Prologue: Aftershock

Prologue: Tidus: Aftershock

 

The sound of buildings crumbling around them as they completed the demolition part of their mission would haunt me forever, the screams of women and children trying to escape our assigned havoc was something that no one should have to go through. “Poseidon.” I heard a muffled voice to the left of me. “Poseidon!” I heard it again only slightly louder this time. “Poseidon!” Finally recognizing my field name, I snapped out of my trance to pinpoint who was calling out to me. A muscular man around the same age as me with short black hair, he wore a long hoodie and ripped black jeans. “Poseidon, snap out of it, we still have to carry out our mission before it’s too late!” The man said to me.

“You think that I don’t know that Ark!” I yelled back at him snapping back into reality. I grabbed my long coat off of the ground and continued on into the mayhem.

“The demolition squad is still working on taking out the rest of the city, do you remember what we have to handle?” Ark said putting a hand on my shoulder.

“You think I don’t know? You think that I haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on? Let’s just get this b*****d’s sick work over with.” I scoffed at him. Ark grabbed me by the shirt and slammed me against the wall, “you think that I don’t know what are doing here is wrong? You think that I want to do this?! I don’t want to be anywhere near the gifted program but we can’t afford to mess up here, I need your complete focus so we can finish what we came here to do. So, pull it together and stop your bitching.” Ark let go of my shirt and dropped me to the ground. “Come on we have work to do.” He said walking away from me. I followed closely behind him making sure to dodge the debris falling from the rubble.

If you know this is wrong why keep doing it, what does he have on you Ark. I stared at him as I followed the path that he created. Ark suddenly stopped at the end of an ally way and directed my attention to an older bald man that was wearing a suit and tie, he was swarmed with men in black suits.  “You think I don’t see what is happening right now?! It is probably that b*****d at the head of the gifted program trying to push his own agenda.” He said talking on the phone.

“That’s our target, Congressman Howard head of the funding in section A-2” Ark said pulling back into the alleyway. “I’ll create an opening for you by intensifying the weight of gravity around them.” Ark looked at me sternly. “Are you ready for this?” He said pulling out his gear.

“Does it even matter if I’m not.” I say getting the canisters of water on my hip ready.

“On three, one… two… Three!” Ark jumps from out of the alleyway to use his ability of gravity. In this world you are either gifted or you’re normal, you are either born with something that makes you special or you are just like the rest, in this case I am special. I move from out behind the wall in the alleyway releasing the water in my canister. Moving in a dance I thread my water through all of the surrounding men picking them off one by one, leaving only the congressman by himself. I get on one knee next to the congressman and put needles of water in his legs to prevent him from moving. “Ark, you can release your ability I ‘m sure it’s causing strain to your bones by now, he isn’t going anywhere, I promise.” Ark shrugs his shoulders and releases the field of gravity from around the congressman. “You’ve studied my limits well.” He said stretching his arms.

“Wouldn’t be much of a partner if I didn’t.” I said looking back at him. “Now as for you, there is a bit of information that we need unless our boss won’t be happy with us when we return back to base. So, I suggest you just give us what we came looking for or things might start to get ugly.” I said to him moving one of the water made needles up his legs.

“Fine! I’ll give you what you are looking for just take it!” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flash drive. “Just leave me alone.” He said handing it over to me. I grab the flash drive and throw it back to Ark knowing what I must do next.

“Sorry about this pal,” I say gathering all the water that I can to form a trident. “It’s just business.” I say as the trident pierces through his heart. “let’s get out of here Ark before this city comes down on us.” I say glaring down at the lifeless body.

“Roger that, I’ll call the demolition and have them meet us back at the airship.” Pulling out a radio he delivers the message. “Mission Complete.” Those words would ring through my mind, taunting me with my job well done. How could you call this a job well done, how could you say that this was something to be proud of, we destroyed these people’s home on an order. The ground bellow me began to spin, I grabbed the wall next to me. My vision grew spotty and my legs could no longer support the weight of my body.

