Epics of Noche 4, Asylum

EON CH 01 - ACT 44, SPARK

EON CH 01 – EDWARD'S ANNOUNCEMENT.

1774, NOVEMBER 28th, MONDAY 8:00 pm. 

Noche stood dumbstruck. Her eyes widened as she processed what she had just heard.

"I repeat, Medusa has been assassinated," the Red Grave brother said. "The president of Cross is dead."

"Raven killed her," Blue said as he held up a severed finger. "This is all that remains after he used corruption on her."

The blonde stumbled. That couldn't be right – Raven was waiting for them at the bottom of DeathTech. He was the only person aware of Edward's trap. Then he was stuck with them the entire time the group was in Limbo.

A cybernetic hand landed on Noche's shoulder. She looked up to Shaylin who raised a single finger and pressed it to her lips, before moving her hand up and tapping her cybernetic left eye.

"Effectively immediately, we are the presidents of Cross!" The Grave Brothers shouted in sync.

General Trio sulked in the back as General Dreg approached the new presidents. His expression was solemn as he turned his attention to the duo.

"Your orders sirs?"

The twins gave each other a look before turning back to Dreg.

"We've learned all we needed to learn from this expedition," Red said. "We're heading back."

"Without saying goodbye?" A voice said.

Edward's face appeared on a holographic display above his cartoonish castle. It hung loose like a poor mask; his eyes were misaligned and his mouth stretched beyond its already unnatural width. He stepped back from the camera and his body moved about like a marionette with some of its strings cut. His voice was raspy as if unused for years.

Then his creepy eyes landed on Noche, and they widened; for a split second, he lost his smirk. His lips moved to speak but he stopped at the last moment. A sparkle entered his eye as his expression transformed into twisted, intense glee. The whole time his gaze locked onto Noche's.

He didn't need to say a word for the blonde to understand what he was thinking.

"You are supposed to be dead."

She swallowed and glared. The president of DeathTech grinned a little wider. Sadistic mirth welled in his eyes. Gradually, he turned away from Noche and faced all of Cross.

"My, my, my. Why the long faces everyone?" He croaked. "If our little game is over, we ought to celebrate with a bang."

The holographic screen split in two. One side showed Edward and the other revealed thousands of people. They were all grouped up in the one-hundred-mile room. The same room Noche and co rode their stolen motorcycles in.

"These are the people I've kidnapped over the last few decades. All those missing person posters you see at the grocery store? A good number of them are on camera right now," Edward gave an off-kilter grin. "Scientists, doctors, engineers, factory workers, and more. All innocent people I've beaten into slavery."

The camera zoomed in on a few faces and a missing person's poster popped up next to them. This occurred for a solid minute as person after person was matched to the photograph of a lost loved one. Edward's face almost slid off his skull as he cackled quietly to himself during the whole process.

"OH BOY EDWARD! What are you going to do with all these helpless hostages!" He paused. Drinking in the anticipation. "Why, kill them of course."

He leaned an elbow on the desk and rested his face in his hand. Then he took his other hand and twirled a finger in the air.