forum •Apotheosis of Abnormality• [one/one]

Started July 27, 2022 by @Dayzed forum

tune

(yesyes i'll start us off)

You're strong, you'll get through this too. You're strong, you'll get through this too.
It was an incessant thought, one that he forced himself to repeat so he couldn't think of anything else.
"You're strong, you'll get through this too.." He muttered to himself as he shoved his trembling hands into his pockets, now standing in front of the giant doors of the armored military trucks.

As soon as they opened and Jake saw the five figures sitting there, the thick metal cuffs on their wrists, and other extreme measures taken that decorated their bodies, he narrowed his eyes.

The first person to step out of the vehicle was a five foot six teenager about Jake's age. She had short messy brown hair that stopped above her shoulders and brilliant blue eyes that were ruined by the fact that there was no shine to them. There was a permanent dark redness under her eyes like she had been crying but also never got more than two hours of sleep a day. Loxely was dressed in a simple band t-shirt and long skirt. She had fingerless gloves on as mostly a fashion statement, a choker, two necklaces, a few bracelets, and chunky ankle boot-like sneakers.

Loxely stood in front of Jake, her expression was unreadable as she stared into his eyes, her eyes saying everything she wanted him to know. "I hope you're ready for what comes after this." Jake stared back as no words were exchanged, his eyes looking over the familiar faint freckles on her face. His expression was cold and hard on the outside. Inside? He was fighting to keep himself together. He hadn't seen her in years.
Loxely's lips parted to finally speak but was grabbed aggressively by one of the military men who held her arm in a death grip, leading her away. She turned to look back at Jake who didn't do the same. He didn't give her any more attention than was needed.

Next was Loxely's brother, Elijah. His eyes brightened at the sight of Jake. He was two years younger than Loxely, only fourteen. If Jake remembered correctly, he was the type of person to cry over a dead gecko found out in the wild. He loved conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries. Elijah always found a way to turn a bad conversation into laughter.
However, at this moment, Elijah seemed pretty confused as to what was going on, only happy to see a familiar face that wasn't his sister's. He had short fluffy brown hair, also in a mess, and brown eyes, one a lighter honey color and the other a darker chocolate color.

"You didn't forget us" Was his first words and Jake gritted his teeth but nothing changed on his face.
Elijah had more to say but was ushered away. He didn't resist, however, only seemed saddened by the fact they weren't giving them enough time with faces they hadn't seen in such a long time. They had mostly been kept in isolation.

Kaveri was next to be taken out and not by her own means, but by force. There was an enraged look on her face as she did everything in her power to inconvenience the people handling her. She yelled in a foreign language as they tried "calming" her by holding her down and putting their weight on her. Kaveri also had short brown hair but it was significantly darker than Loxely's. Her eyes were a very light hazel color, almost mostly green, and her skin tone was a dark warm color. Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled as she drew in harsh breaths, knowing they would not get off of her if she didn't calm down.
That was Jake's last straw. He immediately removed himself from the situation before he saw the rest.

"What did we do?!" Came a pained cry that sounded like the very essence of the soul had been put into it, loud sobs echoed inside the building- a harsh reminder of what he was going to be the cause of.

---

Jake wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his tremors seeming to have gotten worse.
"Are you always going to cry and throw up over stupid petty shit?" Came Darius' voice as he approached Jake.

Jake had stepped outside into the cool air to catch his breath, the large warehouse behind him looming menacingly. A.C.E. had decided to make things a bit more remote this time around.
However, despite this being a secluded place on the outskirts of the city, the security here was strong. They had brought their best fighters, excluding Apotheosis, in case anything went wrong. A.C.E. took no chances, no matter how small.
To make matters worse, they had brought untested technology on-site, almost as if wishing someone would.

"I don't need to be talking to you right now," Jake said as he moved to get away from Darius, but like most days, there was never a second of rest.
Darius walked alongside him, getting in front of him to keep him from going any further, and before Jake knew it a blade was drawn on him but that didn't seem to faze him much all things considered. Darius also knew this.
"Back up. We're going to have a conversation." Darius threatened. It, however, didn't sound much like a threat but more so a suggestion. It was not. And the slight change in his tone told Jake everything he needed to know. It was in his best interest to listen.
"This isn't because I want to, Aristide wants me to give you a few words of encouragement. He thought you'd need it."

Jake searched Darius' face for any indication that it was a lie but found none. His watery eyes darted past Darius to the vehicles where the doors to the trucks were currently being shut, everyone had been unloaded.
He looked back at Darius.
"What could you possibly say to make this any better?"

