Bakana-san

Anyway, since I deleted it off one previous board that I went to because it had no replies, I'm wishing to share it here.

Please note that I discontinued this on the half way point of chapter three. I will only be showing two chapters. If you want, I can continue this.

_______________________________

Chapter one: Hyena

All the children of the earth, slaughtered by their own

All the breeze and the wind, gone like what it was once

As you look down from the heavens,

You warn the people down below:

"Away, away, there are great dangers here,

But if you should stay,

Bring a gas mask

And a really strong umbrella!"

The space ship was ready for entry into the atmosphere. The Hyena Clan’s old base was not more then hours away. I, Haste, could almost smell the fresh air and open fields of the land. When I was just barely six years old, all of the clan left on this big space ship, heading for other planets to live on. Finally, I was back at my birthplace at the age of fifteen.

Finally: *ëarth methehsto, my homeworld.

I was looking through the large glass windows of the bridge when someone had wanted my attention.

"Lieutenant Haste, Hyena Clan Leader requires your council."

I looked behind me and there was my superior in the military, my captain, and my best friend in childhood. We drifted apart because of our rank differences, or I should say that I drifted from him. When he spoke to me just now, he felt the aura around me; it changed to its regular madness when he came into view. That was not what the captain was worried about; was he worried because he was not requested for a mission yet?

*

I was walking to the inner chamber of the large carrier class ship. There was one guard posted at the only door into the clan leader's room, and he hates me with a passion; I hate him as well. I have never seen the inside of the room itself, but I know people who have: "It was luxurious and filled with comforts that even surpass that of a goddess!" was what they all said. Of course, everyone has seen the clan leader many times in tribal meetings, always to discuss problems that the Hyena clan was facing; but I have never seen her in there, talking about anything not boring. When the clan leader wanted to contact her guards, she would always use the communication link and not step out of that door, that's what everyone says.

I said to the guard, "The leader has requested me inside."

The guard growled at me and said, "Nobody goes in here without permission, and you don't have it!"

"Check your list!"

"Look, Haste…" He thought about what he wants to say and then he said, “I know the rules on this ship, but who says that I cannot break them” He pointed a very powerful laser rifle at me in rage. This was a threat

"Derick, you are my subordinate! Follow my commands now!" The officer was definitely under my rank.

"Not under her, your not!" He is currently under Hyena Clan Leader's jurisdiction. He's right; I cannot command him when she is in command.

"Fine." I turned around, about to leave, then one of the big doors went ajar from the inside and a woman of seventy years came out; she was the clan leader.

In a light tone, the clan leader said, "Please, come back! Derick, I know you hate him, like most of the people here that hate him, but he is needed. Please use some discretion in your life, if not, just in this job."

I turned around again. I became angry when I said, "Why did you have to hire this insolent little pup!"

The guard growled. She stopped him with a hand to the shoulder and turned, facing me. She said, "You should also advise caution, Haste. Making enemies is bad… very bad." She gestured for me to go inside, and I did so.

*

Bakana-san

In her luxurious room, the Hyena Clan Leader asked, "Are you aware of why we left *Fadohm, our homeworld?"

I was about to say something, "Yes-" but then she cut me off.

“Way before the information age, humans created the clans, one for each animal and some subspecies. We have changed our ways completely!

"There existed a clan; a clan that had unbelievable magical powers, powers to change the world. They were the ones who used to police every clan on Fabohm after the fifth world war, five hundred years ago.

"Today, we have made treaties, we have made friends, and we have made enemies; but we have never made another bloody war. We give thanks to Last Clan for peace and prosperity into another age, into another technological revolution… for we never lasted in the information age!

"But, that apparently was not enough for Last Clan, so they made the world rot and become uninhabitable. Since then, all the clans turned to the stars to live. We found alien races to accept into the clans; so more clans were made from our almost religious and generous nature. Last Clan has never reported to any other clan again; nobody knows where they are now."

I was shocked at this. I always thought that we just had a dispute with the world and we had to leave. I have never thought that our savour clan had done this to us!

She continued, "Are you aware of your power?"

Yet again, I said, "Yes-" and got cut off.

"Apart from clan members able to turn into their clan's animal or plant quite naturally, some are able to handle other magic. Some people, like you, can make fire appear out of air, people like you can make plants grow faster, people like you can… kill with a single touch.

