RUINED PLAYGROUND
TERMINUS, GRATA - 9:24 AM
Two children walk alongside the rubble of a playground recently attacked by a demon. Of all the places to be destroyed, the only silver lining for children living in the slums of Terminus was not on Eternal Drive's radar, nor did they take action, even when the attack was on their territory.
Grata is already deemed the black sheep of South Lavia. Crime rates are exponentially higher in Grata than in other regions, and Terminus in particular is no man's land. The poorest of the poor come to live here after being driven out of their squatter residences by Eternal Drive. Fortunately for them, Palladium was kind enough to send two of their officers to deal with the demon that destroyed the playground. Unfortunately the damage has been done, and the playground remains destroyed as Palladium has no control over South Lavia.
Though the majority of the playground had been reduced to rubble, the slide, usually regarded as the worst playground ride, was still intact. The children climb up the ladder, but sit still at the top instead of sliding down. One of the children, a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes speaks up towards the other, a boy with brown hair and emerald eyes; a young Zack Evergreen.
"Did you see it?" He asks the other boy, who shakes his head in response.
"No. But I wish I had." Zack responds.
"What?! You aren't scared of 'em?" The boy asks, bewildered and in awe of the other.
"Why would I be scared of something I'm not even sure is real?" States Zack. The other boy looks around before disagreeing with Zack.
"Well, jus' look at the damage! Slide's the only thing left!" Exclaims the other boy as he jumps down. "Sliding" would be a generous term. The boy's back had grinded itself on a very coarse metal, proven by several fresh cuts as the boy takes his shirt off, yelling in pain.
"Why'd you do that, Jason?" Asks Zack as he climbs down the ladder to check on his friend.
"Augh!! It burns!" Jason continues to yell in agony.
RUINED PLAYGROUND
TERMINUS, GRATA - 9:36 AM
The two boys continue to talk as Zack patches up Jason's wounds with bandages.
"I saw it." Says Jason, taking Zack aback for a bit before he continues the bandaging.
"It was huge. Looked like a big scorpion but red like a crab."
"How far away were you?"
"Jus' outside the playground. I helped my nan with the cookin' so she gave me permission to play."
Zack finishes patching up Jason as Jason's voice begins to quiver in fear.
"Tha-that thing, it… I saw it kill Mason and Alicia." Jason says, standing up after being treated by Zack.
"So don't tell me they aren't real! It's like you're sayin' Mason, Alicia and this playground weren't real either!" Jason snaps at him. Zack reflects for a bit before apologizing to Jason, who had calmed down.
"I'm sorry."
7 YEARS LATER
RESTORED PLAYGROUND
TERMINUS, GRATA - 10:44 AM
The two boys, grown past pubescence, meet at the same playground, now fixed along with the metal slide being replaced by a plastic one. Several children can be seen playing around on the different rides, a luxury that the two boys used to share before the demon attack of 1983. Jason, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts greets the more well-dressed Zack, who shows up in full formal gear and luggage.
"Well, ain't you dressed today, bigshot!" Says Jason, clapping his hands in support.
"Gotta look the part." Zack smiles back at him.
"Aye, your balls gotta be sweatier than those kids out there! If you wanted to say goodbye, we could have talked at my place!" Exclaims Jason, ruffling up Zack's suit.
"Hah, I know but… I wanted to see it again. Where it all began."
"Where'd you be without my pep talk?" Jason jokingly asks Zack who shrugs.
"It's crazy. I always knew you were smart, but working for Eternal Drive at seventeen?"
"Hey, you said it man. Never would have taken initiative without you." Says Zack as the two admire the playground.
"I'm gonna miss it." Zack says as Jason begins to break out in laughter.
"No really, I am. I'm gonna miss this place." States Zack as Jason continues laughing before picking up his composure.
"Boy, that's a first. Someone who grew fond of Terminus."
"Grew fond of the people, really."
"Bet you're gonna miss my nan's cooking, aye?"
The two become silent for a moment, appreciating the hidden beauty of Terminus: humanity, before continuing their conversation more seriously.
"Goodluck, man. Show 'em what you're made of."
