Neon Dawn

Chapter 6. Awakening.

A hand slammed down on the desk in fury. Jake jumped not expecting such a furious start to the conversation, he hated these meetings. The security was on red alert today, he'd already done a night shift and just wanted to go to bed but they'd all been called in for extra duty. 

As he looked into the room at the table he saw pale, sallow faces. They all looked so old, and tired.

Many appeared unnerved, not sure how to respond. Some squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, whilst others sat motionless.

One thing was for sure, none of them looked happy to be there.

So this is what the end of the world looks like?

Jake shifted from foot to foot, beads of sweat formed on his brow and the synthetic cotton felt damp under his arms. His head still carried a dull ache, he wondered whether to greet the last leader but was hushed as she hurried towards the doors.

He watched as she stopped momentarily to straighten her jacket and take a breath, before striding into the boardroom ready to address the committee.

He had no idea what was going on but knew no good would come of it. No one liked Calista, but they all feared her, and that it seemed, was all she cared about.

The guard motioned for him to leave, he was relieved. The tension in the room felt as though it might explode at any moment. Frayed nerves and tempers hung heavy in the air, as though any sudden or unexpected movement could ignite a war only fractionally smaller than the one they were fighting. As he closed the door he heard her address the table.

"Gentleman, there is no time for debate, we need to mobilise the Dawn Patrol"

Jake felt a sharp pain jolt through his brain, he grasped at his head as the pain intensified. He fell to the ground as Aurora sat bolt upright in her chamber.

"Dawn Patrol" her breathing was shallow, something felt very wrong, her blood ran cold. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she realised she had freed herself of the ties that bound her.

In the darkness she could make out the distant cries, calling to her. She felt them more than heard them but found she knew how to get there, like her mind had a map to the others.

She knew at that exact moment what she was, so clear, a thousand images, sounds, sights attacked her senses. The millions of lives lost at the hands of those sworn to protect them called out to her. Those cast into the darkness, left to perish.

Their pain and suffering lived in the atmosphere and whilst she had no idea who she had been before this moment she knew now that her destiny had been fulfilled.

She was the Shadow Warrior, and it was time to gather her troops.