"You, Haste, can summon monsters perfectly, you can do more then summon objects of interest; you can make them from nothingness. Haste, you are... an exceptional magic user... for your age,

"That is why you were chosen, with three others, to find Last Clan and to make them reverse the planet's devastation. We were chosen, out of all the clans in the last Fadohm meet, to find them. We will start on our homeworld."

I finally had a say in this, "... So, I kinda’ don't have a choice on this, right?"

Hyena Clan Leader shook her head sadly, "You are the best one for the job."

"But, can't someone else do it? You said I was the best one for this, aren't there alternatives?"

She shook her head again, "There are other reasons why you are in this mission, Haste... please leave to your dorm now, it will be better if you sit down for the landing. This is just for your information, you will be commanded to start the mission when I tell you."

I turned around and left through the large ajar double door and closed it behind me.

*

From the centre room, I walked through one uninhabitable hall and turned left to another hall, which was full of people. This wide hallway that I was in was inhabited because of the buying and selling of all items like food and other necessities here. This hall was also directly linked to homes; in these homes were people with a low-range income on the ship. I moved down hallways, heading for the outer rim of the ship. As I moved down the hallways, the buying and selling of items changed; not only were people buying food and clothing, they were buying things like jewellery, computers and luxuries. I lived in the mid-range class, bordering the mansion homes and the aristocrats. Take note that this is inside a ship, so the homes were not really houses, they were different sized, metal, sound-proofed rooms with the outer rim high-classed rooms having windows to the stars outside.

I opened the door to the home I lived in. I went in and took my shoes and socks off at the rug near the door. Knowing where I was going, I stepped off the hard wood flooring of the entrance and walked on the carpet to the living room.

Without noticing it, I slapped a very blubbery lump of fuzz with the top of my foot, a hard lump of the same fuzz (in which I felt a bone) on my right foot, and tripped, face flat on the ground. I soon recovered and pushed myself above the ground, with my feet still on this lump, and looked behind me to see a hyena face looking straight at me.

"What have I told you about resting in the middle of the hallway?" I said to the hyena. It might have felt a little odd talking to an animal, but that was actually me dad.

My dad physically communicated back, "Sorry, Haste, I totally forgot." and got up on his four paws, pushing my feet up with him. He moved to the couch in the living room and sat down there.

I got up and sat down beside him, turning on the television and turning to the correct channel as the hyena put his front paws on my leg and rested, looking at the television.

The channel was going to show the landing sequence of this ship. Right now, the channel was showing a camera on the bottom of this ship. The ship was stationary above the green, blue, brown, and white world.

"Finally, we are back. And in this time, you joined the military and became a lieutenant so fast. I'm so proud of you."

There was a ringing at the door. Dad got up and dropped to the carpet. I said, "Stay here, will ye?" and opened the door myself, with my transformed father behind me in the hall.

I said hello to the fifteen-year-old girl at the door. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing oil-stained over-alls. She said, "Hi, I would like to see your father."

"Why?" I said.

The woman just pushed my chest back, making the door fully open, and walked in.

I paused, recovering, and then said, "Well, come on in, I invite you!" I closed the door behind me as the girl looked eye to eye at the hyena and said, "We need you in the engine room for ship entry."

Even though the message wasn't directed to me, I still heard it, "Alright, I'll go upstairs and get dressed while you wait down here."

There were two couches in the living room; I sat on the one facing the television while she sat down on the other one. I looked down at the carpet and started talking slowly, asking her, "So... you work in the engine room on this ship?"

She paused and retorted, "Do you have a crush on me? If you want a date, I already have a..." She slowly looked down at the couch pillow beside her and slowly said, "boyfriend" as if remembering something.

“But I didn’t say anything about that!”

“You were going to say it!”

My father came downstairs, human, and one foot at a time this time, wearing similar overalls. My dad was definitely human this time.

My dad said, "Ok, let's go." and both of them left, leaving me looking at the broadcast for an hour.

The spaceship shook lightly as the TV showed a continent, beyond a yellow-orange heat, that was slowly getting closer and closer. Everything in this home was either stuck to the floor by some means or put away, so nothing fell on the floor. As the array of images from different cameras passed by, the continent of Jefar was slowly getting closer and closer. Pretty soon, the ship landed on the planet. Home sweet home at last. As the camera showed the back ship door opening, I headed for it myself, making sure to turn off the TV.

