A Race to a Final Heartbeat

Chapter 2 - Emerald Green (Part 2)

Part 2.

Fandom City. A city that once experienced peace and harmony. All until its people started revolting against each other while the fandom broke apart to groups of trained individuals known as guilds. Guilds face each other every now and then in deathly fights of survival or for the sake of killing each other. After a few months of mayhem The Crew was formed. A group of highly trained individuals that acted as the military police for the people of the city. They formed a tower at the center of town that is run by four leaders that are never shown to us. Their armies spread vastly and their soldiers are assigned in ranks of 5 and each have their unique abilities and talents. The Crew's main job is to maintain peace and harmony in Fandom City and allowing for everyone to live happily... or at least for now.

Nexus stood up and looked at his surroundings. The bridge was a few blocks above him, the sound of cars zooming on the bridge filled his head. He was stood on a moat under the bridge that led to a sewage facility under ground. On his right, a ramp led to the poorer part of town that the bridge passed over. Did he fall? No. Nexus remembers the sensation of being forced down the bridge. He was pushed. He rubs off the dirt from his clothes as he heads towards the ramp. He climbs the ramp and starts moving through the ghost town. Not a single person on sight. As he edged towards the center of town, Nexus hears the whispers of the wind as it blows through the barren windows and old wood. "This is quite creepy" is what hits Nexus on the head as he continues passing house to house. He feels like he is being watched, he hears sounds of movement all around him yet he still sees no one as he continues to edge forward. A few more blocks and he should be reaching the massive staircase that would raise him to the other side of the bridge. He continues moving, his brain racing at a million miles an hour as sweat drips down his neck. Suddenly, his phone starts to ring, the ominous tone echoing through the ghostly town shook every nerve in Nexus's body. He picks up the phone from his and places it by his ear.

Voice: If you want to live, then I'd suggest you follow every instruction I have to say.

Nexus stops moving, he looks all around him and notices shadows of figures and reflections of people from the broken windows of the village. He tries to reply but is cut off as he hears the roar of a car as it heads straight towards him.

Voice: Well you better not just stand there, run towards the building on your right, break the door, run up the stairs to the second floor and climb out the bathroom window.

Nexus followed every instruction like his life depended on it. For some reason, without him knowing, he felt a little safe by this soothing voice that was either leading to help him or to an unfortunate death. He jumps out the bathroom window and lands on the rooftop of the adjacent building.

Voice: Keep on running. Jump 3 buildings ahead then take a right. Burst down the fire escape and hide behind a red barrel to your left as you reach the ground. Do it quick.

Nexus could hear gun shots on the streets below him as he jumps from building to building. A man wearing a purple mask holding an assault jumps on the rooftop in front of him.

Voice: Don't stop running.

The man aims at Nexus before a bullet flies through the man's brains causing him to fall off the rooftop. Nexus dashes through the third rooftop and stomps down the stairs as he desperately looks for the red barrel. He spots it, and dolphin dives his way behind it. A few minutes pass by as he hears more gunshots all around him. A bullet hits the red barrel he was hiding behind and Nexus dodges to his left as he tries and figure out what to do next.

Voice: Run through the alley way and into the restaurant on your left. Go out the main entrance and run to the end of the street as fast as you can.

As if his life depended on it, he jumps over the dining chairs of the restaurant and pushes his way onto the open road and continues to run until he sees them. An entire hoard of them. 3 minivans block the road in front of him as men wearing purple masks aim their guns towards Nexus that now has stopped moving. "What do I do... What do I do..." Nexus looks around him, a ladder leading to a rooftop on his right, an alley way that leads to a tunnel on his left. Just before he dashes to the tunnel he hears the pop of spray cans as they land right next to where he stood. Suddenly green smoke erupted from the cans and filled the village with a green fog. He heard gunshots and the zip of a wire in front of him. "Green smoke, I'd best wait until it clears before I continue running" Nexus waited as he heard more gunshots and the screams of pain echo of him. A few minutes pass by until everything goes quiet. The fog clears out and it only took Nexus a moment to realize that everyone that was pointing a gun towards him was on the ground dead, and right where they were standing, a man with a green hoodie rises and walks towards Nexus.

Cade: Well that surely was a close one.

Nexus: There is no way you just defeated ten men with your bare arms.

Cade: Haha you surely are blind with those green eyes.

Cade lifts up his hand to reveal a glove with a purple lightning mark imprinted on it.

Cade: It's a device I made myself. It temporarily blinds anyone looking straight at it whenever it's activated so I can sneak up and tease with my enemies a bit.

Nexus: Sounds like fun. Who are you anyways?

Cade: Just a freelancer with a green hoodie. What brings you to these parts?

Nexus: I'm heading to the tower.

Cade looks away from Nexus and towards the tall glass tower that glimmered brightly in the daylight.

Cade: And what is it that you seek from The Crew exactly? Money? Fame? Maybe even allegiance? Hah you make me laugh with such impudent thoughts.

Nexus: Actually.... I'm more likely trying to save my guild from being raided by a massive force.

Cade: Help from the military police then? You really do make me laugh. Alright. Let's goooooo!

Nexus: Whoa whoa there. What you mean "Let's" you're not coming with me.

Cade: Why not? You almost died here didn't you? Who's going to protect your back later on down the line?

Nexus glances at his bracelet for a moment then looks back at Cade.

Nexus: I've fought before. I just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time. What's the catch though? Why partner up with a stranger like me?

Cade smirks at Nexus and rubs off the dust off his hoodie. "It's because I really like green." Nexus and Cade set out to climb the flight of stairs that led to the other end of the bridge. This reminded Nexus that he was pushed off the bridge in the first place and so he felt uneasy as he continued to edge forward towards the tower. As they pass through the old market Nexus realizes a sting on his bracelet. Suddenly it starts to glow in bright green. "Is that normal?" was the answer Nexus did not know of when Cade asked him. Nexus tries to work around turning it off but is cut off when cade pokes him in the back and points towards the direction of where a large man wearing purple clothing and a cowboy hat was walking towards them. The man raises his hand from afar, tips his cowboy bow hat, and says one thing before Nexus and Cade were both nailed to the ground by a group of gang members.

Dafaria: G'day mates.

End of part 2.