A night in Cydonia
A sandstorm was engulfing the city, hazing the streets, while the lights revealed blanketing the place with red. People walking outside had their faces covered with cloth; cars around the roads had their blinkers on as they drove by slowly.
A taxi whooshes through the sandstorm picking up a passenger.
"Where to sir?"
The man was a salaryman dressed in a formal grey suit, while undoing his tie he says.
"Sacred Star Spa please, near the eyes of Cydonia." He taps the driver's tip box with a card "make it quick though"
The driver nodded, zooming- swerving past the cars on the road like the sandstorm wasn't blocking his view.
Arriving in the scene.
A long line of people were waiting in the spa, while a body guard blocked the doorway. Stopping people and checking their ID
Once the taxi arrived, the man had his entire face covered and was wearing glasses now, it wasn't shaded, but the lens blurred his identity.
At the entrance the bodyguard blocks his way.
"ID or Reservation sir"
He shows his phone a QR code, and the guard scans it.
"You may proceed"
Entering the spa, he is accompanied by a man who was also dressed sharply, but he looked more like a pimp than a salaryman. "Haha! Buddy, nice to see you again! I've got somebody fresh today!"
Walking further, each row had oiled up muscular men wearing nothing but thongs and a veil.
"Helloooo sir~"
"Yoohooo"
"C'mere baby, I'll massage you real good"
But then he came across a tall one, stringy muscles, and fair skin.
"Like what you see, master?"
He up-downed this towering man, whistling at the sight
"-you new here?"
"Does it matter?"
"Is this the guy you've been talking about?"
"That's him alright! You oughta climb that- y'know what I'm sayin'?"
They entered the massage room, and the salaryman was already stripping his clothes down..
Right before the pimp could leave, he whispered to the male prostitute
"That's him"
Then he left.
The salaryman was already lying down, butt booty naked.
The prostitute walks towards the man, already pouring down the oil on his back.
"Mmmh~" the man said "make sure to dig a little deeper than your usual, 'kay?"
"Anything for you master~" The whore was already rubbing his hands against the man's back. Driving his thumbs on the joints of his spine.
"Ooh, higher please"
He goes higher
"Higher baby"
The whore's bulge was now pressing against the man's back
"Oh! Right on the delts please"
He pressed his thumbs against the man's shoulders then slowly reached for the man's face. The man starts sucking on the whore's finger, and starts moaning "Oh baby that's the spot!"
"Right you are"
Then the whore immediately breaks the man's neck, twisting it a hundred and eighty degrees. The whore pulls out his phone right from his clothes hanging on the side of the room.
"Yes hello Charlotte? The man's already gone"
"[Excellent Kremidal, stick the paper I sent you over his body]"
He pulls out a piece of paper right from the back of his phone case, it had an almost alien sigil stamped on it. He sticks it to the body, then changes his clothes to casual. A pair of mid cut white forces, black jeans, loose denim jacket, and a tank top underneath.
"Alright I got it covered"
"[Oui, it is safe to leave the premises- give the pimp the tip I sent you]" While Charlotte was saying that, Kremidal already tapped his card on the pimps phone, the pimp nodded- snaps his fingers, and a pair of bodyguards dispose to the body as after they briefly entered, the two bodyguards got out of the room dragging the salaryman's body.
"[I'm sorry you have to do this, he didn't touch you did he?]"
"It's alright, I swing both ways anyway." He says while he rubs out the last drop of oil from his hands "also, he wasn't me type. By the way, did you kept track of my debt?"
"[Ami, I was about to say that. The good news is your debt was down to 4.5 billion chips I healed almost half of your people even before they were confined by the hospital.]"
Kremidal finally arrives in the parking lot; he looks over the caged window at the parking space as the sandstorm is still ongoing, but starting to subside and barely scraping the parking lot. "Oi Charlotte, are you looking through the window right now?"
"[Oui, why did you ask?]"
"How long has this sandstorm been going?"