I walked through the even more crowded halls of the ship and down to the port. There was some room to move between people in the halls, so I quickly got to my destination. I made my first steps on the planet and looked at the scenery: all of the brown grass on the field has died and green gas hung in the air. I smelled the air: it smelled much of anything rotten you can find just about anywhere.

*

I, Captain Gregory, watched the reminder of what happened in the past come right up to my face and in my nose. I watched in sorrow, for I could not do anything about it. All the trees and plants: dead. Most of the animals on this planet: dead or mutated. The water: polluted. It was all because of the last clan, all because of those wrenched back-stabbers. One time they protect us from ourselves, now they are not even on anyone's side. No matter, we got along great without them. I cried there, standing on real ground, asking myself, "Why, dammit? Why?" and putting my hands in front of my face.

I heard a familiar cry near me. I saw Haste running into the ship, pushing me aside along the way. He ran as fast as he could, and I followed. I would even follow him to the ends of the earth if needed; even if he does not think of me as a friend anymore, I think of him as mine. I followed him inside; I went slowly because I knew where he was going. I walked on the metal ground, with military footsteps across empty halls, listening to the echo of Haste's running, going to his dorm. I kind of felt sad for him, running, crying, from the place that he was taken away from and wanted so much to go back to, from ekarlo methehsto, and also my homeworld, too.

I stopped at his door after I heard steps on the other side; Haste went into his home. I opened his door myself, for he would never open it for me in any condition anymore; I ignored the sound upstairs. The door slowed down and I heard a sound of clothes sliding across a wood floor, I went inside and noticed that it was his clothes that he just wore. He would almost never turn hyena, not on me, not on his parent, not for comforting, not on anyone's view. It must be really hard time for him, since this is the first time I heard him do this, I feel the same way. I wish I could just do that myself: run away from everything, be alone for a while, and contemplate what has happened. I cannot do this, I cannot release myself from the chains of life and just fall off the edge, I cannot die from the world anymore, not just for one moment, because I have a responsibility to be realizing, commanding, brave, and I cannot let my fellow soldiers down.

I walked upstairs, into his room, as I did a long time ago. I remembered the past, and I made new grounds on that past as I looked at the shaking bed sheets with Haste in them. I moved the pillows aside to sit down there. I tried to comfort him under the sheets in any way I could, this I have only done when he was in human form and this I have only done a long time ago.

"I'm sorry..."

"I could never imagine our home to be this way, this was not my home, and it never was my home... Something that looks like that could never have been my home!"

He spun so that the front on his body was facing upwards, still in the sheets, and he put his hyena head out of the covers, looking at me. I looked at his eyes and saw many emotions: sadness, hatred, the death of the one thing he loved, it was gone, it could never be returned, not even by the last clan. I then looked the other way, slowly saying, "That is not what I mean..."

"Then, pray tell me, before I burst, what do you mean?"

"I meant that I have been keeping my rank against your will, you hate me because I am higher then you..."

I cried harder then ever, I hit the nearest flat thing with my fist, I remembered hard, harder then ever.

"I sacrificed our friendship for this stupid military job! I'm such a... such a friggin’ idiot to think that money and military came first! I'm sorry!”

"So..." saying this as fast as I could through my crying, "So, I quit the military and I volunteered to be with you, finding Last Clan." I threw my certification and my plasma gun on the wooden table in front of me, "Because I know you can't get out of this mission, and I didn't want to loose you... for, I still think of you as my best friend..."

*

I, Haste, in hyena form, was shocked. He had realized that I hated him because of the job. He cried harder then ever, not even thinking of the planet and the stupid Last Clan. He was thinking... of me. He was still my best friend all these years, and what have I done for him? I have never seen a man cry that hard before. I should be sorry for bringing him so much pain. I should have been the one he hit hard, not the desk. I was so angry for no reason, and now he has made a decision against his very logic and into his very solid heart.

I breathed regularly with the top of my head next to his leg, with my body under the covers, looking up at his emotional face. I thought hard. I thought into the past... that old past.

I had said, "It is not you who should be sorry, it should be me... and it is me." Greg ignored that by accident.

So, I asked, "Best friends again?"

Greg reduced his crying to a halt and said, "Huh? What did you say?"

"Best friends again?"