"Thank you. Jason. Take care of old Dolly while I'm away, yeah?"
12 YEARS LATER
ETERNAL TOWER - 38TH FLOOR
EVERNIGHT, NAZENDEL - 7:18 PM
A loud alarm sounds throughout the area. Two men are running away in a facility from someone, or something out of view. One of the men is a much older Zack Evergreen, with the other man being around Zack's age, but blonde and shorter, stained crimson with blood. Both are exhausted, seemingly from running for quite some time. The two arrive at a barricaded area, but circle around a room to go through. The two men take a short break as one of the men collapses.
"Jeez… We're in really deep shit now." Says the unknown man as Zack picks him up.
"Come on, hang in there! This is our only shot to get out. Don't you fucking lay down now!" Zack says to the man.
"Shit… I'm trying here…" Says the man, clutching his stomach, revealing the mark "PD" on his hand. He is bleeding from his side, and groans in severe pain as he tries to get back up.
A wave of soldiers carrying firearms and riot shields pass through the windows. Zack and the man quickly duck and hide behind a desk as one soldier enters the opposite room. The soldier walks by slowly, clutching his lapel mic.
"Room 20, clear." Says the soldier.
"Affirmative. Remember, we need these two alive." A voice says from the soldier's earpiece.
As the soldier enters their room, Zack gets up and strangles him from behind. The soldier passes out, and Zack carries his body to hide it inside a locker as the injured man finally musters the strength to stand up. The two are spotted through the window by a soldier.
"Found 'em! Room 21! Gacy has been compro-" Before the soldier can finish his sentence, he is shot through the head with a prismatic laser by Zack that pierced through the window.
"Shit! What did I tell you?!" Zack says to his cohort as they rush to leave the room.
"Damn you… I'm the one who took a fucking bullet for you!" Says the man as he is shot in the shoulder. Several soldiers enter the room, but Zack refuses to save his cohort and turns the other way, continuing his escape. The injured man looks on at Zack with hateful eyes as he is restrained and neutralized by the soldiers.
"After everything I did for you… Zack… Evergreen…" Says the man as he passes out.
15 YEARS LATER - PRESENT DAY
EVERGREEN RESIDENCE A
VIRTUM, GRATA - 8:21 AM
Water is gushing from a showerhead. Several droplets of water hit the walls, the bathroom floor, and Zack's bare skin. He washes his face, reflecting on his betrayal fifteen years ago in the demediom breakout. He steps outside of the shower and dries himself. He takes a good look at himself in the mirror, revealing several scars on his chest, shoulders and stomach, as well as a very prominent "PE" on his right breast. The reflection staring back at him is a broken man, physically and mentally. He stares daggers at himself through the mirror, and leaves the bathroom after washing his face once more.
He opens his phone after getting notified about a reply from Nick Altair.
Got you. I'm heading to Precidia tomorrow morning, Celeste and Luke will take care of Briken
Zack exits out, only to get notified of another message from a person whom he nicknamed "Rage".
Do you have the DSG ready?
Yes. Meet you at the usual. Zack texts back.
Don't be late. Rage instantly replies.
He closes his phone and heads outside. He opens his garage door, revealing a navy blue sedan holsted up with several tools around it. Inside the car was the assault rifle he and Nick dug up earlier in the morning. Zack picks up a remote from the garage and presses a button, revealing a flight of stairs hidden beneath the car. He descends down the steps, and enters a large underground facility. In this facility are several weapons, very similar to the ones he sells. These weapons are made to fire bullets filled with energy from Zack's heat lasers. Why he keeps them hidden here though, is unknown.
He continues to walk around and turns on the lights. After passing a corner, a gigantic unfinished missile about 40-feet long and 3-feet wide is hoisted in place with Eternal Drive's gravity dispenser. Several blueprints can be found scattered around the floor, suggesting this missile took a large amount of effort and time to build. On one blueprint, a large writing with white ink can be seen on the bottom right. It reads:
ESTREVAL MUST DIE
Zack admires the missile for a moment before continuing ahead. He arrives at a secluded room, where a microscope, a conveyer belt and several other tools can be found. He sits on a chair situated in the center of the room, and uses a machine to craft a bullet. Using the tools, he modifies the bullet into gaining a much sharper and larger build. He holds the bullet up against the light revealing a tiny dent on the side, and crushes it with his bare hands. He looks down in disappointment, rubbing his eyes.
