Shadows Of Doom

Chapter 12: Cpt. Richard

(Once again, the art does not belong to me.)

At the Military Base, things were going well for the resurrection and there was only a few more test subjects and New Borns that needed to be brought back to normal or have their first ever experience being normal.

Anne loved seeing so many happy faces after such a long war. So many New Borns now had arms and no longer wandered around mindlessly, destroying everything living in their path. She used to wonder what caused such monstrosities, but now she didn't really care. Although she was...curious of something.

Many New Borns or infected ones commented about the one who did this, and many of the more kind soldiers and scientists had to comfort them. They never liked to describe what this being looked like, but they were willing to draw it.

It was huge, black, and had a glowing mouth and screen with blood dripping from their mouth. Some also said their hands would grow fingers, and those fingers would turn into sharp claws that somehow dripped blood, as if it had taken many more victims before them.

Anne looked at the drawing and couldn't really put her finger on how it looked so familiar. But it was definitely something that belonged in a horror game or movie. "...Maybe Fiona knows what this thing is. She's an expert on this poltergeist stuff."

Fiona was a communications officer, being demoted from solider to communications officer after some small mishaps with firearms, but she was still very likable and a bit of a gamer, often giving the other soldiers something to play against during their off time, especially with the war being over. But besides being a technological expert, she was also a bit of a fictitious person, and ever since The New Borns, she could never stop talking about ghosts or demons.

Anne arrived at her quarters and saw a solider softly grumbling underneath their mask as Fiona, a crimson colored tubby with goggles on the top of her head, shouted in victory.

"WOO-HOO!! I WON!!!" She exclaimed, before seeing Anne and quickly stood still and saluted her. "Ma'am. Welcome back."

"Stand down, Fiona. I'm not here for business, just to talk."

Fiona sighed in relief. "Oh, phew. I am NOT the responsible one."

"Your demotion proves that." A gray tubby called out as he walked away, taking off his mask. That was Lieutenant Eric, one of the more elite soldiers of the military. He was a bit quiet, but didn't hesitate to join in on a battle or even a party.

"Oh, shut up." Fiona said before facing Anne again. "So, what's up?"

Anne smiled a bit. "Well, this drawing from some of the uninfected New Borns makes me...suspicious and worried, and I was wondering if you could tell me about it."

"Hmm...Lemme see." Fiona said and was handed the drawing, and after that, she quickly got straight got to examining it, looking over every small detail.

Anne waited patiently for a response, but when Fiona was about to speak, she quickly interrupted. "So, what do you have?"

"It's creepy as hell. Whoever drew this is a pretty decent artist." Fiona said with a shrug. "Anyway, it seems to be like...a moving shadow with arms and legs. Like some kind of ghost or super natural being. Or maybe even it's an hallucination that represents death, like The Grim Reaper."

"Moving shadow..." Anne breathed and then remembered The Guardian bringing that up when they tried to destroy The New Born machine during the war, when many soldiers became separated.

Fiona nodded. "Yeah. Maybe they just see this thing as an hallucination? Or maybe it's a supernatural being." She then laughed. "Kinda like that 'Shadow of Doom' Richard brought- Oh...sorry..." She said slowly, knowing how bringing up Cpt. Richard was a bit of a touchy subject.

"It's fine. I just feel bad for Dutch, even if his death was years ago."

Years ago, after the battle between The Guardian and Po, a second distress call was sent to the military base shortly after Sgt. Miles and Anne went to answer the call sent by The Guardian. The team was lead by Cpt. Richard, a strong and kind solider who cared deeply for his fellow soldiers. 

However the distress call he and Lieutenant Finn had received was a trap pulled by infected ones, who lead an army of New Borns at The Fortress, which is where the distress call was sent too. Every single solider including Finn died that day and the only survivor was Richard.

Dutch walked around The Fortress, horrified by the dead Bull New Born that was nearby until he heard coughing and quickly rushed into a room and then went wide eyed when he saw Richard on the floor, looking injured. "Captain Richard! You're alive!"

Richard looked up and then gave a shocked expression. "Dutch? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to rescue you, sir." Dutch said as he walked over and helped Cpt. Richard up to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." He replied.

Dutch then looked around and turned back to Richard. "What happened here, sir?"

Richard looked down, horrified by his partner and his whole team being murdered by the horde of New Borns and that Bull New Born. "We were attacked by a huge army of mindless and armless zombies of some kind." He said, and then looked up with teary eyes and a pale face. "Finn didn't make it. None of them did. They killed everyone."

"I'm so sorry, sir." Dutch said. "What about the distress call?"

"No one was ever here before we arrived. It was a trap."

"This is awful news...Where's the army now?"

Richard sounded emotionless, but grave. "The army is headed towards base."

Dutch went wide eyed. "WHAT?! We have to get back to base and warn the others!!" He exclaimed and ran out of the room with Richard behind him, but then Richard stopped and his eyes went...black.

"No." He snarled and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at Dutch. "You're not going anywhere."

Dutch died that day due to a bullet on the back of the head.