Vance and Camilla gave each other a concerned glance as they set the night’s preparations onto the counter.
The television was set to a specific channel and Marx guarded the remote with a fierceness that made the gang nervous. It didn’t help that Marcus looked near-hysteric on the ground next to the gang leader, staring intently at the screen as it played some dramatic Abnormality television series.
Everyone could tell he wasn’t actually watching the story. Marcus was waiting for something. And it was putting the entire house on edge after the way he had burst into the place and ran directly to Marx.
Whatever Marcus had told Marx had set the chimera off into an excited fit of preparation.

Vance leaned over to Camilla, nudging her gently. “Let’s hope we don’t get arrested over something stupid again.” He joked, grinning widely.
Wynn gave the two a warning glance as he came up next to them, placing a large gun on the counter.
“Don’t. This isn’t going to be something small. Marcus came back smelling like that Sphinx. Whatever it is, it’s enough to make her nervous too.” He murmured, glancing at Marx to make sure he wasn’t listening in.
Wynn wouldn’t let anyone else know that he had also smelled Apotheosis on Marcus. He could only hope that Marx hadn’t noticed the smell.

Vance huffed in annoyance, his eyes finding the ginger curls of the witch and narrowing. “Why the hell does he get to do all the fun stuff? I’m bored of watching trades.”
“It was a punishment. Marx is upset with him.” Camilla added, snickering. Wynn gave her another annoyed glance, turning away as she and Vance continued to poke fun at the situation.

This wasn’t going to be good. Wynn had overheard Marcus begging Marx for something. Marcus hardly ever begged unless he was fearing for his life… or someone else’s.
Whatever it was, Marx wasn’t planning on truly stopping it either. He was being far too slack with everyone. Usually the chimera was yelling at people to move faster, to get their asses out there before the opportunity left.
It didn’t bode well.

Wynn glanced to Marcus, noting the brand new bruises just now forming on his arms and peeking above the collar of his tank top.
The siren wished more than anything that he could tear Marx’s throat out and let the bastard bleed out for what he had done. What kind of lover treated their other half so badly?!
But Wynn was no one compared to the chimera. He wouldn’t be able to hold his own against something with fire and venom potent enough to kill a dragon.

For now all Wynn could do was wait. And maybe put his trust in whoever Marcus had met up with.

Wynn had the sneaking suspicion he knew exactly who it was and he hated that he was putting his trust in someone so… infuriating.

"As the majority of you all know, there was an incident a few weeks ago regarding a government building. It seems this has become a frequent pattern and while we have done everything in our power to keep things under control with several warnings issued, there has been a refusal to stop…." Aristide spoke, his gaze directly glued to the camera in front of him. There was a lot more being said, but Jake was trying his hardest to block out the rest of what his father had to say on the matter.
Instead, he focused his attention on what tool he would be selecting for the executions. His hand ran over the coolness of the instruments that were all laid out in front of him, the feeling familiar.

You're a bad guy, you know that?

Jake turned over the hatchet he had picked up in his hand. It had a razor-sharp edge, the blade itself having the texture of a saw.

Make it as messy as possible.

His body had stopped shaking in the past hour and he wasn't sure if he was all there, but somewhere in the back of his mind, his conscience was screaming at him that he had a choice, that he didn't have to do this. However, Jake was ignoring it.
Like most things.

But I guess you love it. You're good at that, aren't you?

Jake gripped the weapon loosely as it hung by his side, still looking over his choices. It felt a lot like he was getting ready to slaughter cattle and the thought made him lightheaded, now gripping the edge of the table to try and steady himself.

No choice here. Put on a show. Like you always do.

In the background, Aristide could still be heard talking as the information of everyone who was to be killed was announced.
"It's almost time, you have everything you need?" Darius stepped beside him, eyeing Jake, who turned to him.

"Yeah, I got it." Jake brushed past Darius out to where they were filming, now standing by the sidelines and waiting for Aristide to finish talking.
Waiting for his cue.
"… Remember. A lot of deaths could have been prevented. All it would have taken was information. Action. Everyone's lack of willingness to give anything on the whereabouts of a very infamous gang, to step forward, has caused this. New rules will be put in place and anyone who refuses to follow them will face the same fate as these five. If there's anyone to blame, it is every single person that knows something and didn't say anything. You can thank those people, your very own, for causing this." With that, Aristide took a step back and made his way off the screen.

Loxely was up first, shoved front and center.
That was Jake's cue and when it came time for him to walk forward, there was no hesitation. He stopped behind her.

Elijah was further to the back, waiting with the others and surrounded by a whole military crew. He was hyperventilating at this point. His face was a mess of snot and tears. He had been filled in, no words sugar-coated.
We made you, therefore, we own you, therefore we are allowed to take your lives when we see fit. It was something that was said a lot from both A.C.E. and Nexus.
Nexus, however, thought themselves gods as they played with the lives of others. That organization was akin to an abusive parent and went to lengths no one thought anyone was capable of. They were solely responsible for what Loxely had become, along with the others. They had been human before, but not after Nexus had gotten ahold of them. And now? This was just another excuse to get rid of faulty products while doubling as a way to keep others in line. Two birds with one stone.