"[Quite a while, it's been raging even before your kill confirm]"
Kremidal finally enters his victim's car as he pulls out the remote keys from his pocket, he was still on the phone this whole time, he hissed "Shite, 4.5 billion is still billions Charl- also, I'll have to talk to you tomorrow because this sandstorm doesn't look like there's an end for tonight"
"[Not to worry mon ami, I have plenty of time- take some rest you need it]"
"Thank you, ttyl" He drops the phone and drives off.
Meanwhile at the sub station at Cavéz Avinolia
While a sandstorm was razing the landscape, Claire covered her face with fabric into a hijab, a few tufts of hair were peering out from her forehead as she looked down with her face drooping. Adorned with a duffle bag,, she wears heavy thick clothing, a bomber jacket, heavy cargo pants, and the same chunky dad shoes she usually wears, as she stands between other passengers with reflector vests and hard hats waiting for the train.
The train arrives as the station chimes
"[ECONOMY CHANNEL FROM CAVÉZ AVINOLIA TO CYDONIA HAS ARRIVED]"
All of the passengers scramble towards every reachable doorway, Claire had to squeeze past through, elbowing a few people away just for her to get a spot, right before the carriage closes.
Surprisingly, the carriage was spacious despite the amount of passengers outside. Sighing, she finally finds a place to sit down lugging her hefty duffle bag. She looked at the people around her, who were either wearing construction gear. The sandstorm outside began to subside.The ride was quiet, the sand outside seemed to have only blurred the view outside. She couldn't help but fall asleep.
A few quiet hours pass by
"[NOW ARRIVING AT CYDONIA TERMINAL]"
Squinting, the subs her eyes open- she frisks her pockets; phone, wallet, headsets are all good, then she starts trying to grab her duffle bag on her side, she can't seem to grab anything. Her eyes perked open, darting her head towards the bag direction
"It's gone!?"
Immediately shooting up from her seat, she quickly looks around for anyone carrying her bag. Near the bay area, she spots someone carrying what looks like her bag. Sprinting at the man, her shoes squeaked with every step in the carriage.
Barely squeezing out the carriage doors, she spots the man again. She yells as she ran.
"THAT MAN STOLE MY BAG!"
Everyone on the station looked at Claire bolting towards the man, swiftly yanking the bag off of his shoulders, dropping it on the floor "Hey! What the hell!? That's my bag!"
Dropping the duffle bag on the floor kneeling Claire quickly scours through the bag, folding every piece of clothing open
"What?! Th- this isn't my stuff?"
The man yanked his bag back "Gimme that! I told you this is my bag!" zipping it back shut
"I- I'm sorry I" Claire looks down the floor, with tears welling up her eyes, before one drop she rubbed her face with her fist.
Stepping back at the carriage for one last look. Her bag was no longer to be seen
With no other choice but to press on, she walks away from the terminal, the sandstorm finally subsides revealing rows and rows of commie-blocks. Due to the recent sandstorm, there wasn't a person to be seen walking around even when it was still early in the night, Claire finally lets her hijab down revealing her face. Street lights reveal the remaining sand blowing along the wind. She darts her head along the street signs she comes across. After coming across a few blocks, the building began to subside as she began to discover stores, this is when the can finally she the roof of Kremidal's church, which was still dilapidated.
Finally arriving at the place, she sees that the main door is still open the same way since the riot happened. Entering inside, she sees the moonlight piercing through the wall on the ceiling, in which the murals of angels reside, she sits by the few remaining intact benches on the church.
She looks at the figures
Founder of the church on the left cupping his heart, Lady of the Abandoned on the right reaching out to her.
And God himself nailed to a cross, looking at her.
She looks up with her hands tucked on her chest.
"I'm tired God
I- *hic* I don't know where to go…"
She begins to shed a tear
"Why is it when I'm trying to make things right, everything goes wrong, it goes wrong every time?
What if I grow old? Will I still be aimless? Bouncing from one hustle to another, just to make ends meet?"
Her tears now won't stop flowing on her face
"I don't even have a dream, I only do what I know what to do: fight. I can't even be the world champ because I'm too small!
Why can't I be more like my sister?
