Sci Fi Smackdown

Round 1.1 | Group C | Saving The World With A Psycho

A/N: I have used quotes #1, #2 and #3. Thank you for reading!

"I repeat: this is not a drill. This is the Apocalypse. Please exit the hospital in an orderly fashion." The speaker crackled before dying in a burst of static. I sat up in the hospital bed, stretching languidly. What a pity the world was ending.

Leisurely shrugging on my coat, I pocketed my phone, knife and wallet before strolling out into the hallway. Screaming people swarmed out of the main doors - as if running would stop their imminent deaths.

Huh. 'Orderly fashion'.

I followed them out, and my eyes met a green sky's. Of course, I was ready for this; Almost everyone was. Ever since the Creiatians from the planet Crieatia had announced their prophecy around 2942, the universe had been slowly marching towards the End. It had been three years since the looming declaration - coincidentally ever since I was that 'hospital'. They called it rehab. Rehab? More like jail cell, really.

Apparently, trying to kill someone three times was a crime. 

I scowled at the mayhem. What an inconvenience. The streets were lined with patients: depression, ADHD, OCD... Everywhere, there were at least three people of mental unstability. But yet again, who HAD mental stability anyway?

"Hey Ari, how's it going?" Ada's braced teeth flashed as she grinned, which turned out to be a kind of grimace. Her hands were unconsciously rubbing together violently.

"Not bad, but I'm tired," I declared dramatically. "As always..." Ada smiled at her own joke and continued, "Anyway, if the world doesn't end by the hour's up, I'm going to move to New Jersey - I've decided that it's more interesting than here. Maybe I can start some good old rebellions."

"New Jersey? That doesn't sound like much of a crusade."

"Nah, but it would be amusing to overthrow a government or two." She smirked wickedly. I let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I suppose. But hey, if we live through this, we could bust the hell out of this rehab."

Ada nodded, opening her mouth to say something, but stopped up short and ran off - she most likely saw something interesting. I sighed. She was always like that.

I sat myself on a bench and watched families say their presumed last words. Secrets were spilled and 'I-love-you's were repeated. Why couldn't everyone calm down? If the world's going to end, nothing you could do would prevent it.

Well, not NOTHING.

I mean, I knew who was responsible for the end of the world, and he was here, milling around in the crowd. He knew I had guessed him already, so he was avoiding my gaze. Honestly? Cheap mechanics. It was so easy to make the sky green. A bit of light manipulation and there you have it.

"Hey, Ry, didn't know you were here," I greeted, sidling up to him slyly. "Arianne. Why are you here? Uh... How's the... Uh... Problem?" he stammered adorably. What a twerp. Did he honestly think I didn't know what he was going to do? 

"Same old, same old. Really, I'd have thought you'd remember." I smiled sweetly at him, before leaning in closer. "Just as I remember your plan."

He froze, before chuckling nervously. "W-What plan?" 

"Oh, I don't know, the one involving that little remote in your pocket?"

He laughed half-heartedly. "There isn't anything on me, I mean, we're all going to die, right?"

"Liar," I whispered, smirking. I shoved a hand down his pocket.

Wait.

It was empty, just like my non-existent soul. 

"What the heck? Wait, you're not- You aren't the person that was trying to take over the world?"

Ry furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Nope, not me." He looked around for a moment. "He is!"

I turned to where he was pointing. A man, late twenties, in a grey shirt and jeans, was the object of accusation. Interesting. His eyes were familiar - the eyes of a man ready to run. I recognised those eyes. I see them every time I look in the mirror.

"Then what's your role in this?" I poked his chest accusingly. "I'm only his... Manservant," he admitted. A servant? Since when did... Oh. "It's that temporary job, isn't it, Ry? God, you're 23, I'd have thought you would have gotten a real job now!" I paused. "And why are you telling me the truth?" 

"Because... I don't know, the knife in your pocket is CUTTING MY THIGH?"

I jumped back. Whoops. "Sorry about that! Anyway, thanks for the sweet info. I'm going to go talk to him!" 

"Are you crazy?"

"My doctor asked that too! I can totally win him over. Please. At the end of this, he wouldn't think about being funny anymore. Plus, the Creiatians are nuts."

"You know you can't win this. It's suicide."

"That's why I'm doing it! Now c'mon, let's go fight someone."

I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the man in question. "Ari-" 

"Shut up. Thank you!"

I made my way over to the man, standing in front of a closed-down florist shop. Faded pictures of flowers smiled creepily through the shop front. I dropped Ry on the ground. "Hey, you!"

The man turned around. "Who're you?" he drawled.

I answered him with a punch. In the face. With the butt of a knife.

"I'm Arianne Williams, pleased to meet you. Sort of. Jerk."

I let him cradle his nose for a while, before deftly swiping the remote from his coat. "I'll be taking this!"

As I walked away, police officers swarmed the man and me. A camera flashed in my face a few times as men screamed questions at me. 

"Don't move!"

"We'll shoot you- HEY! Stop!"

I simply breezed off, sashaying away down the street. In the end, I was grabbed by the collar. "What do you think you're doing?" an officer barked at me. 

I looked up at him sunnily.

"I'm just saving the world, man."