"Yes, thank you..." I twisted again and rested my head on his leg while he petted me.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Yeah... definitely forgiven."


***

ëarth methehsto: e-a-rath meth-e-a-sto
Fadohm: fa-de-om

Bakana-san

Well, that's one chapter, you want more?

Black Riven

You seem to have an interesting idea, sci-fi/magic/tribal combo, but the writing has language mistakes that should be worked out. Also, I think it needs polish. Here's what bothered me:
=================

Chapter one: Hyena



All the children of the earth, slaughtered by their own
All the breeze and the wind, gone like what it was once
As you look down from the heavens,
You warn the people down below:
"Away, away, there are great dangers here,
But if you should stay,
Bring a gas mask
And a really strong umbrella!"



The space ship was ready for entry into the atmosphere. The Hyena Clan’s old base was not more then hours away. I, Haste, could smell the fresh air and open fields where I used to play in when I was a child. When I was just barely six years old, all of the clan left on this big space ship, heading for other planets to live on. Finally, I was back at my birthplace at the age of fifteen.

That sounded weird to me, how can he smell it if he's not even in orbit yet. I think you meant 'could almost smell'

Finally: *ëarth methehsto, my homeworld.

I was looking through the glass of the bridge when someone had wanted my attention.

While it's obvious that you meant the front window the phrasing sounds weird. I think you should specify what 'glass of the bridge' is.

"Lieutenant Haste, Hyena Clan Leader requires your council."

I looked behind me and there was my superior in the military, my captain, and my best friend in childhood. We drifted apart because of our rank differences, or I should say that I drifted from him. When he spoke to me just now, he felt the aura around me; it was changed to mad when he came into view. But, that was not what the captain was worried about. Was it that I was requested and not him?

'It changed to mad' is the right way to say it.

Second line marked just sounds weird. I suggest: 'Was it because I was requested instead of him'.
*

I had walked to the inner chamber of the large carrier class ship. There was one guard posted at the only door into the clan leader's room, and he hated me with a passion. I hated them as well. I had never personally seen inside the room, but I know who have: "It was luxurious and filled with comforts that even surpass that of a goddess!" was what they all said. Of course, everyone has seen the clan leader many times in tribal meetings, always to discuss problems that the Hyena clan was facing; but I have never seen her in there, talking about anything not boring. When the clan leader wanted to contact her guards, she would always use the communication link and not step out of that door, that's what everyone says.

'I walked to.' Had walked is past tense, but he's doing the walking now.

'I hated him.' You're talking about The guard that's posted there now, right? Not all guards.

'But I know someone who have.' The important part is not that you know who have been there, but that 'this is what someone told me'.

I had said to the guard, "The leader has requested me inside."

I said.

The guard growled at me and said, "Nobody goes in here without permission, and you don't have it!"

"Check your list!"

"Look, Haste, this clan is a free clan, only protected by the rules of no killing! What makes me think I won't break those rules and kill you right on the spot!" He pointed a very powerful laser rifle at me in rage.

This part of the dialogue sounds unrealistic. The first part is really directed at the reader, not Haste. The guard doesn't need to give this introduction to Haste to make his point, and the reader feels it. Also you wrote 'what makes me think that I won't...'

"Derick, you are my subordinate! Follow my commands now!" The officer was defiantly under my rank.

It should be 'definetly', but I think that it's an unnecesery line anyway, is there a place for doubt here?

"Not under her, your not!" He was under Hyena Clan Leader's jurisdiction. He's right; I cannot command him when she is in command.

"Fine." I turned around, about to leave, then one of the big doors went ajar from the inside and a woman of seventy years came out; she was the clan leader.

The clan leader said, "Please, come back. Derick, I know you hate him, like most of the people here, but he is needed. Please use some discretion in your life, if not, just in this job."

I turned around again, completing the circle, "Why do you have to hire this insolent little pup!"

When the guard growled, she stopped him and turned, facing me. She said, "You should also advise caution, Haste. Making enemies is bad, very bad..." She gestured for me to go inside, and I did so.

*

Bakana-san

Ok, thank you for the critique. I will be using this information to fix this chapter.

Yeah, I stupidly switched between past tense and present tense because I have no idea how this story is going to be structured as.

What I will do is to try to polish it up becasue I probobly need to do so if I'm going to survive the critique.