“Poseidon, are you okay?” Ark looked at me with concern. I attempted to open my mouth to speak but no words came out. “Poseidon, answer me!” He said grabbing onto my shoulders. The extra weight caused me to collapse to the ground with my vision going dark. “Med team I need you at my location stat, Poseidon is down!” My vision turned dark with the radio feedback was the last noise that I heard before I completely blacked out.

I woke panicking inside of a room with water on the floor and pillars of water flowing in through from the ocean. “Where the hell am I!” I screamed to myself.

“You’re in your own room you dumbass.” Someone in black robes said walking on tiles leading to my bed.

“Michael, what the hell are you doing here?” Michael was an awkward looking person; he was very tall maybe six foot five and extremely skinny.

“What are you talking about Tidus, you’re back at the base from your mission.” Michael chuckled to himself.

“Back from my mission wh-” the moment the words left my mouth the memories of the men I murdered out of cold bold rushed back into my mind, my heart began to race and my head began to pound at the thought. I reach for something to grab and Michael grabs me by the arm. “Hey man are you okay, you look like you just seen a ghost?”

“I might as well have,” Thinking back on what the Congressman Howard said before I killed him, what did he mean when he said that the director was trying to push his own agenda? “Michael, have you ever been out in the field?”

“No, not before my abilities are suited for the recon team, what has gotten into you Tidus?” He asked confused.

“The director has been using the gifted program as weapons and we haven’t even noticed. This b*****d has been using us this entire time!”

“What makes you say that, what happened out there?” I took a deep breath and told Michael everything that I saw and did on my last field mission. Shocked Michael attempted to find the words to make a sentence. “H- how the hell is managing all this without anyone questioning him?” He finally managed. “I have no idea, but do we really want to stay here and figure out what he is up to?” I asked moving over to the desk where I stored my field gear. I picked up the canister of water that was mixed with blood from my last mission and shattered it. “We need to move from out of here Michael, we will figure everything out as soon as we get out of here.”

“Yeah, okay that’s great and all but, how are we going to get out of here? There are guards everywhere in this facility, and after hearing all of this I don’t think that they are here to keep people out of the facility.” 

“We’ll just have to force our way out,” filling new canisters with water I walked up close to Michael, “if things get rough you are going to need to use your teleportation out of the facility into the water, I will come and get you after everything is finished.” I said sternly.

“My teleportation only goes so far Tidus, you know that I won’t be able to get that far without them knowing where I went.”

“I have a plan for that don’t worry.”

“Care to let me in on that plan then?” He said in a frustrated tone.

“If we ever get into a situation where we need to split up, I will draw their attention by-” there was a faint beeping sound that echo quietly throughout the room. “Did you hear that?” It beeped again.

“What the hell is that.” Michael asked. The noise was coming from my desk.

“Michael.” Under the desk was a dim flashing light. “It’s a bug, they’ve been listening to the entire conversation. We have to go now!” grabbing my canisters from the desk we dash out of my door into the corridor. Waiting at the end of the hallway were two guards in white body armor carrying what looked to be stun guns.

“Hey you two! Stop right there!” One of the guards called out.

“Michael you need to teleport us past them.”

“I got it we just need to get closer to them.” He said sounding concerned.

“Great, that’s simple. Go!” We dash towards the guards as they ready to fire their weapons at us. I begin to pull water out of the canister to defend us, they begin to open fire at us. I cut the bullets in half with strands of water as we approach them. A bullet grazed my shoulder blood began to drip down my arm. “These aren’t stun weapons, these guards are trying to kill us!” Michael grabbed my shoulder everything turned to mist and we appeared behind the guards. We continue to run until the guards finally look behind them and notice that we are gone.

“Damn it, they got away initiate a lock down!” The guard yelled while trying to keep up with us. An alarm began to blare repeating, “this is a code red. The facility is under attack please return to your rooms.”