Loxely felt his presence even before he had come onto the scene altogether. She was very aware of everyone around her and the auras they gave off. She could feel the heartbreak and distress rolling off of her brother. There was a growing panic inside of him that threatened to snap at any moment. She knew it would happen as soon Jake lifted his weapon.
She wouldn't lie. She hadn't been the best sister to her younger brother. She didn't listen to him, in fact, brushed him off more than half the time. She hadn't been there. Not even when she had. She never consoled Elijah when he came back trembling and crying. She didn't share anything with him, even when he did. She hadn't even told him once that she loved him.

"Do you have anything to say? Final words?" Jake asked, his voice harsh and raspy, yet there was a hidden tenderness there and maybe even a small moment of trying to stall. Even if it was by a few seconds, anything counted, Jake knew that.

Loxely didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that everything was starting to sink in. The situation feeling very real.
She hadn't paid attention to the one thing that mattered the entire time. She hadn't given him the time of day and yet there he was in the back, a type of desperation that was smothering him. Elijah's emotions overpowered the rest, even those by his side that knew what was coming. And he wasn't even in hysterics because he was about to die either. It was because she was about to.
It was at this moment that she wanted to console him.

Don't cry for me. I'll be okay. You'll be okay too. We'll be okay together somewhere far far away after this, I promise. There'll be rest and I'll have the entire time in the world to tell you how much I love you. We'll even wonder why we were scared in the first place.

However, among Elijah's volatile emotions, there was something else too, something that was easy to miss. Something that stood out from the entire sea of people who gave off negative emotions and yet at the same time buried by it. A mix of bloodlust, sadism, pride, rage, anxiety….but…
Amidst them, was a diminishing flame of hope. It got lower and lower until it started to flicker out and as soon as Loxely had realized where it was coming from, it went out, and Jake's hand grabbed her hair, pulled her back, and then something cold was touching her exposed neck before pain shot through her entire body.

Loxely was something akin to a harpy, she wasn't quite one but was in the family of the species they had classified as Tytonidae. If anything, she was a very watered-down version of a bird whose original purpose had been to be sent overseas for war to test how well she did in extreme environments. There was a lot about her that only Nexus knew but wouldn't say. They wrote her off as an Abnormality, but anyone in that category knew that Loxely was anything but. She was something else, but then again, it was a good thing no one was here to be able to tell.

Every eye in the room was fixated on the tv as the broadcast started. Vance’s expression had gone from something playful and teasing, to something angry, frustrated. He didn’t understand what was happening but Marcus’s now intense distress was enough to let him know that something bad was about to happen. And as the man on the screen spoke of what was to become of those who disobeyed, Vance’s gut twisted. Camellia looked to be in the exact same place, her face twisted in a mix of anger and horror.

“What are they doing?! What aren’t you telling us, Marx?” Vance suddenly demanded, turning to look at the gang leader. Marx was in the middle of ignoring a hysteric Marcus, who was whispering in his ear with a desperate look on his face. Marx merely grinned wickedly at Vance’s question, grabbing Marcus by the front of his shirt and dragging him over to the couch.

“Wait! Please! Marx just listen to me!” Marcus screeched, digging his heels into the ground and struggling against the chimera. All eyes suddenly turned onto Marcus and his desperate attempts to break free of Marx. The mood shifted instantly to something uneasy. Marcus never went against Marx. Something was wrong.

“Watch.” Marx demanded, forcefully throwing Marcus to the ground in front of the couch before he took a seat on it, yanking Marcus closer by his hair. The word sent a shiver throughout the room, and Marx’s insistent glare at the tv persuaded the whole room to turn towards the program. All save for Marcus, who continued to fight against his lover with a desperation only matched by an animal that knew it was about to die.

Marx growled lowly, grabbing the witch by the back of his neck and forcefully pinning him to the ground face-first. “Marx please! They’re going to die! You’re just going to let them die!? I thought we were supposed to be stopping this!” Marcus screeched, struggling against Marx’s strong hand even has his hands were wrestled behind his back and tied roughly by a rope Marx pulled from his pocket. “This is going to just make them think they’re right! We can’t-“ Marx suddenly slammed his heavy boot into Marcus’s back, knocking the wind from the witch immediately and effectively shutting him up.

“I said watch. Do not disobey me. I am already disappointed in you, Light.” Marx growled into the witch’s ear, forcefully yanking him back to a sitting position and grabbing his face roughly, forcing Marcus to stare at the screen.