Bakana-san

At the very beginning of a story

It was morning; I still lay on my bed, awake, in the same form as yesterday.

That day definitely had a happy ending.

But the talk from the clan leader was... mysterious. How come Hyena Clan Leader said that I was a skilled magic user when I have not even used magic in most of my life? Now that I mentioned it, I don't know how I got to lieutenant in the first place; I just kept getting bumped up in rank until I reached to this stage. I also don't know why I joined the military... that part of my memory seems very blurry.

My father opened the door, holding my clothes that I had dropped downstairs, "Still here, aren't you, Haste?" and he put the some clothes in the hamper and sorted the rest into the drawers while saying, "There, your clothes are put away. I'll leave now, town meeting's at twelve o'clock."

What makes me think I'll even be at the town meeting after that bitch put me in a job I cannot refuse. She didn't even give a proper reason for me having to be out there. Not like I'd last out there with just a gas mask in the first place. Well... I got to wake up sometime... or someday... or maybe I'll just wait till the next winter comes by... like a music artist once said, wake me up when September ends. I've got barely anything to do today; I might as well just sleep through the day.

I began yawn and got out of the bed sheets, forgetting that I'm still a hyena.

I had realized that September ended way before I woke up, it has ended fifteen times already. Even now, it seems, I'm thinking about that familiar song and how it doesn't really mean what it says. I sung it multiple times in my head while I was getting washed up, trying to find a meaning to this song.

I'm done washing up; being human, I walked downstairs and had breakfast alone.

After I was done everything I needed to do in the dorm, I went out into the halls.

I looked at the wide hall and noticed the metal architecture of it. I noticed that it would not break down for anything, not even for a laser cannon. Lastly, as I walked down the halls, I noticed that there were very few people around, and all the stores had gone. I was surprised they can close shops and put them outside that quickly.

I walked out of the dorm halls and into the entrance to the bridge. I noticed that Gregory was at the entrance to the room, demanding that he'd get inside.

*

The guard said to me, "You cannot get inside without a pass."

I, Gregory, forgot my pass and gun at Haste's house. Haste, the one who has become my friend again, best friend; Haste, the person that I really need to get in the bridge. Hold on, I think I heard Haste's voice! It's coming to me clearly, just like a forever memory of yesterday, just like a...

"Heh, you forgot your pass and your gun at my house, take it." I turned around and saw Haste offering me the two items I needed the most right now. I took them and showed the pass to the guard and went inside, taking time to walk to the seat I have been in for years, with memories of mission and reconnaissance, with memories of the brink of life and of the brink of destruction. Now, I take some of my last sits on this chair and look back at what has gone by: the death of everything in my life, my mind turned to mush through training, my friendship lost, people dieing in front of me. But, now that I see all of the sorrow bestowed upon me, I see certain randomness in my life, fond memories of trips with my father... before he was killed. "Cherish your friends, cherish them more then anything in the universe...” was his last wish, and so I fulfilled it with my heart and in my life. Five years... five years of everything, five years of loss, the loss of a friend, then a father, and now, it seems like I have already lost a brother. I used to drift away, to endless days of black and white, of battle, death, loss, destruction... and yet, there was still good memories in that time, some I seem to have forgotten. I do not drift away like the wind anymore, I should not, but yet I still do, through joy and sorrow, it is my nature, but I should not.

Before me, I saw haste's back, and beyond that, I saw dark brown fields of rotting vegetation, followed by portable camps of the people who were once on this ship. The background of this sad view was just an array buildings that had been totally destroyed or they were rotting out; I was compelled to watch it even though I could not bear the sight of this, what seems like, future of ours. I kept watch of the people in front of me, knowing all about this world: the broken moon that had a hole pierced through it during the fourth world war, all the clans that are still surviving off this planet and do not wish to leave, the animals that still could be alive out here but badly wounded or mutated. I knew it all.

I exhaled, looked at my watch and then told Haste that it's almost time for the meeting. He left the bridge and I followed after him.

Through the crowded halls, I walked to the entrance of the centre room and I could have either taken the last right or a left hall, because both of them were the same hall, circling the centre room and providing entrance to the meeting room. I took the right hall, since the left was more crowded. When I went to inside the room, I had to notice the stairs that went down to the floor. The second thing I noticed was that the whole room was circular and that the centrepiece was a large, cylindrical block, from which the clan leader can talk about problems that the clan is having to all standing down below her in the room.

