ATHANATOS

Messenger

Thunder rumbled below Zhang's feet as a black coffin lowered into the dirt. On it was engraved the words 'John X Alester'. 

Zhang had a few things to say.

"I never knew him that well, I knew he had a dark past, I knew the hatred he had for the person who tortured him. One more thing I knew about him from all the times he visited this place. He was a genuinely caring person. He may have originated from the twisted mind of Lucifer but he had something that the president doesn't. John X Alester had a heart."

A short applause was followed by Ethan walking to the podium. He also had a few things to say. Ryan was about to go up but felt it would be rude. Ethan walked up and started to speak.

"I've known X for a really long time. He hasn't had the best past with me, but after he found the truth, he was one of the nicest people I've met. At my lowest point he was there to drag me out of it. I found myself one day in the middle of the night sneaking around every house in this town because I had exhausted my supply of beer. That's when I realised that I had a problem. X was someone you could talk to. He would really understand your problems and help you through them. I'll forever remember him as a brother. He was a man who went through years of physical and mental torture and somehow emerged with enough strength to help carry the burders of others."

Finally, Ryan got up and gave his speech.

"The entire month that I've been here, the number of people who helped me through my troubles were few. I came here with the attitude that no one could be trusted, but X showed me just how wrong I was. He through his training and his regular conversations proved to me that there are genuinely good people here and not everyone is planning against me. After nine years of being pushed around, he was the one to tell me that help was right in front of me and all I needed to do was to accept it. He was a father when I was missing one and a brother when I needed one. Though completely redeeming himself, he left one thing incomplete. Lucifer is still alive. I think it's only right that we finish what he started and end the hell that the current president brought upon us." Ryan's tone became more intense. "I wish we had time to mourn the death of this hero but there is an L-drone waiting to strike. So, we must begin evacuation. But, we will not let his death be in vain. Xin Tianting is no longer safe. We must leave now."

The people realised this and hurried to their houses to collect their items. Zhang started to direct them while Ryan remotely activated the M-612. A neutrino transmission flew through the air towards the massive space-plane waiting for its command. As soon as it received the transmission, it's computer flickered on and it's thrusters roared. The rock around it shook as it shit itself a hundred feet up. It flew towards Xin Tianting and stopped right at the edge of the cliff and opened its doors. Since it was a large space plane, it could easily accommodate the seventy three people that were about to board it, some belonging to Tianting and some to the remains of Central City.

"How did your eulogy become an evacuation order?" asked Zack to Ryan jokingly.

Ryan smiled at him. "We're heading to Mes'saia ."

"Wait why? Isn't that where Lucifer and all the assassin's are?"

"Exactly. We are going to take them out from the inside." said Ryan in a low but serious tone.

"I can't really stop you, can I? Come on, the ship needs prep. I'm the pilot." said Zack, walking into the M-612.

They finished packing and loading within two hours and set off to the silver city - Mes'saia. As they left, they realised how lucky they were as minutes after they left, they heard a sonic boom. The drone had activated and it plunged itself into the mountain, exposing Endatium ore. The atoms of Endatium on exposure to Oxygen started reacting instantaneously. Within minutes, the mountain violently exploded taking Xin Tianting with it. The peak of the mountain was blown clean off. Not even the drone survived the Endi-Oxy reaction as it came to be known. The M-612 had fled into near Terra orbit slowly heading to its target which was directly above Mes'saia.

Ryan stood near the back of the space-plane. He watched the sun rise slowly and majestically from the window. The blue light from the Terran oceans added to the beauty of the view. Ryan admired astrophysics and was hoping to make it his career at some point, so no matter how many times he travelled to space, he always enjoyed the view. Ethan had followed him there to hopefully speak to him, heart to heart.

Ethan slowly spoke.

"Ryan, I know you have a lot of questions. I'm here to answer them." he was quite blunt but Ryan understood his feelings.

"Dad, I understand why you left, but why didn't you ever contact us? I've heard Ma crying sometimes looking at our photos together. Why didn't you call?"

"Ryan, I really couldn't. I-I"

"It's ok, dad. I get it. I just wanted to say that. I'm just happy that you're here now."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Kid, whatever you want me to do, I will do it for you. I know you were affected by my disappearance. Zack is tough, so he can handle it, not that I'm saying I won't help him but I really need to make things right with you."

"Thanks, dad. Hey, do you remember that song you showed me a long time ago? It came out somewhere in the 20th century. What was it called..."

Ethan knew what he was talking about. He opened a hologram and clicked on the song. They both listened to several times together. Though Ryan was only five, he loved the song. That was only because he was reminded of all the good times he had. All the memories he created with his dad when they tinkered together, played together and kept each other company. The guitar intro to the song "The Messenger" by an old band Linkin Park played. Ryan smiled when he heard it. For him it told him that he is never truly alone.

"While we were apart, the one thing that kept me going was that one day I would see you and your brothers. This song continued to give me that hope."

As the song's vocals began, Ryan began to hum it. Within seconds he began to softly sing along. Ethan joined in too.

When you feel you're alone

Cut off from this cruel world

Your instincts telling you to run

Listen to your heart

Those angel voices

They'll sing to you

They'll be your guide

Back home

When life leaves us blind

Love keeps us kind

It keeps us kind

When you've suffered enough

And your spirit is breaking

You're growing desperate from the fight

Remember you're loved

And you always will be

This melody will bring you right

Back home

When life leaves us blind

Love keeps us kind

When life leaves us blind

Love keeps us kind

They sat together and listened to their favourite songs for hours as they continued to orbit their blue ingot in the vast universe, blissfully unaware of the coming events