Project Orpheus: A Tale of Blood and Feathers

Chapter 2: The Actor

Smoke rose in the distance as he watched the ship burn. He dropped the welding torch, the weight slowing him down and he needed absolutely not that right now. They had been running away so fast that he hadn't taken the time to appreciate the damage. Aboard that ship were all the bad guys who had tried to use this hijacked nuclear submarine to enact their insane plans to end the war. They were going to nuke everybody, and were all insane enough that they thought that would get people to stop fighting. But now they were stopped. They had gotten them all aboard the ship, and after a thrilling and exciting battle of gun fight with some witty banter, had overloaded the engine and then welded the door shut on the way out.

He looked at Maria, who had once been a part of their group, but who love had convinced to change her ways. The two of them had started off as enemies, but now she was on his side when she had seen how extreme they actually were and joined him in the fight. The two were now partners.

Crrcrctctrrrr

He turned around, walking slowly away as the submarine erupted into a great burst of flame and fury. Spewing metal and shrapnel far into the air. He could feel the heat on his back. The whipping of the air against his back. A piece of shrapnel whizzed past his face. He continued his calm walk away from the explosion, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling it sunglasses, which he then put on.

A loud bell rang out as he heard the director shout "CUT!"

Derek took the sunglasses off and as soon as he saw the light on the camera go off stormed on the direction of the stunt coordinator.

"HEY! Hey! Which one of you was responsible for that last one?"

Farley raised his hand, and several other people pointed to him. He could see the grin on Kevin, lead coordinator, as he knew exactly what was coming.

"Let's see, Farley, was it?" He asked, stomping closer to the short red haired blue eyed man.

"Yes, Mr. The Jackal?"

Derek crossed his arms, glaring. "If you're gonna call me by that name, don't call me mister. Farley, I wanna ask you something."

The two looked at each other for a moment, before Farley realized he was supposed to say something. "What is it?"

"Do you have it out for me? Did I do something to piss you off?"

"N-no?"

"Then, Farley," Derek said, putting his hand on Farley's shoulder and squeezing it tighter and tighter as he spoke "why in the actual hell are you trying to kill me?"

"W-what?!"

"I seem to remember telling you to double check your pyrotechnics."

He could see Farley going paler and paler.

"Yes, yes you d-did sir."

"So why is it that the charge went off close enough to me that I almost got hit by a piece of shrapnel?! Why in the fuck was there even shrapnel in the blast?!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir, i-it's not an exa-act science! I-"

"Exact science my ass! You damn well know how to do your job, so do your fucking job. If that shrapnel had been even just a little bit to the left it could've hit me in the back of the head and maybe killed me!"

"Y-you seemed ok-Kay when it happene-"

"I'm an actor! I literally get paid to keep my cool while on camera, that's my job. Your job is to make neat looking fireballs that don't KILL people."

"Please, I'm new, I'm trying my best!"

"No, you're not! If you need more time, you fucking tell us! If you need to double check, you double check! Safety regulations are not suggestions, they are life and death. Am I understood?"