Why can't I be more what they want me to be?
Why can't I be just me?
When I try to be myself, you just maul me around like a fuckin' ragdoll huh?"
She breaks down from her chair landing her knees on the kneelers, clasping her hands together against her face.
"You already took everything!
I lost my stuff!
I lost my home!
My friends!
My sister!
What more do you want from me~?!"
She breaks down from the kneeler, curled down to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Suddenly she hears footsteps clacking, echoing throughout the halls.
It was Kremidal, he's wearing the same outfit when he got out of the spa. A pair of mid cut white forces, black jeans, loose denim jacket, and a purple tank top underneath. He also had his hair bunned up, which made Claire immediately recognize him after she hears that he passes by her.
He slams his butt to sit, followed by a long sharp sigh.
Place two cups beside him, pouring down steaming hot vibrant blue tea. He walks towards the founder's statue as he places the other cup right in front of it.
After a long sigh "Haaaaa~ It's been a while ol' mate
I hope you're doing alright on the other side. You've left quite a handful with this lot hey? Haha…"
His sigh blows through his mouth whistling "I'm tired mate
I know you saw something in me, you saw that I would be the perfect mate to lead these people. Once you are gone, it's never been better.
Crime rates are climbing, people are getting injured, more homeless are starting to roam again, and I'm being crushed with a mountainous amount of medical debt…
How do you do it? How can you juggle so many things and still be kind, still show warmth? I don't get it…
It's all so hard- the longer I stay as pontiff, the more people get hurt! I, let alone don't think I can keep this place up.
But you- you turned the teeth of Cydonia into a place of safety, you gave them dreams, you blessed them with purpose, guided them with faith. I can't do any of that!"
He begins to break down in tears, hunched while his hands were clasped, only croaking out the word.
"How?"
Claire was already trying to leave, but she steps on a rock as it gets crushed under her weight. Making a crunching sound.
CRRRRACK
She looks back and Kremidal is still hunched on the front bench.She slowly turns her head back front lightly tip-toes-
"I know you've been watching"
This jolts her body straight, feeling a tingle in her spine.
"Kremidal-"
"Claire?!" He shot up from his seat, darting his head back at her as his eyes lit up "Claire!" He vaults over the back rest of the chair, as he walks up to her.
She tucks her arms back exclaiming "I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sneak-"
He hunches down to hug her.
Her eyes well up in response, closing it, she hugs back at Kremidal with her arms up because he's practically triple her size. Both of them blow sighs of relief.
The hug lasted for a good dozen seconds.
"Oh~ luv" He held her by the shoulders "What are you doing here? What happened between you and your sister?"
She looks down to the side answering "A lot… a lot of fighting, but not the fun kind"
Gasping, he squats down to her level, wiping her eyes "Oh you poor thing, are you okay? Are you hurt badly?"
"I'm alright… just tired right now. Also, I really don't have a place to stay at the moment"
"So they kicked you out? *tongue click* I knew I should've took you in when I saw flinch when I grabbed that glass
Also, you shouldn't be here! Some debris might fall onto your head, especially when it's this dark out"
"Can I stay at your place for tonight?"
Kremidal clicks his tongue "Luv, I'd love to but people are lookin' for me and you might get involved" He looks to the side for a few seconds, then his face lit up "I got it!
I think Poppy's got some extra space in her condo, how's that sound?"
Claire nodded "Yeah! Yeah! I really kinda miss her actually, it's been a while since I've had some down time"
"Then let's go! Hop in the car with me!"
As the both of them got out of the dilapidated church, they finally boarded the car and went on their way.
Meanwhile at Poppy's place
"POOOOOOPPPYYYYYY!"
"CLAAAAAAAIRRRREEE!"
Both of them tackled each other, hugging each other tight as they landed.
Poppy smushed her face onto Claire's hair rubbing it down to the scalp
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! I missed you soooo much! What happened? Have you eaten? Where've you been?"
Claire giggled "I'm okay Pops, also; I really like what you've done to your place, it's really pink"
Poppy scoffed while flicking her hair "Ha! Of course it looks great! I decorated this room by using all my stuff" She glances at Kremidal, notices that he's already reaching for the door "Hey Krem! Leaving so soon?"