Most of the people were here, so the meeting has started.

*

I, Haste, was curious at what Hyena Clan Leader was going to say, so I was there for the meeting.

Trying to look at everyone at the same time, she said, "Before the important matters, I would like to address the minor... I would literally call it bugs, in this ship.

"First of which, I would like to address the fact that cleaning of the vents from cockroaches and other bugs will commence tomorrow. After tomorrow, rest assured that there will not be any more bugs, unless you count my perverted brother, Yamniel; we, much less I, cannot get rid of him."

The crowd laughed and I though, "Hmm, she wants to soften up the crowd in order for them not to notice anything wrong..."

"Second of all, I would like to address the fact that we will not be living here, on Fadohm. We will just be recharging the ship batteries for takeoff to a nearby planet called *Manous, where we will live with the other half of the Eagle Clan.

"The third and the most important thing is that when we meet with the Eagle Clan, we will have to visit the grave site of our beloved planet... and after that, we will rejoice at our magnificent achievements in technology with a party."

I thought, "Usually with big missions like mine, she would announce it to the crowd. Something is strange, and I cannot pinpoint it."

*

I, Fiona, remembered and reviewed yesterday’s problems.

When I went to master Kithe’s home, I never expected his son to just hit on me like that! Uhg, that bastard! And then I remembered the mission I was put into with no explanation and no opportunity to disband... and how it means that I would have to give up my relationship.

After the meeting, I checked the job board and noticed that the special mission with three other people was not even on in. Could the clan leader have tricked me? No, she sounded positive, reassuring... too reassuring. It was almost like she was hiding something, and hiding it very well.
I totally ignored my own shocked look when I checked the job board. I didn't even notice Harold, my boyfriend, walk up to me.

He said, "What's wrong, baby?" and I thought that was a good opening for what I had to say.

So, I said it, "You know what, Harold? It's over! We're through!" were the exact words that I had said. Quite cliché, I know, but I had to say it out straight because he would never get hints.

Harold retorted, "Fine, you could have said that a little softer, you know!" and walked away. I just stood there for a moment, thinking at what I just said. I had angry thoughts, which turned into me saying something in an angry way.

I had to get him back, "I didn't mean it that way! Come back! I just had something on my mind and it got out! Wait!"

He stopped and looked back at me, "What, then, is it?"

I told him, "It's just that I have a big mission to do and I won't be able to see you again!"

He retorted, "Oh yeah? Then why didn't I see you on the mission board, huh?" and he left.

I had to follow him, "Wait!"

*

After the meeting, Haste and I decided to check the mission board located beside the door to the meeting room. Haste's eyes met with mine, he told me that something was not right by his movements; he was all tensed up. He then looked at the chart, snorted madly and left. I bothered not to follow him; I just looked at the chart myself and noticed that there were no special missions listed. I also noticed that there were no missions for us for the rest of the month, which is how far it goes. Hmm, this is suspicious...

Someone had grabbed my shoulder, I looked behind me and I saw that the hyena clan leader was the one who grabbed my shoulder. Her face looked happy and soft and her voice was reassuring and warm when she asked, "May you please help the search team that are looking at the buildings outside?"

I nodded and went. Having a gas mask on me, I put it on and thought of how I have to reject the smell of Fadohm all the time, just like a plague, instead of accepting it's warmth and sunlight like in my childhood days. I thought about the planet more as I walked from the halls of the ship to the rotten continent of Jefar. I crept through the land to the streets where there was a small station set up with a radio and a med kit. I asked the person that was there, assuming that he was in charge, "Where should I go?"

"Oh, in there." Pointing at a building nearby, he continued, "There is a rescue team in the lowest basement floor of the apartment, we have lost contact with them an hour ago."

I said my thanks and then rested my plasma gun in my hand, going inside.

A flapping of wings came out of the entrance of the building. I saw bats fly into the air and noticed, "Hmm, mutated..." because their wings didn’t look right.

I walked inside the apartment and went through the broken window leading into the dark lobby. There was definitely no power in this place, but what the heck! I decided to try out the elevator for no particular reason. I pressed the down button and noticed that the button was flashing in a light navy blue colour. I heard the noise of the elevator coming up and the door in front of me opening with a "ding".