The moment Loxely appeared on the tv, the entire gang house fell unnaturally silent save for Marcus’s desperate attempts to still free himself. Vance turned between Marx and the tv, his eyes widening as the realization of what was about to happen dawned on him.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” He growled at Marx. The chimera glared at Vance, making him shut his mouth immediately and the color to drain from his face.

“This is needed. Imagine the outrage caused by such inhumane actions, how many Abnormalities will be appalled by how their so called protectors harm them. A.C.E. will be exposed for who they truly are, and we will gain traction within the community. They’ll finally realize that our fight is one worth aiding.” Marx’s grin grew more as the blade was lifted to Loxely’s neck.

“Violence begets violence, after all. A.C.E. is signing their death certificate with this blood.” The leader cackled, his grip tightening on Marcus’s face. “We’ll step in right before they finish off the last two, they’re broadcasting this live. Once we are on screen, I will let all Abnormalities watching know that they may find safety within our walls if they chose to fight against the evil that plagues us all. Be prepared for a harsh fight. They have those dogs of theirs chained up nearby, and it appears the most feral of them is the executioner tonight.”

“You fucker! These are lives! You’re letting them die!” Marcus suddenly yelled. He cried out as Marx’s sharp claws dug into his skin, drawing blood. Marx’s anger radiated off of him, nearly suffocating the entire room.

“I think that’s quite enough from you, darling. You will join me in telling the world about us, because I need you there with me by my side when I look the world in its eye and tell them of A.C.E.’s sins. You know I love you dearly, which is why I can’t understand why you oppose me so much in this. Life is a heavy price, which is why A.C.E. must waste a few for us to call out the importance of it. This is a sacrifice well worth it, Marcy. I’m disappointed you do not see that.” He cooed, his grip tightening and his claws digging deeper into the thin skin of Marcus’s face.

“Fucker! That’s not a good enough gamble!” Marcus spat. The witch struggled against the pain, trying desperately to pull away. Marx’s expression darkened as he sighed deeply. He brought Marcus up to his level, growling before he sunk his teeth deep into the witch’s shoulder. Marcus screamed out in pain, shaking as the small amount of venom Marx had just sent into his system began its immediate work to light every vein Marcus had within him on fire.

“Fine. I see you’ve forgotten what truly comes first. I’ll be sure to reteach you once this is all over. Just remember that you chose to return to the basement, Marcy. I never wanted to put you there.” The chimera cooed, biting his own lip and leaning down to kiss Marcus, forcing him to take the antidote - the chimera’s own blood. The witch’s screaming died down to whimpering, his entire body aching even as he could feel his strength returning and the venom vanishing in an instant.

Marx glanced up at the eyes on him, snarling to show off his sharp teeth. “I said WATCH you fuckers. Look at what A.C.E is doing and understand that they won’t stop at these five if we do not stop them.” He roared, making the entire room suddenly snap back to the tv. “We leave right after this one dies. Be ready, we will need to move fast.”

The gang remained silent, only a few silently closing their eyes to avoid the visual of what was about to happen. Wynn included.

There was a moment where ringing seemed to be the only thing Jake could hear. It was loud and disorienting as he pressed hard against Loxely’s throat, yet in one swift fluid motion, the saw-like weapon followed through almost effortlessly, like Jake had done this a thousand times over, his hand practiced in the act.

Practiced to be an executioner.

And just like Loxely predicted, chaos erupted behind Jake, the military personnel keeping the others in check finding it hard to control Elijah who had lost it.
Elijah was mostly a special case- he was where the scientists had tested their boundaries, mismatching different pieces together to create something new- something that could almost be classified as a Frankenstein, yet strangely intact with minimal flaws- or well, on the outside anyway.

While those experiments were contained the same way Abnormalities were, there was something slightly more unpredictable about them. The scientists who had made them into what they were, were never a hundred percent sure what they would get and if they would develop something more along the line that they were unhappy with, they got put down. Because some pieces weren't meant to go together, it created something new and completely different than what they had seen before- a troubling and very dangerous creature, even for those at A.C.E. It was the reason they were monitored closely for more than half of their life, starting when they were just little kids. If they developed something they couldn't control, they got executed, like what was happening now.

After Jake had followed through, he felt the weight of Loxely lighten as her body slumped forward onto the floor, Jake's hand still gripping her hair, her head dangling from it.
Loxely's wings, like a trigger, had sprouted from her back, now spread open on the ground. There was a sickening choking sound as she still, although her head severed from her body, tried to gasp for air. Her body also seemed to be alive on the floor, however, slowly losing its movement as the blood poured out in what seemed to be gallons.
The moment Jake had completely sliced through, blood had sprayed everywhere, getting on his clothes, hands, and even some of it splattering onto his face. He jerked the weapon in a half-circular motion beside him after he had finished, the blood on the tool painting the ground with a nearly identical shape he had swung in, although not flawlessly.