"Nah, I just got a call from Charlotte, be right back" He pulls out his phone "Hello Charlie"
"[Kre- do not ever call me that]"
He giggled "Hehehe don't worry, one warning was enough" he finally exited the room, leading himself to the complex balcony "What is it Charlotte?"
"[I have a new contract for you, listen closely; zis one is high value]"
Kremidal's eyebrows perked up
"Aight, I'm listening"
"[Are you familiar with ze name Johnny Zambubu?]"
For Kremidal, a memory flashes in his head. The image of Johnny's son: Dame, with his head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees since the last fight, along with the fight with his gang.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"[They have been recently involved in a drug trafficking incident, ze problem is. They got away]"
Kremidal purses her lips, shading his eyes with his brows "I'm not a cop Charlotte, besides- playing the hero ain't really me forte"
"[I know… which is why the law is our client]"
Kremidal's face shot up "What in the bloody hell are you thinking?! We can't deal with those pigs! After I kill Johnny they'll go after us!"
"[Calm down Kremidal, zey are just getting desperate, and I assure you full safety of you, your personnel, and yourself. If they so lay a finger on any of you, I will make sure they won't do it again, besides; someone has to do the dirty work, you know how zis city's governance can easily trip itself"
"What are you yapping about?"
"[In short: I have you all covered
After all, you are all my eyes]"
When the call ends, Kremidal enters the apartment. He sees that Claire is already eating onto Poppy's dining table. She was tenderly looking at the young girl eating with a soft smile.
"Poppy, do you have a minute?"
She glances back at Claire "brb Claire!"
Both of them were leaning back at the apartment balcony
"Oi sorry if Claire has to crash, I'll give you allowance for her needs"
Poppy waved "Nah, it's no sweat. I like seeing that girl happy. Why'd you call me here again?"
"You got a job?"
"Yeah, I'm still workin' on that encoding job at retail. Did Charlotte give you a job?"
Kremidal crosses his arms "As a matter of fact, I do.
But this one's ain't easy. They've recently been pushin' drugs"
"What kind?"
"Charlotte never told me yet."
"Krem this is a fuckin' trap"
"Charlotte's our broker, he's already given us under unseen protection. Besides, he says that we're already part of the Eyes of Charlotte"
"Wait! He's the guy that hijacked the TV from way back?!"
"Y- you could say that"
Poppy said while her ears gradually perked up "Wait, does that mean he's also the Boom Radio Killer?"
"Could be"
Poppy darts her head at Kremidal
"I'm coming with you!"
Fast forward into the morning
The sun, rearing its head onto the horizon on the left cheek of Cydonia, near the perimeter walls lies a suburban town. Early in the morning the garbage collectors scour nearby homes, alongside their trucks. Homeowners tending to their gardens. Mailmen delivering packages door to door. A few folk right from the town were doing their early jog, while most of them were on their headphones. One of these runners was not like the others
Poppy and Kremidal were jogging on the sidewalk. Kremidal was fitted with a pair of wireless earbuds, some Oakley shades, his hair tied into a bun, also wearing a multi-branded singlet, thigh high shorts, and a pair of Nike Pegasus Premium. While Poppy was wearing wireless big open-back headphones, blue Miu Miu shades, as her hair was tied into twintails, tennis top, tennis skirt, and a pair of Nike Alphafly 11s.
"So uh *huff* Krem, are we *huff* there yet?"
"Nah yet, *huff* just a couple more *huff* blocks"
Kremidal spots a roof with antennae erected on top of it "There! *huff* See that? That's our *huff* rendezvous, *huff* just a few more blocks *huff* we don't need to get too close, a cop's already said there's *huff* a secret entrance *huff*"
Poppy nudged him by the arm "*huff* well *huff* What're we waiting for? *huff* Let's go!" she started sprinting in an instant
"Oi! *huff* Wait a minute! *huff* We've been running *huff* for an hour! *huff* Wait for me!" Kremidal followed her with heavy steps
While they were running, both of them came across the target house
"Oi Pops wait!"