He readjusts the lamp attached to the table to fit an angle that would cover all sides of the bullet. He repeats the same process, but with more care. The result is a fine-edged 50 caliber bullet filled to the brim with prismatic energy. Zack takes the bullet, and puts it in his pocket. He leaves the lab, lowers the car and enters it, driving off after closing the garage door.
UNKNOWN APARTMENT
VIRTUM, GRATA - 8:46 AM
Zack arrives at an apartment complex. He brings the box containing the rifle and walks up four steps, and knocks on the door six times, each knock getting progressively louder. Clicking sounds from inside can be heard, one akin to unlocking a door. After a few seconds, the door is opened and Zack is greeted by a tall male individual with dark skin and long white hair, with a braid reaching to his lower back. On the left side of his head which is partially shaved lies a cartoonish tattoo of a white beluga whale. The man stares at Zack with deep blue eyes.
"May I see it?" The man asks. His voice is oddly similar to the man in the hacked broadcast from earlier. Zack whips out the box and opens it halfway, revealing the gun and ammunition. The man nods and jerks his head inside, signaling Zack to come in.
Inside the apartment is a fairly normal room, save for the extremely buff, bald dark-skinned individual sitting on the couch watching Assault On Giants play on the television, an animated series about humans slaying gargantuan creatures. He and Zack exchange looks before Zack sits down on the couch as well, resting the metallic box upon a table. The bald man opens the box and stares at the man with white hair. The two shift their eyes towards Zack as the bald man stands up. He reaches behind the cupboard, revealing hidden stacks of money. Before he can hand it to Zack, the man with white hair holds him back.
"We need to see if it works first." Says the man with white hair.
"We've done business for so long and you still don't trust me." Replies Zack.
"My apologies for being cautious. But please, tell me. What's stopping you from working with Eternal Drive again?"
Zack stands up aggressively, triggering the bald man. The man with white hair however, still holds him back with one hand.
"...Did you hit your head while I was away? Or are you just the biggest dumbass on the planet?" Zack says, insulting him. He stares directly into the man's blue eyes before letting it all out.
"Have you forgotten what they put me through? What they did to the people I love? I went through HELL in Evernight!"
Zack calms down and starts to ease himself as the white-haired man glares back at him.
"It's the only reason I'm working with you. So I can pay back the years of anguish they gave me. But if you still don't trust me, then I'll be happy to leave as you find yourselves new suppliers. Oh… that's right… I'm the only one left."
The white-haired man stops holding back his buff cohort. The bald man hands Zack the money. Zack stuffs it in his pocket, separating the stack in two to fit.
"This… this is good. Collect that energy… Remember the pain, that hatred… Remember the rage that you're feeling right now, and hold on to it." Says the white-haired man.
Zack pulls out a cigarette, and forms a prismatic flame from his finger. Before he can light it, the white-haired man grabs his wrist and points to the ceiling, where a smoke detector awaits.
The three men step outside with Zack finally smoking his cigarette. He breaks the silence after two puffs.
"I told you that broadcast was a bad idea. No one's taking it seriously."
"Initially, perhaps. But those very same people making light of it know deep inside that they agree with our message. And when they wake up from being sheep… That'll be the day." The white-haired man replies. Zack looks at him confusedly.
"That'll be the day?"
"That Eternal Drive falls. The moment they lose the one thing they have: control over the masses."
"Entro… do you really believe the people will join our cause?" Asks the bald man.
"I believe in the judgement of the citizens of Lavia." Replies Entro.
"Heh… Spoken like a true patriot." Zack remarks sarcastically.
"I beg your pardon?" Asks Entro, aware of Zack's sarcastic tone.
"I've lived long enough to know that the people of Lavia ain't shit. If they really wanted to overthrow Eternal Drive, they would have done so a long time ago." Zack replies.
