The Shadow Man

The Escape Plan

I sit there as the Shadow Man and my torturer discuss what they could do with me.
"He's to powerful to just kill. It would be a shame to waist such power."
The creature looks to me.
"We can place him back in the arena. We can call him our 'Executioner."
He says.
The Shadow Man looks at me through human eyes.
"Yes. Yes that will do nicely. Keep him there until I can think of another use for him."
The creature looks at me, and grins.
"Let's get you back out there."

He throws me against the wall.
Mechanical hands reach out, sliding armor up my arms.
Metal plates run down my legs and metallic covers bind around my chest and upper back.
Once the hands release me I leap forward at the creature.
He catches me by the chest of my bulky armor.
He pulls me close.
"Save your energy for the contenders."
Then he lifts me over his head and slams me down on my back.
The floor gives and slowly lowers me onto a Colosseum ground.
I sit up, supporting myself on armored elbows.
Horrified, I watch as a massive armored Depeer gores another creature to death with tusks that are not its own.
As it pushes the carcass off the tusk, and slowly turns to look at me from across the floor.
It raises its muscly body to its hind legs and stomps towards me like a 25 foot bear.
A bladed mace protrudes from the ground right next to me.
I rush to my feet, extracting the weapon as I stand.
The crowd cheers as the beast lets out a loud guttural scream.
It lowers itself to all fours and charges at me.
"Dammit."
I think to myself.
I raise the weapon, poised to strike.
"This is gonna suck."

We sit next to each other on a bench made from the root of an old tree.
It's wood is light, and strong.
A flame glows a brilliant orange in front of us.
My friends sit all around this fire.
It's warmth shields us from the bitter cold of the outdoors.
The sky has since gone dark, leaving only a kind of northern lights in its wake.
It looks like lightning.
A big glowing crack in the sky.
"I missed you."
She whispers.
I hold her hand in mine.
"I missed you too."
I reply.
Rone, Finley, JayVett, and Grey sit alongside us.
"Where's Mason?"
Asks Finley.
I could feel her wanting to ask all day but he was not one of her first priorities.
"He Judger, And Xander were captured during our escape. They're still at that place. That murder dome."
Says Rone.
"What has become of them?"
Asks a voice.
I turn.
Kaleo walks towards our fire and sits on the ground.
"I would like to find out."
He says.
Finley looks at Rone.
"I think we should mount a rescue Op."
she says.
I look at her in disbelief.
"Why not? We've got a army at our backs, not to mention weapons and we are stronger together."
She says, raising a few good points.
"We might even defeat that monster while we're at it."
Adds Grey.
Rone looks at me for an argument, for a reason not to go.
I know he doesn't want to go back to that place.
I don't either.
If we fail, I can't bring myself to think about what happens to us.
Alice looks at me.
"They would do the same for us, Don."
I know she's right.
Rone catches my glance, and admits defeat.
Our moral battle has lost.
We're going to break them out.
"So, who's in?"
Asks Finley.