Poppy drags her shoes on the asphalt "What is it?"
"This is the place!"
"But it's still so far?"
"Just Trust me…"
Approaching the house, Kremidal pulls a set of lockpickers
Poppy's eyebrows perked "They use old timey keys?"
"Well… Johnny Zambubu wasn't always tech savvy" The keyhole grind and clicks until finally "Aha!" Then Kremidal lightly punches the door.
He shrugged "Heh, I'm pushing my 50s, but even I am more progressive. Come on!" They entered the house, slicking their shades back on their foreheads..
It was ghastly empty, however completely furnished with a millennial grey style of furnishing, Poppy looks around. She looks at the kitchen- nothing's there.
Kremidal looks at the living room, approaching the six foot air conditioner. Looking at the buttons, it had a keypad- he glanced at his phone, then sticking it onto the keypad.
Poppy peeks at his phone "Krem what're you doing?- Are you deadass asking an AI?"
He shrugged "I've never seen this type of keypad, before- also not a singe trace of the password was found in the documents"
"What if we try the stock password?"
"Zero zero zero zero? Worth a try"
It opened revealing an elevator
Poppy scoffed "Heh! No freakin' way!"
They entered the elevator. There were only two buttons, one and two. One was glowing, thus Kremidal pushed two. The elevator first went down, then it went forward- tipping them both off balance.
"Poppy, get ready. We'll never know what greets us once we get there! After what the cops have been doing, they're for sure on edge" Both of them got up on their feet, bracing on the elevator.
Finally it stopped.
Both faces locked in as the elevator chimes without a word. The door slowly opens as they soon discover they're greeted with tens of heavily armed mercenaries, with assault rifles whos lasers are pointing straight at their faces.
"Ooooh Johnny~ this is so sweet of you! You even cared to up your defenses this time."
Johnny sees him from a terrace inside the warehouse of "Pontiff of OLAP? What are you doing here?!"
"A cop is getting desperate, said that you've been a slippery little rat. So they cam crawling to me snuff you out!"
"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Pontiff! It's best you stay away from this!" Said Johnny while he cocks a pistol.
Kremidal yelled back "Oh yea? Since you think you're hot shit" both of them wore their shades back. "How about a picture?" He gestures some finger hearts at the mercenaries, then snaps his fingers.
SHINGA loud and blinding flash sparked from his fingers, reaching all the way to the top terrace where Johnny is hiding.
"Poppy NOW!" She slides through Kremidal's legs, throwing a volley of knives, lodging it onto the mercenaries' armors. Pulling out finger guns, pointing it at the mercenaries, she whispered.
"Kaboom"
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOM!
Bodies of the mercenaries explode one by one, a chain of blasts ripping down the line like dominoes made of meat and kevlar. The first goes up in a burst of red mist, rifle spinning off into the dark. The second doesn't even scream — just a wet pop, painting the crates behind them.
A few stay mostly intact, torsos standing a beat too long before their knees get the message — except their faces are gone, caved into smoking craters of bone and melted helmet.
Firearms clatter across the concrete, one still cooking off a stray round. Smoke curls up toward the rafters, thick with gunpowder and copper.
Kremidal looks at Poppy "Pops, I'll throw you to the terrace! Strike Johnny when you have the chance!"
Poppy nodded, so Kremidal picked her up by the hands "I'll follow you spinning her around- building momentum, then once her body was over his head he finally let go. There she goes flying to the ceiling, grabbing a light on its brim using it to swing. She swings from light to light, until she finally gets close to the terrace. Bucking her legs as she lets go, she does a backflip, then finally lands over the terrace rails.
"Nowhere to run now- Jonny…?"
She suddenly sees Johnny squirming, convulsing on the terrace floor, drowning in his own…
Pus?
"W- what the hell is going on?" Poppy stammered
A few clanks can be heard behind Poppy, she squares up.
But as that person climbed it was just Kremidal. "What happened, did you get him?"