He very casually threw Loxely's head next to her body as if not giving it a second thought, his eyes taking on a different look now, like something bordering on unhinged and unpleasantly dark- something uncaring and utterly cold.

By the sidelines Darius had his arms crossed, shifting on his feet, feeling the atmosphere and its discomfort. Aristide had a faint proud smile on his face as he watched, his hand on the gun by his side as Elijah's distress grew and grew.

Then, there was a snapping point.
But neither Darius nor Aristide made a move to stop Elijah as his mouth on one side of his face split impossibly open, a large, nearly two-foot-long insect praying mantis mandible sprouting from it, slicing one of the military men's head clean off his body.

Jake heard the commotion and reluctantly turned to look back at Elijah, giving him a calm look of bloodlust, as if to say "come get me".

That seemed to push Elijah over the edge as he let out the loudest pain-filled cry Jake had ever heard, the sound slightly broken and distorted, his voice sounding different than to a human- like some sort of creature that was in unbearable agony. It echoed off the walls and some of the men dropped their weapons to cover their ears, the piercing cry enough to shatter eardrums.

Even so, Jake could feel nothing inside of him. No sympathy for Elijah. No remorse, no pain, no attachment. There wasn't anything there at the moment except for a chilling calmness about him that not a lot of people would be able to keep in this situation.

The other three beside Elijah seemed to be frozen in place as they stared at Jake with wide eyes. Almost as if they couldn't believe Jake had actually gone through with it. A slight shake had started on Kaveri's body, and suddenly realizing the weight of what was about to happen, her anger had vanished in an instant. Theodosia was still in shock, now looking like she wasn't all there and Noah had his teeth gritted with a terrified look on his face.

Jake watched Elijah fight the other men as Theodosia was pushed forward. Her legs gave out from under her as she started to cry and beg to not do this to her. One of the men grabbed her by her Jade braids which were a mismatch of a lighter brown and beige white in contrast to her dark skin tone.

Marx hummed in thought as he watched the body drop, not fazed by the blood or the wings or even by the sounds those in the house with him were making. A few of the gang members had left to empty their only slightly tipsy stomachs. Others sad in uncomfortable silence, their expressions both horrified and sick as they watched the body continue to twitch.
The chaos that erupted on the other side of the screen went ignored as Marx stood, yanking Marcus up with him and forcing the still-dazed witch to follow him to the counter.
Marcus didn’t seem to be fully there anymore, his eyes distant even as he was handed a gun and a few lighters that felt cheap compared to his own. He stared at his hands for a long time, trying to process everything that was going on. He felt helpless, alone.
Jake had just…
Marx was going to…
ACE was…
It was too much to focus on.

“They’re showing off that lap dog of theirs. He’s quite good at his job, though they try to hide what he’s capable of. The monster shows his fangs and they fear him until it’s useful.” Marx sneered, his lips curling into a wicked grin as he glanced at the tv to look over Jake.
After a bit he turned back to look over the gang, snickering lightly. His eyes lingered on Marcus for a moment, a knowing glint flashing dangerously behind them. Marx wasn’t stupid. He had smelled Jake on Marcus a few times. The chimera wasn’t quite sure if the witch had encountered Jake in a friendly manner or in combat. But the lack of wounds on Marcus and the fact that Jake was not critically injured enough suspicion and anger to Marx’s mind first.
“The rest of you, get up. We’re going now.” He waved to the door, not even watching as his array of Abnormalities scrambled to grab guns and weapons and all sorts of mystery potions and items.

Wynn stood staring at the screen, his eyes alight with pure fury as he watched Jake. He had known exactly what kind of person Jake was but it didn’t make this any less infuriating. Wynn had hoped Jake’s short amount of time with Marcus would have made the guy more open to Abnormalities.
Wynn should have known that was a bullshit fantasy. Jake was devoid of emotion and feeling as far as the siren could tell.
It was Vance who finally moved him by turning the tv set off, a pained look on his face.
“Let’s go… we can stop it.” He told the siren, giving him a weak nod before he shoved a knife into Wynn’s hand and walked out the door.

Jake stared directly into the camera filming the massacre that had just taken place, his eyes distant as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that he had just killed four people for everyone to see.

I didn't want to do this. Why didn't you help me? His voice echoed back at him from the back of his mind.

Blood dripped from his weapon, his eyes fluttering as he tried to snap out of the dazed state he seemed to be in but to no avail.

Don't look down. But Jake didn't heed the warning, looking down to the pool of blood around his heavy boots, the bodies lying still on the ground. What was his purpose? Was this it? To allow people to control him and make him do things?
They didn't make you do anything. And the thought made his blood run cold. They didn't make you do anything.

