooks for shit. Look for yourself."When she lifted the lid, Madison leaned in and found rotting meat covered in grubs, the smell was utterly disgusting and caused her to push the pot off the counter."Great. Now it's broke!" The woman scolded her. "I want to talk to your manager.""No, no, no. Please don't call my manager.""Manager! I need a manager over here." She yelled and Madison groaned in exasperation."Hey, don't I know you?" The woman standing behind the other one in line asked, pointing at the blonde girl. "You're an actress.""I sing a little, too." Madison added boastfully. "I was working on an album of Celine Dion deep cuts before all of this, but yeah, I'm really known for my acting.""Lindsay Lohan!" The man in line gasped. "Oh!""No! I'm Madison Montgomery." She was unrecognized once again."Do you have a twin sister?""No, but I have a fucking name tag." She insisted."But there were two of you in The Parent Trap.""Yeah, how'd they do that?""Okay, listen up, idiot." The girl growled. "I was the star of multiple TV movies, and I was up for a very substantial role in a Mike Myers film, so yeah.""Then why are you working here?""That's not Lindsay Lohan." The people started their usual whining."Yeah. She's nobody.""Who are you? Huh? You're not even the star of your own hell." Madison fired back. "You're a nameless day player in my eternal suffering."The manager suddenly cattle proded her once again. "Go refold the towels in aisle 14.""No, I just... I just did that before I came down here.""Go!" She ran away from the customer returns station and grabbed a pile of folded polo shirts that she tried to push on a tall shelf, but in vain because the fell all over her and on the ground.She knelt to pick each one of them up, cursing the manager under her breath when a shoe stepped on of the polos, preventing her from picking it up."Hello, Madison." Michael smirked down at her."You don't belong here." The girl slowly stood up, intrigued by the face she hadn't seen there yet. "You're not like the others.""You can tell? Interesting." He chuckled, tilting his head to the side. "I would think most souls wouldn't have any awareness in their personal hell.The confusion would only add to the suffering.""Well, I've always had the curse of being right and knowing more than everyone else, so I guess me knowing I'm in hell is ironic or something." Madison rolled her eyes. "Who are you?""I'm the man who's gonna get you out of here.""Yeah, right. What's the catch?" Do I have to blow you or something?""No." His eyebrows were knit together."Oh. Okay." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice that was quickly replaced by a sultry tone, as she stelled closer and looked him up and down. "Well, when we get out of here, can I anyway? You're a snack, and I haven't had a good dicking in forever.Any dicking, really. And they intentionally make sure all the personal massagers are out of stock, so...""Damn." Queenie giggled, walking towards them, arms crossed over her chest. "A hoe even in the afterlife, huh?"Madison gasped and ran to hug the witch who pushed her away almost immediately. "Get off me, bitch."The blonde girl grabbed her arm desperately, happy to see her again. "Is it really you? I mean, how did you get here? What is all of this?"Queenie was moved by her friend's contentment and by seeing her genuinely smiling for probably the first tome ever and explained everything she knew about the situation."Okay, so I was dead and stuck in some haunted hotel or something, and I swear to God, had the most boring, annoying white people since..." She briefly stopped before pointing at Madison. "since you, and then this dude came, and he freed me and brought me down here to get you.""Why?""Honestly, I don't know." The voodoo witch looked over at the blonde boy who stared right back at her with a small smile. "I was trying to talk him out of it the whole way here.I told him that you are a stone cold bitch and that you're exactly where you belong.""There is work to do. I need you both." He finally spoke up."For our powers?""No." He scoffed, shaking his head. "To prove a point.""Just take me, please." Madison begged, walking closer to him, hoping that he would release her from her eternal suffering once and for all. "Okay? Whatever you need, I will do it. I promise to be so good if I get another chance.""Now, why would you want to do something silly like that?" The supreme felt startled, like awakened from a nightmare, shaken back to reality when in fact she was sitting all alone at the table, watching the fireplace quietly burning in front of her eyes."Cordelia." Myrtle called her softly, waiting for her from the opposite end of the room. "The car is ready. Are you all right, dear?""Yes, I'm fine." She whispered, slowly making her way to her trusted friends. "The air in here, it's...""The fetid stench of unwashed boy." Myrtle finished, causing Zoe to giggle. "Makes Bourbon Street smell like Chanel No. 5.I can't bear it another minute."The youngest witch wrapped her arm around Cordelia's to accompany her down the hallway."High time we left these mole people and returned to civilization."The three left the school, not bothering to thank the warlocks for their hospitality, which she would've done in other occasions.When they stepped out the doors, they were bathed in the bright light of the sun. In all that warmth, Cordelia's skin crawled and she felt a cold shiver down her spine when her eyes made out three figures walking towards them.They were glorious, carried power, so full of life. The two witches, led by the warlock, couldn't be more alive, they were all dressed impeccably.Michael's lips were curled in a smirk while they approached the supreme who felt drained of her powers and collapsed to the ground, shaken by the sight of the young boy who confronted her so fearlessly.Langdon basken in the knowledge he was able to do what nobody else could.