“Tidus, you got us into some deep stuff this time, how are we going to get out of this one, we aren’t kids anymore?” Michael said running next to me breathing heavy.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but for now we have to make it to the directors office.” I turned the corner only to immediately regret that decision. There was a group of ten guards waiting for us on the other side. I immediately grappled Michael, “Nobody move or I kill him.” I created a dagger of water and held it to his neck.

“Tidus, they already have orders to kill obviously, so what the hell are you doing.” He whispered to me.

“Sorry, but you turned into dead weight you used your ability too much and exhausted it, you would just hold me back.” I said looking for a way out of the hallway. There was an elevator close to the guards, I moved forward still holding Michael as a hostage.

“Release the boy and come quietly, if you comply you will not be harmed.” One of the guards said to me.

“Yeah right, like I’d believe that your boss would keep me alive.” I moved with my back against the elevator praying that it would open before the guards got impatient and decided to rush me.

“We will give you until the count of three before we apprehend you by force. One.” The guards readied their guns. “Two.” They aimed their guns at me and Michael. “Three.” There was a ding at the elevator and it opened behind me.

I turned Michael around towards me stabbing him in the chest. “I’m sorry my friend.” I whispered to him and pushed him into the group of guards. Rushing to close the door to the elevator I saw the life drain from the eyes of my best friend. The door to the elevator closed. Trying to coupe with what just happened and trying to find a way to escape I looked to the ceiling of the elevator and began to remove the panel to get on the outside. I jumped up hanging onto the rope while the elevator moved up multiple floors. “I don’t have much time before they stop this elevator, I have to think of something.” The elevator came to a screeching halt knocking me over in the process. I hit my head on the steel and somehow managed to not black out. Blood began to run down the side of my face staining pieces of my white hair. “Damn it. I have to keep moving.” Picking myself up off the ground my vision began to turn blurry. I looked up at the rope that was holding the elevator up which then began to turn into two then four. I reached out and managed to grab onto the rope. “Climb.” I began to work my way up the rope bit by bit. The elevator door was slammed opened and the guards poured in through like a crazed mob.

“I don’t see him!” One guard said.

“How did he escape!” Another said.

“I hope you guys enjoy rollercoasters, because this is going to be one hell of a ride.” I moved the water from the canister and began to cut the elevator’s cords.

One of the guards looked up towards the ceiling and saw me. “There he is shoot.” The guards looked up and began to open fire through the elevator. Stray bullets flew past me upwards throughout the elevator shaft. I made the last cut on the cord, the elevator creaked and groaned as the support was gone and began speeding down the elevator shaft with the screams of the guards trapped inside of it. Blood began to creep down my leg as I noticed that a stray bullet had hit me. The pain from the bullet was drowned out by my adrenaline moving through my body. I kept moving up the elevator shaft in constant ache from my wounds. “Man, I really hope Michael doesn’t hate me after this.” Finally reaching the top of the elevator shaft I swung on the rope until I could launch myself to the closed door. I swung back and forth letting go and slamming into the side of the elevator door. On the other side of the door where the sounds of boots rushing around in panic.

“Poseidon was last seen on the elevator shaft, his current position is unknown, if you find him your orders are to shoot to kill.” A guard said on the radio. Muffled voices were coming through the metal door. I slumped to the ground with my feet dangling off the ledge. “I’ll wait here until they stop talking.” Whispering to myself. “I just need a moment of rest.” Attempting to catch my breath I wait for the footsteps to pass. Everything was silent and I began to get ready to break through the elevator door. I pick myself up with propping myself up with my knee, “Damn, I lost too much blood, I’m starting to feel faint.” I broke a canister on the ground and began to condense the water into one location. I have one shot at this, this must be perfect the director’s office is on the other side of this door, if I could just make it there. The condensed water exploded onto the elevator door almost knocking me back down into the shaft. In front of me was a double door entrance that led into the director’s office.