Jake's breathing picked up. He needed to leave. Somewhere private. He turned to look back at Aristide and Darius, his eyes wide as if he was terrified of his own actions, like he didn't know what to do with himself.
Aristide had raised Jake for sixteen years, and pretty soon it would be seventeen years. He knew when Jake was at his limit and this was one of those moments, but he didn't step in to help. For a while now, Aristide had protected Jake, granted, in his own twisted way, but he had protected him. He had talked with the heads of A.C.E. to ease off Jake when he looked to be at his breaking point, making the point that if Jake was too far gone, everything they had worked for would be lost with him. They needed him lucid and on a leash, but more than anything, he needed to understand reason. He needed to be on their side.

The weight of your actions, do you know them? The voice inside of Jake's mind taunted.

Soon enough, Elijah was being brought forward. The last one. Although Jake could feel the stillness in his heart, not a hint of emotion to it, Jake knew he had to do this despite the uncertain expression on his face. Not because it was demanded of him or because there was a threat over his head but as a kindness. How could anyone live with themselves after watching their friends and family get slaughtered? The rest of Elijah's life would be consumed by hate and anger and grief- that was if he didn't lose his mind first. Jake couldn't just leave it unfinished even if he had the option to spare Loxely's little brother.

They hadn't sedated Elijah, hadn't given him any drugs to calm down, or even hurt him to get him to stop. No, he had been brought up next to Jake as he thrashed, his face drenched with tears and snot. He was yelling, maybe something at Jake, at the people who held onto him, or at the world, but Jake couldn't hear it. Maybe it was better that way.
"Let me help you…" Were the words that came out of Jake's mouth in an almost near whisper, not quite sure why he had spoken in the first place. No one would have heard it, but Elijah had and at that moment he froze. He took in a deep pain-filled breath before he slowly turned to Jake, a look of disbelief on his face.

Jake considered it a kindness. Putting someone out of their misery. They would be better off-… or perhaps that was just a wish he had for himself. However, it would seem Elijah didn't see it that way.
"Help me…?" Came Elijah's raspy voice before his eyes widened with fury. "HELP ME?!" He screamed before the anger inside him relit, now jerking away from the tight grip the three soldiers had him under, the supposedly Abnormality proof cuffs slowly twisting and snapping as Elijah's strength forced them to separate.

It was at that moment that Jake wondered if the next few seconds would finally be the universe offering him a way out of what could only be considered hell for him. He watched as one side of Elijah's face split once more, the insect-like mandible shooting out of his widened mouth with a sickening crack as it expanded and aimed for Jake's head without a second of hesitation.

Marcus seemed distant, Wynn noted as the gang slowly took their places around the area Apotheosis had claimed for their execution. The witch absentmindedly played with the lid of his lighter, letting it click shut rather loudly each time. He stared out at where the sounds of victims wailing and screaming could be heard, his mouth curling into a slight grimace.
The sparks that strayed too close to his arms burst into thin lines of flame, curling a little too close to his skin to be comfortable. Wynn knew the flames were thinly veiled rage, a rough attempt to quell the rising and uncontrollable nature of the witch’s power.
Wynn swallowed hard, only slightly worried about the end results of such emotion. Marcus was giving off some very scary vibes…

The whole group could feel it. Marcus’s frequencies could be felt from miles away; the intense burn making many shift uncomfortably as it settled into their chests, igniting a strange temper to match the intensity of the flames.
Marcus was a hair trigger away from burning everything around him down, and his magic expressed that.

Marx’s haunches raised in excitement as he padded over to stand next to Marcus, slowly lowering himself into a pouncing position.
“Be ready, do not hold back. Not for anyone.” Marx growled, eyeing Marcus suspiciously for a moment. “The last abnormality must live for this to work. Do not disappoint me.” He told the witch before turning to look at the rest of the gang. “That goes for the rest of you as well. Keep the last one alive, even if you have to risk your own life for it. Now, Marcus,” The chimera waved his paw, all three of his heads grinning and baring sharp, unnatural teeth.

Marcus took in a deep breath, lifting his lighter and flicking it on. The flame there immediately ignited, turning quickly into a raging wall of fire that Marcus easily wrestled into his control.
His first target became one of the military trucks separating them from Nexus, his flames burning white as they easily carved through the metal, allowing for Marx to jump onto the burning remains and offer a true Cheshire grin to the Nexus members there. The edges of his halter top began to smolder as a result, thin tendrils of smoke curling towards the sky.
A fiery ward followed after him, its tendrils cutting Elijah off from Jake - and consequently Marx from the rest of the group.