Poppy tilts her head "Err… kind of?"
Kremidal glances at Johnny "holy- what the hell happened?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing! I just found him like this!"
Kremidal shrugs- pulls out a piece of paper with one of Charlotte's sigils, and sticks it onto Johnny's unconscious body.
"Welp, time to report this to Charlotte" He pulls out his phone, dialing him "Hello Charlotte, body's clear" He walks away from the body with his back turned. Poppy was still staring at it
"[Mon ami, are you sure? I have not received any confirmation that he's dead.]"
Poppy squats down, poking the body
"Eh might just rendering, maybe wait it out a little bit"
"KREMIDAL!!!" Suddenly Poppy calls out his name with a blood curdling scream.
Kremidal turns around, only to see Johnny pinning Poppy down on her limbs, stretching his fangs- ready to bite Poppy.
His face locks in, literally bolting towards Johnny, slashing his face with his metal claws. This causes Johnny to let go of Poppy, knocked back and rolling.
Kremidal pulls her by the arm "You alright?"
"I'm fine- what's with him?"
"I'm not sure" Kremidal sees the slashes that he dealt heal shut, causing him to mutter "W- what the fuck?"
Then suddenly bullets ricochet against the terrace rails, causing the both of them to flinch
Poppy shouted "What the- HOW?! These guys were meat paste a minute ago!"
"I'll handle them, Our priority is Johnny!" Kremidal drops down from the terrace. Poppy threw knives at Johnny.
Johnny tackles Poppy, she just jumps over it- stepping on his head landing with a front flip. Johnny turns his back, attempting a right hook on Poppy, but she crouches down, flat to ground, right as she stabs Johnny on the stomach, left and right. Right before delivering a back kick, knocking him back. She pulls out a finger gun.
Staggered, Johnny darts his eyes at Poppy and attempts to charge again, but she already slammed the thumb-hammer.
BOOM
His body exploded.
Meanwhile Kremidal at the bottom kept dodging bullets, flash stepping left and right. He lodges his claws into the mercs body, flipping it he uses it as a meat shield. Holding the body with a rear naked choke, he grabs the man's gun, firing it at the other mercenaries.
DAKADAKADAKADAKADAKADAKADAKADAKADAKA
Smoking them all down, right before he drops the body. Discovering the rifles are plastic, he bends it with his knee destroying the rifle.
Despite the bullet wounds, one of them gets up. Charging right behind Kremidal- sensing it, Kremidal turns his back, ripping the man's jaw off with his claws, slumping the man's body on the floor.
Still on edge, he remains stanced up, looking around him as the mercs seem to rise once more. One's shattered kneecap pops back into place with a sickening crunch. Another peels a spent slug out of his own shoulder with two fingers, the wound already closing behind it, skin bubbling and smoothing over like nothing happened. Even the jawless one stirs — his lower face a ruined mess of exposed muscle and teeth, already knitting itself back together in wet, twitching strands, like something is stitching him shut from the inside.
But his eyes perks up when he notices a tiny detail
He shouted "Poppy! They age as they get injured!"
Poppy looks at Johnny's charred corpse, stitching itself back together. The charred flesh sews the muscles back, then the skin seals over it like vinyl coating, dulling into something almost human again. Cracked teeth push free of receding gums, fangs lengthening back to their full points. One eye, boiled milky white a second ago, blinks and clears — however his clothes remained charred with holes.
But Kremidal was right, Johnny's face seemed to have aged 20 years, as even his hairline recedes as streaks of silver can be seen on his scalp.
Poppy whispered to herself "Ugh! I should've not sprinted earlier!"
Johnny charges at Poppy, but she jumps over the rails. He tries to push her but she backflips, right before she could land she grabs onto the guardrails to swing her legs onto Johnny's face knocking him to his sides on the rail. She finally lands on the terrace floor- Johnny attempts to grab her but she twirls to the right, with Johnny's back against the rails, Poppy drop kicks him- leaving Johnny to fall to the bottom floor as his head pops like a pulp, spattering gray pus on the floor.
