New World Order Re-Written (TNE)

Chapter 15 - A Ride Out

UpperGate had many districts of various artistic varieties, allowing expression for all who visit and live. Plum's parents had decided that it would be the perfect vacation home to stay at while waiting for their precious daughter. Plum's dad opened up a small wall patterning shop, and Plum's mom decided to create her own cooking classes. Plum's parents got into fights more and more as their life in the village progressed, causing them to eventually split into two seperate apartments in an upper district of a large mall. Eventually they decided to meet up again for dinner to talk things over.

"I think I've figured out our problem."

"Sweetie, I've known our problem for years."

"No, this is different. It's connected to our transformation."

"I thought we didn't transform!"

Plum's parents talked over a fancy dinner at an italian restaurant in a dark midnight on the floating island. The restaurant was famous for its incredible view out the side into the great expanse of Prism City. That night they discovered more about the monster transformations than even the scientists who created the gas had ever figured.

***

Geoffrey and Daxton were walking through a mall. They had both been given a watch with a timer counting down to their time for the arena. Pryce explained that going over the break time would be a violation of the law, and lock them away in UpperGate prison. Daxton didn't want to wander too far, but Geoffrey insisted that they would both fight better by clearing their head. Geoffrey also really wanted to learn more about Daxton and what the whole operation around this gas was about. He wasn't mad, just confused, and dangerously curious.

"So you're responsible? For all this."

Geoffrey gestured, not at the floating island he was standing upon, but to the world below engulfed in chaos, with its resources sacrificed to make room for this mockery of heaven.

There was a look of disdain that Daxton gave in response that clearly outlined the pain he felt to look at the planet below, a failed project that he helped to mold. It may have only affected Prism City, but to both boys it was their home. One had tried to escape from it with a friend who had been plotting against him the whole time. The other had tried to improve it by giving everyone a chance, along with bolstering an already existing drive for tourism.

"Responsible? No."

Even in Daxton's monotone voice, and from how little Geoffrey had learned about Daxton since arriving in Uppergate it was clear that he was lying. It was a lie that had seeped through to every fiber of his being so that he didn't have to admit it, he was a rebel to the entire organization that he had joined, to him that had been one in the same as saying that he was never part of the organization in the first place.

Geoffrey merely scoffed and sighed. He raised a glass of ginger ale he had purchased at a small local corner store. The cold beverage floated into his mouth life a waft of ice cream that had lived it's entire life in an abandoned freezer. Geoffrey savoured the flavour, it was familiar, and it was peaceful.

"You can keep lying to yourself. But I can't."

Geoffrey ran off to think by himself for a bit. There were plenty of places around town to explore. In that very moment for a time no longer than a few seconds, his gaze passed a family that had him dumbstruck. All happily living together was a group of humans who were looking unchanged by the gas. The father was a completely unfamiliar face, aside from the nose that looked oddly recognizable in the foreign mixture. Then he looked at the mother, her skin was smooth and pale, she had light blue eyes, and looked exactly like Plum. He tried to ignore it, he tried his absolute best, but he just couldn't pull his eyes away.