"How do you suggest we make our next move, then? Do we just barge in at their front door and kill everyone in sight? It's suicide! That's why we'll be the ones to start the revolution. If enough people are adequately equipped, then we might actually stand a chance." States the bald man, disapproving of Zack's statement.
"You misunderstand me. What I meant to say was to win the people over, it would take a lot more than a message on TV."
"That message… Do you not see the amount of publicity it is generating? It is making people aware of our cause. It's a start for something much, much bigger. Sooner or later they'll come crawling to our doors, begging to be taken in."
"We'll move at a snail's pace if we keep it up. And E-Drive will eventually come crawling to our doors, too."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Zack tosses his cigarette to the ground and steps on it, getting rid of the fire. He looks at the two men with a fierce determination in his eyes.
"I know something that'll ruin Estreval. His legacy, his position… It'll all crumble when the people find out."
The two men look at each other, aware of what Zack is referring to.
15 YEARS AGO
ETERNAL TOWER - 38TH FLOOR
EVERNIGHT, NAZENDEL - 6:23 PM
Blood drips on the facility floor as a patient is held upward lifelessly by a soldier.
"Project Naiyo is unresponsive, sir!" Says the soldier.
"Hmm… Another failure. It can't be because of the experimentation… Otherwise these two would have passed long ago." Replies a tall, lean man with long, blue hair parted in two sides. He wears a lab coat attached with several vials containing demon blood. He looks towards two caged individuals, Zack Evergreen and a blonde man.
"Bring them out, would you?" The blue-haired man asks. The soldier complies and unlocks the cages, dragging the two men towards the scientist. They are both gagged and cuffed, with scars in several parts of their body.
The scientist pulls out a metal rod and points it under Zack's chin. He raises Zack's head, as Zack stares back with pure hatred in his eyes. He lowers the rod and redirects it to the blonde man. The blonde man however, has an expression of pure fear, contradictory to Zack. The scientist removes Zack and the blonde man's gags. The two prisoners breathe heavily, as if they were fatigued.
"Tell me, Evergreen. Why did half of my experiments fail, yet half survived?" The scientist asks. Zack smirks back at him.
"Because you're a no-good, incompetent fuck-up who will never be able to recreate my genius." Growls Zack. The scientist sighs and smacks him in the face with the rod.
"It's a shame, it truly is. All you had to do was sit back and do your job, and you would have ended up in my position right now…" The scientist replies, backing away from Zack.
"Maybe she would still be alive if-"
Before the scientist can finish his sentence, Zack lunges at him but is held back by the soldier just before he can reach the scientist.
"Ooh, touched a nerve now, did I?"
The scientist lowers his rod and orders the soldier to take the two prisoners away. He receives a call however, halting the soldier. He answers it, unaware that the phone is in speaker mode.
"Did you do it?" Asks the scientist on the phone.
"It's done. I killed Rivers" Replies a voice.
The scientist pauses for a moment, taken aback by the news. He gulps and struggles to find a reply to the voice, but he is too shaken to think of anything to say. Before he can say anything, the voice speaks once more.
"I advise you to get out of there, Trent. Nazendel is going to be put on lockdown when they discover his body. I've erased all traces and you will be my alibi. Remember, feign all involvement in this."
The soldier, Zack and the blonde man all look shocked at the news that they just heard. Damon Estreval, the CEO of Eternal Drive, had murdered the President of South Lavia, Baron Rivers. Trent turns around and pulls out a revolver, shooting the soldier in the face to prevent the news from spreading. As he lowers his gun, the blonde man tackles him, throwing Trent off and making him shoot the blonde man in the stomach. Zack uses the distraction to quickly forage the soldier's body and manages to free himself after finding a key. As the blonde man and Trent get up, Zack kicks Trent once more and stomps on him several times, busting his nose and knocking him out. He uses the key on the blonde man, and frees him as well. The two men nod at each other and start running for their lives, with Zack snatching a bag in the corner of the room as they make their way out. Several guards try to intercept them, but Zack runs through them with his prismatic lasers. The two arrive at a control room with a black button on one of the panels. Zack tries to push the button, but the blonde man grabs his arm.