"Hmm, it's quite reassuring that elevator doors can still work without power and without it's elevator..."

In place of an actual room, I saw a thick spiders web. I had managed a small glimpse of the place beyond the web and it showed no such elevator, just some weights attached to a cord. I decided to look for another entrance before attempting to go through the web.

Nearby was a door to the stairs, but the metal door had been welded shut. I would rather take the stairs then risk going down the spider-webbed elevator; So, I said, "Object Displacement" and I punched the door apart from it's hinges and welding. The stairs were plain: just a large square room leading downwards and upwards, with a hole in between the stairs. I only got a brief look before I jumped down to the bottom floor and just before I hit the ground, I said, "Energy Displacement" I landed on my feet and I felt the air reverberated above me. I got ready with my gun and looked around. The door to the basement was sealed just like the door I came through. I landed another punch on the door in front of me and it flew three meters through the air. I went through that door and looked around: in the middle of the parking lot was a large column of white spider web caskets full of squirming people inside.

Automatically assuming that it was a very large spider who has done it, I shouted out, "Hay, spider, come out, come out, where ever you are!" and I also chanted, "Float Point Harness" to prevent myself from sticking to the ground because of sticky spider webs. I also noticed the communicator on the ground; I picked the walkie-talkie up with difficulty and put it on my belt.

My human ears moved a little, my senses have picked up metal points walking on concrete. From this sound, I could not know the actually size of the monster I was about to face, but I could determine it's location...

Something jabbed its fangs on my neck, shit, too late to determine where that sound was coming from... I saw my surroundings melting around me and the loud sound of clinking evaporating into the growing darkness. Suddenly, but without any feeling of it, I think I dropped to the floor.
*

Bakana-san

*

There was a medium sized dining hall, with room to seat at least fifteen people, but there were only ten seats, aside from his, around the rectangular table. His family members occupied all of these ten seats: his mom and dad, his grandparents, and two sisters and brothers. He was the eldest of the sisters and brothers.

With a fork and a knife, he dug into the dinner. His parents were the leaders; they were the richest, the smartest, and the strongest. They have battled others for this reign, they have worked hard for what they have earned, a family, love... and that was it, it was the last day.

When he had finished eating, he said, "Mom, Dad, I'm going out for the whole night, is that all right?" He was the master of the five, who loved and leaded them all. He had the right to do anything, he had full responsibility, and he handled it with care.

There was a response, "Yes, go ahead." He was not a child anymore, he was adolescent.

He walked outside in the night, meeting some people that were not of his stature and some not even of his group; he welcomed them all the same. He liked being with another group, and then multiple groups would band together to defeat the common enemy.

But what if the common enemy was too strong, even for two groups.

He left his house, going to his friend's place. Another house passed by, then the next, and then it was his friend's. He turned, going to that house, ringing that doorbell, Calling for that friend. His friend's parents let him in; he was there, in the bedroom, playing. He had said hello, and they played together, in the nighttime… best friends. The friend usually didn't turn animal on him, nor anyone on anyone else for that matter.

Outside, far from both families, there came an unexpected siren, and then an earth-shattering sound from above. There came a large cylinder, white, deadly. It burst through the hearts of both of them as it roared from a distance. All near this roar were either dead or injured for now, but the two families, they were in it.

After that, death and destruction came, as so did the enemy. All was lost through some means. The two of them ran, far away, but they still were not running fast enough. Pretty soon, they were apart from each other... forever, by their frightfull enemies.

There was a big leader of the enemies, he was one of many, "The mogul can go in the chambers. The person beside the hyena, though... wait! You look like the last of them! Well, you sneak; you'll get what you deserve by not dieing with your family! Put the other one... in my care..."

They had trapped him in an old apartment at the end of the city, bordering prairie land. They had sealed all the doors shut and made sure that there was a radioactive source powering the building... and the torture! He was susceptible to the radiation; he felt it like pain in every muscle in the body. Pretty soon, the radiation had changed him; the first time he changed into the title he rightfully owned, he changed twice: one for the better and one for the worse. He had become a monster, a large one, with no coherent thought and no coherent language. He could not communicate; he was alone in this place, with nothing talking to him about the outside.

He had lived for an eternity due to that which he had to endure!

*

Holy hell, I had overslept, it's already night time... oh, it's you again... wait, now I know where I am now...

***

Manous: man-oh-us