Taking a deep breath, I sluggishly walk towards the doors, my wounds began to ache in pain as I got closer and closer. Grabbing onto the handle I gather my remaining strength and push the doors open as hard as I could manage. The moment the door opened the clicks of guns rang throughout the room. Frozen in fear my eyes finally met with an older man with dark sunglasses and a brown suit. His hair was cut short with only a few strands of grey hairs hidden within the rest of his jet-black hair. “So Tidus, what brings you to my office?” He asked me mockingly. “You look awful. You may need some rest.”

“You b*****d, you know exactly why I am here or what is the next thing that you are going to say? That you didn’t have my room bugged!”

“Oh, heavens no, I would never lie to you, I have all of the recruit’s rooms in the gifted program bugged. How else would we be able to maintain order when things similar to this happen, we must keep everyone under control so we are able to coexist properly together with one another, because without order, this program would simply fall apart.”

“You’re one sick person you know that. Using these kids taken from their families at such a young age and neutering them into weapons for your own personal gain.” I said slowly limping over to the window overlooking the ocean.

“Don’t move!” One of the guards said following me with their weapons.

“Can’t we just have a civilized conversation Tidus, you’ve already destroyed a good part of the facility with your little elevator stunt. Not to mention your best friend Michael as well, such a shame the body could not be recovered.” He said with suspicion in his voice.

“I did what I had to do to get here, not that I am proud of it in anyway.” I slowly released one of the canisters of water behind my back readying it to attack the director. “You didn’t seem to have a problem destroying all the families in A-2.”

“The families in A-2 were all collateral damage for something much bigger that you are too naïve to understand boy.” The directors tone shifted. “But since you’re so caught up on family matters let me show you something that you may be interested in.” He motions to a monitor in front of him that flickers on showing two kids one boy and one girl sparring, they looked no older than the age of ten. “Do you notice any particular features about the boy that you would be interested in?” Looking closer it revels that one of the children had string like white hair like me.

“You b*****d! You didn’t I agreed to join the gifted program if you left the rest of my family alone!”

“And as you can see by this situation promises are often broken. So, you can release that water behind your back and come with me quietly so we can get you under control.”

“You’re a monster and I will no longer work under you for your own personal gain.” I glared at him making a small dagger with water.

“How unfortunate you were such a good asset to the program. What a waste of talent.” He sighed motioning for the guards to shoot at me. The guards began to open fire at me, I ducked under the continuous fire, glass shattering from the window above me, the men began to reload their weapons and, in that moment, I got up and threw the dagger into the eye of the director. His screams of agony echoed throughout the room while the men began to shoot again. A bullet hit me in my shoulder causing me to stumble backwards losing my balance and fall into the sea.

Falling into the crashing waves bellow I was pulled and pushed under the waves only able to use my abilities to maintain my breath under the water. Before I knew it, hours pasted under the waves of the seas until I washed up on the shore of a familiar island. Off in the distance was the facility which was now only a small speck in my vision. Laying on the shore of the island aching I heard slow footsteps on the shore.

A man in a black hoodie sat next to me. “Man, you look almost as bad as me.” Looking down at me I could see the face of my best friend.

“So, I guess you don’t hate me for stabbing you.”

“Oh no, total a*****e move, but I understand, kind of, when did you learn how to stab someone like that.” Michael asked me.

“Ark explained it to me on one of our extraction missions, just enough blood loss to put you under, not enough to kill you.” I said softly. “Then I thought what I told you in my room earlier would be enough to lead you here.”

“The island where you found me and picked me up to be apart of the gifted program. Hell, if I knew what I was getting myself into I would’ve declined you from the start.”

“Tell me about it.” I said laughing. “Oh, it hurts to laugh.” I grabbed my side in pain.

“Well, what’s our next move?”

“We need to both get to a doctor before we bled out.” Sitting up on the shore I look at the facility off in the distance. “Then we are going to take that place down for good.”

Michael laughed in amusement, “man I must be crazy to keep following you like this but, I don’t have anything better to do.”

“Let’s just hope we don’t almost die in the process again.”