"Are you really sure… You want to do this?" The blonde man asks, clutching his stomach in pain.
"This is the best chance we've got, Jason. Do you really wanna go through that again?" Zack replies.
"...Fine. But don't let me regret not stopping you." Jason says, coughing up some blood.
Zack pushes the button, opening several prison cells and rooms within the facility. As soon as the two leave the control room, chaos erupts in the facility. All of the glass windows break, the ground shakes with a mighty force that catches the two off-balance, explosions, gunfire and screaming can be heard in the background, and an alarm sounds all throughout the facility. Several CCTVs within the control room reveal three other demedioms killing their guards, including the individual who killed Raymond and Candace Altair. The two continue their escape, until they arrive at a barricaded area…
15 YEARS LATER - PRESENT DAY
ENTRO'S APARTMENT
VIRTUM, GRATA - 9:19 AM
"Again with this shit…"
"We've discussed this before. There's two reasons that won't work." States Entro.
"Exactly. No proof, and the people hated Rivers anyway." Elaborates the bald man.
"I am living, breathing, proof. Everybody knows about the head scientist of E-Drive that died 15 years ago in the demediom breakout. But only a handful know he's still alive and in hiding." Zack replies.
"Bullshit. The head scientist was Raymond Altair."
"And he resigned months before my captivity. Do you know who took over in those months?" Replies Zack as the bald man is silenced.
"Do you wanna make actual progress, or not?" Zack asks, as the bald man approaches Zack and stares through him.
"Like Rivers' death means anything to the people! Maybe if you hadn't fucked up and lost those documents, Palladium might actually-" The man says before Zack throws a right hook that catches him off-balance. Entro steps in between the two, separating them before things escalate any further.
"Enough, you two. We still have Estreval's address to take place this Saturday. No matter what happens, they will track us down."
"Entro… I thought that'd be our last resort. It'll never have to come to that… Will it?" Says the bald man, wiping blood off his lower lip.
"If it means bringing down Eternal Drive with us, then so be it. I'll gladly be a martyr for the people to finally take action." Entro says as he turns his head towards Zack.
"What-what about the M82? Is it finished?" The bald man suddenly asks in distress.
"It's still in progress. But you both know that the M82 I built is just a prototype? There won't be any room for testing." Zack replies.
"Then hurry up! It's our best chance to kill Estreval without any of us dying."
"Killing Estreval will not stop Eternal Drive; you and I both know that. Omega and Mathers… they must all answer for their crimes." Replies Zack as he faces Entro.
"Don't you have a group of demedioms with you? They could be real useful don't 'cha think?" Asks the bald man.
"There is no way I'm dragging them into this. And they're still kids. They'll just mess things up."
"Yet you trust them enough to do illegal business with Palladium right under Estreval's nose. In doing so, are they not already risking their lives?" Replies Entro.
"What would you know about protecting your comrades? Whatever "sacrifice" you plan to make… It isn't for our protection. You know damn well it's to cement your legacy as Estreval's murderer!" Says Zack as he walks towards Entro before shoving him.
"My death will be the catalyst for the beginning of a new future."
"You've insisted on this suicide mission for months, now. I've never met anyone so obsessed with dying in a blaze of glory like you. Let me give you a reminder. Martyrdom isn't actively finding ways to die. It's fighting for what you believe in, and dying for it!" Says Zack, heated at Entro's mentality.
"Is this because you fear the serum you have given me will come to waste?" Entro asks Zack.
"Maybe I'm just not a psycho who wishes for everyone but me to die."
"...You've grown soft, Evergreen." Entro replies, commenting on Zack's demeanor.
"It's called empathy. You should try it sometime." Zack sarcastically remarks.
"Entro, please. I've always disliked Evergreen, but for once in his life he is making sense. Think about everything we've been through, man! This isn't worth losing you." Says the bald man, his voice shaking at the thought of losing his brother.
"Fine. Let us weigh our options… Then we decide. The three of us, together. For now, let us wait for Zack to finish the sniper rifle. I trust you'll have it ready by the 28th."
"No promises." Says Zack. The two return to the apartment as Zack returns to his car, driving off to his home.
To Be Continued…