Marcus appeared beside the ruined truck, his eyes and runes lit up as brightly as his fire. The tattooed runes visible looked as if they hadn’t had enough time to heal - the ones along his arms looked as if they were blistering.
The witch gave Jake a single glance but it was enough to betray his emotions: anger, hatred, hurt… and confusion.
He had been half tempted to just let Elijah kill Jake. But a small voice reminded Marcus of the way Jake had sounded just hours before.

“Never took you for a coward, Aristide.” Marx crooned, all three heads tilting in a sick curiosity as he evaluated the blood and gore before him. “And innocents too?” Marx tutted his tongue, stalking down the hood of the truck - ignoring the way the metal groaned in protest as Marcus’s fire ravaged the rest of it. “What will the world think when they realize you’ve killed civilians of all people?” Marx’s tail raised, prepped to strike with the venomous barb.
“And the propaganda! I’m quite impressed! You painted these children to be war criminals! It’s a shame their actual list of crimes is so minimal compared to what you claim them to be. I really don’t think “disruption of the peace” is a crime punishable by death.” The chimera laid himself down, Cheshire grin growing. “You were quite convincing, though, and I’m sure that took a lot of work so you’ll have to forgive my little group for spilling the truth.”

The radar in one of the trucks started to sound a faint alarm that only Ezekiel and those around him could hear. It caught the attention of Vincent who was also there, a frown now on his face. Hadn't A.C.E. said this was a secret location that no one knew about? So how was it that their Abnormality radar was picking up nonhuman entities? Hell, even if it was a fluke, there was no way they could have possibly stumbled upon the site by mere coincidence.

Ezekiel looked over at Vince, slight fear in his eyes as he tried to figure out what exactly the device had picked up. He seemed to pale when he saw the number of entities surrounding them. This wasn't a fluke. It was an ambush.
It took a moment longer for Ezekiel to snap out of it, his hands moving to press a few buttons on the monitor to try and shut the system down. He had slightly altered the system code that was meant for automatic nuclear missile launches to something that would help with detecting others, even humans, but because its main components were still intact, it was trying hard to do something to get rid of the threat. There was nothing to use against the Abnormalities, however. The only weapons dangerous enough to take them out were placed in the soldier's hands. The heavier machinery reserved for full-on war- should that ever occur.

"I'll go check it out" Came Vincent's deep harsh voice, as if annoyed that the alarm was still going haywire.

Once he was out in the open, his back facing the military vehicle, he took one look at the scene of Elijah lunging at Jake and instantly moved into action to try and help control the kid who seemed all too volatile at the moment, however, it didn't last long before a loud Boom! deafened him, the vehicle he had just stepped out of near exploding when the fire split the truck in half, the gasoline adding fuel to the fire as it raged high.
Vince turned back in time only to see Marx pounce onto the remains of the demolished truck, the pieces crushing under his weight. It was then, that Vince's blood ran cold, his heart nearly stopping as he came to a horrifying realization. Ezekiel had still been in that truck.

But like in wars that Vince knew all too well, there wasn't time to stand around with a spaced-out look on his face. There was no time to mourn either or their loss would be greater. Every second counted. Vince easily slipped the sniper rifle off his back, the latch coming undone in an instant as his body switched to survival mode, his senses becoming sharper at the feeling that overtook his body. He was useless at this angle. His hand-to-hand combat skills were the only thing to his name at the moment- that was until soldiers started to shout behind him. And when Vince finally made out what they were saying he slammed his body onto the floor, covering his head as some of the other trucks around the site began to target the large beast sitting on the truck, the only tank-like vehicle brought onto the site used against the biggest threat there- Marx.
It wasn't long before the soldiers followed, taking aim at the chimera and making an effort to keep him at bay. Vince did his best to crawl to safety, however, he didn't stay there long as he ran off to find higher ground.

Elijah's mandible had been so close- so close-! A loud cry left him in despair of not being able to avenge his sister mixed with the inability to control the pain of his loss. His emotions were currently running rampant and ultimately helping him ignore the physcial pain of having his mandible sliced off by Marcus' searing white fire. Blood leaked from his now severed limb, making Elijah nearly heave at the sight of it and unable to retract it, but his eyes never strayed far from Jake's figure- still hellbent on killing the teenager who had once been their friend. Lexi trusted you. She loved you. Was all he could think of at the moment as Marcus came into view. The betrayal ran deep and stung to all hell, making him feel like he would buckle from the weight of it all.

There was a large scratch-like wound on the right side of Jake's face now as Elijah's mandible had managed to scrape him a little too deeply- his extra "limb" changing direction when Marcus had interfered, the wound a lot more shallow than what it should have been had Elijah succeeded, though, his aim had not been at Jake's face, but his neck.