Kremidal at the bottom just kept disarming the mercs, taking the guns off their hands one by one, while shooting them at point blank range to the face.
Poppy yells "Kremidal, watch out for Johnny!"
Kremidal took all the rifles, dropped it to the floor then SMASH breaks it all in half with one stomp
Poppy jumps, swings off a hanging light, and launches herself at the wall — knife out. The blade bites into the sheet metal with a shriek of sparks, and she rides it down in a slow, controlled scrape, shoes finally touching the floor.
Kremidal looked at the pus covered corpses around, as Poppy jogged towards him, panting heavily
He looks back "Oi, gassed out already? I told you not to sprint earlier"
She waved her hand as she hunched on her knees"*pant* yeah, yeah, *pant* how're the mercs though?"
"Broke all their toys. How's Johnny"
"See for yourself" said Poppy as she jerked her thumb to the back
He looks back seeing Johnny's corpse, it was regenerating.
Kremidal shouted "Argh! Just how long are we supposed to fight these buggers?"
Poppy's stomach started growling "Eugh, this morning fast finna hit different this brunch"
But as their bodies finally stitched itself back up.
They are significantly older now — backs hunched, joints popping audibly with every twitch, skin sagging loose off shrinking frames like clothes two sizes too big. One's beard grows out in patchy white tufts mid-scream. Another's hands shake uncontrollably as he tries and fails to grip his rifle, fingers curling into arthritic claws. Their eyes cloud over, milky and unfocused, and their voices crack and thin with every groan — "Oooooaaaaooh, wh- what's happening to us?!"
Johnny can be seen, with his face all wrinkly, longly drooping as his steps were limp, then he continues to fall onto the floor. He raises his head, he groans out "Ffffffuck you Kremidal… You killed my—"
Kremodal's face perked up as sweat started budding from his forehead
Before Johnny could finish, Kremidal quickly kicked his head clean off like a soccer ball. Right after, Johnny Zambubu's skin fell off from the bone, not a trace of flesh to be seen, only pus puddling on the floor.
Poppy recoiled back "Jeez Krem, relax!"
"Sorry *pant* morrow's just been a slog" said Kremidal as he rests his hands on his hips. He darts his head at Poppy "Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Nah, not really- Oh! That reminds me, we should bring Claire along! Pretty sure she's woken up by now"
Kremidal pulls out a piece of paper with Charlotte's sigil in it. Throws it into Johnny's corpse, at the same time Kremidal's smart watch chimed a notification of Charlotte's message: "[Signal recieved, thank you for your service mon ami]"
"Krem, what do you think what they're stashing?"
Kremidal stops Poppy with an arm "It's best not fiddle with it, after all- Johnny's our goal" then Kremidal rests his forearm on his chest with the other hand cupping his chin "But, I assume it's what turned them into vampires, but it's best to leave it be"
Fast forward into brunch
The three of them were eating at a local diner in the teeth of Cydonia, nearby Poppy's apartment complex.
Kremidal was eating a sausage muffin and some coffee, Poppy was eating waffles and tea, while Claire was eating a rice meal with eggs, bacon, and orange juice.
The TV in the background broadcasts the daily news.
Kremidal asks "So Claire, how's the bacon?"
"I know this is my first time eating it, it's kinda salty but- the rice kinda balances it out"
"Aight" he nodded "What about yours Pops? How's the waffles?"
"Toasty, just the way I usually like it"
"Rad…" Kremidal was about to take a bite out of his muffin, then the TV broadcasts something that caught his attention
"[We deliver this breaking news!
Just this morning, the mayor of Cydonia was found dead at his home
Investigators state that multiple claw marks were seen on his autopsy, as he was struck on the chest and on the throat, said investigators suggest that this is a terrorist attack by The Eyes of Charlotte as they state that these attacks are eerily similar to what have happened in the Boom Radio Massacre. Investigators even suggest that this was an act directly from the Boom Radio Killer. ]"
Kremidal squares up with his eyes sharp, pulls his phone out dialing, and calling
"Hello? Misty? Emergency meeting this lunch."