Jake's attention was fully on Elijah for a second longer before he realized what had happened, his wide eyes nearly snapping in Marcus' direction. He seemed to freeze in place, his breathing heightened as blood dripped down his face. And as he faced Marcus it was clear how deep Elijah had cut, the wound starting by his right ear and trailing off when it got close to his nose, not fully cutting across.
Knowing that others had seen the sight of him standing over the bodies with the soles of his boots surrounded by an ungodly amount of blood made Jake feel sick. This wasn't the way he wanted to appear to anyone. He wasn't a killer. He wasn't a killer. He was good. He was good. He could be good-!

Amidst the chaos, Aristide had been watching Jake as Elijah went at him, his eyes cold and never moving to help his son. Aristide was a huge believer that if Jake was good enough, he wouldn't die here. If his will was weak, he was better off dead.
However, when Marcus came into the picture, his eyes narrowed, a dangerous glare on his face as the red-headed boy approached Jake. Why was he helping Jake? Did Jake know him? He wasn't immediately trying to kill him and that was a reg flag in Aristide's eyes.
Jake, although, a bit away from his father and the other things happening, had caught onto that look Aristide was giving him. And all he could feel at that moment was pure fear and dread as the thought of what would happen if Aristide found out about Marcus ate through his stomach.

So, without thinking twice about it, Jake unholstered the gun by his side and shot at Marcus- his aim was usually dead accurate so it was no surprise when Jake missed by mere centimeters. His miss having been intentional. If he could get Marcus to back up and leave he wouldn't have to fight him- his eyes panned over to Elijah who seemed to be having a bit of trouble standing now- and deal with Lexi's younger brother either. The two at once would surely overwhelm him.
However, Jake knew Marcus wouldn't scare easy. There was a reason they were who they were- and found themselves in positions high enough to take each other out. So, keeping that in mind, Jake drew his switchblade, snapping it open.

"Leave" Jake hissed, a touch of resentment in his tone aimed at Marcus. He knew it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to blame Marcus for not arriving sooner- he knew from the beginning that there was more than half a chance that they wouldn't be able to save everyone- or anyone for that matter. That he would have to get his hands dirty. But he hadn't been expecting to hope so much that Marcus would save the day. He hadn't ever stooped so low to trust someone to help him that way- not since he had been a kid. And now he was paying the price for it. Paying the price for hoping. Just like his father had said he would.
What was more, though, was his own anger for allowing himself hope. He had been stupid enough to fall for it and he could feel it in his blood- how it boiled from making that one mistake. But just as he was angry, he felt hurt and betrayed. It wasn't fair. But Jake couldn't help but blame someone, and right now, that someone was Marcus.

Aristide had seen the delayed reaction to Jake's movements, and he wasn't blind to the fact that Jake had only reacted that way after his gaze had found him. But just as he was about to make his way over, the anger settling in the air around him, a familiar voice caught his attention. He swung around, unholstering his gun so fast and aiming it at Marx that the action itself seemed lethal.

His expression seemed strained as his eyes landed on the animal- no. Abomination in front of him, a clear expression of disgust written on his face as he spoke.
"Innocents?" Aristide nearly laughed. "There's nothing innocent about any of you. Do you realize how much blood you have on your hands? Or have you stopped counting how many you've killed? Did you ever even start?" Aristide spoke, a dangerous yet calculated bite to his tone.
"Childen?! Civilians?!" Aristide nearly growled, the anger rising inside of him but holding it together so it didn't lash out at him. "Is that what you're calling yourselves? And "disruption of the peace"? Is that all you think you've done? Do you think that a simple disruption in one of our facilities was enough to come to this conclusion? This was a long time coming, and every single one of you has reaped what you've sown."
The last sentence out of Marx's mouth, however, did seem to give Aristide a pang of realization. The cameras were never turned off- unless they had thought of doing that, but in this situation your first reaction was to run. Or join the fight. Your thoughts wouldn't have been on the main task at hand.

Aristide's hand rested on the gun by his waist, a howdah pistol by his side- specifically, the ones hunters used to catch game, a clear indication that Aristide didn't think much of the Abnormalities. His grip tightened on the trigger pointed at Marx, almost to the point of firing before one of the trucks slammed into the beast, the other military men joining Aristide's side.
Aristide's gun had four barrels, and it was big enough to hold large caliber bullets that were lethal to anyone if they weren't given medical attention right away. His bullets were special to only him in the sense that Aristide himself had designed them- wanting to make sure they were built for doing the most damage possible before the other additions were put into it, the large silver bullets a clear indication that they had the same effect as the ones Jake test ran on the night of the slaughter responsible by this same group.

He fired.

And his other hand soon followed the outline of the other gun by his waist, ripping it from its satchel to fire another round at Marx.
Aristide snapped the barrel open to the first one in one swift movement, the casing of the bullets falling to the ground as he did so. The only downside of his weapon of choice was the reload. It took longer to put fresh bullets in- bullets that he only had so many of.