Tragic endings

[Deleted]

Place: The forest of Valka
7/8/2014
Location: Unknown

::The camera came to opening inside the infamous compound of the Children of Nephilim. The massive complex sat in silence as everyone was in the church. Their daily ordering of praising of the Dark Father was underway. Led, of course, by Miako. The Dark Father however was not present at this particular event.

Was it that he didn't enjoy the admiration? No, of course not. Was he losing his grip on his followers? Not even a little bit. No, today Joshua McBride was in the one place that his followers even didn't dare tread. He was deep in the forest around the compound where the shadows moved and the wind whispers words of hate, greed and fear.

The soft crunch of his boots announced his presence we see the Dark Messiah for the first time. His hair was hanging down over his face and every time we see him, he seemed tighter. The first time he was shown he had a hell of a gut, but now? It was smaller, tighter. More muscled. His arms shown below the purple silk shirt covered in various kinds of ink. Below the waist he wore a simple pair of black jeans, loose sitting almost like that of a martial arts Gi. The black boots crushed the fallen twigs and dead branches beneath his feet as he walked.

And it was then that people may see how dead this part of the forest appeared. The trees themselves were a sickly brown at their roots and almost black at their trunks. They all seemed to leak this tar like substance. Even the sky above, which was clear in every direction except where they stood. As if a cloud hovered over only this spot.::

“When no one's wearing their real face. It's a white out of emotion.....and I’ve only got my brittle bones to break the fall.....”

::As the words seemed to erupt all around the Dark Messiah, loud and clear the woods all around him seemed to come alive. As if someone was projecting images onto the trees as plain as could be. When “When no one's wearing their real face.” a image on the trees showed the betrayal of Bene Elohim as members of The Children, as they laid out the victories heroes and joined their Messiah at the top of the ramp.

“It's a white out of emotion” plays to the images on a tree on the other side. Joshua turned to find a short clip of Brody turning back around and sliding into the ring to kiss Jeszika Gautier and throw her over the top rope to save her from falling into the hands of the Children. And he smirked and laughed that low and half insane laugh.

“And I’ve only got my brittle bones to break the fall.....” The images on the next set of trees as he walks is this very compound. The doors of the cabin are opened and Brody is staggering out. Wearing only torn jeans and no shirt, he looked every bit a broken man. Broderick can barely walk and is dripping blood from his mouth like a fountain leaving a little trial of crimson behind him. His whole body seems to be shaking from the pain and shock, and then Joshua himself appears on the screen and he drop Brody with a hard punch to the side of the face. The video fades as Joshua descends down on the fallen, broken playboy and begins to hammer right hand after right hand on his unprotected body. Face, neck, head, chest, stomach. Joshua had no preference.::

“When the loving letters fade. It's like moving in slow motion and were already to late if we arrive at all.....”

::Joshua continues to walk as the soft music continues to play all around him watching the trees as the words echoing through the trees are made flesh in the videos, all the while he is laughing with glee at the carnage he has inflicted.

“When the loving Letters fade. It's like moving in slow motion.” shows on the trees to Joshua's left. The image to the words shows Brody chained to the concrete with the doors of the cabin open. Miako is standing behind him with a handful of his hair and his head pulled back. He looks....completely malnourished and covered in bruises. His left eye was swollen shut. All the while being forced to watch video of Jeszika and Melissa. Brody's teeth are grounded and the unswollen eyes was shut tight, but every time he tried to close his eyes Joshua hit the chained man with a hard right cross, and Broderick was forced to watch. Brody seems to be begging the two to stop, not to make him watch this after everything he did, everything he still did to protect her.

“And were already to late if we arrive at all.” Joshua's head swings around his hair flying wildly around him to see the next part. It was clear he hadn't created this. He was sitting it for the first time. It was almost like....it was a pleasurable reaction. To those words the images showed Brody freed from his cell. It was the dead of night and he was alone. He staggered forward one of the gates and freedom but as soon as his hands touched the gates the Children swarmed all around him. The group forces him to the ground and the clip fades showing Brody screaming “NO!” and Joshua dragging him back toward the cabin. They had let him think he was free...so the pain of confinement would be worse after tasting hope.::

“And then were caught up in the arms race. An involuntary addiction and were shedding every value our mothers taught.”

::The Dark Messiah was almost in a frenzy now as he raced from one image to the next. His face a twisted grin of pleasure at being able to relive the torment and pain he had inflicted. His eyes alight with malicious glee as he moved to the next tree and the tone, guitar, drums and bass all kick back in.

“And then were caught up in the arms race....” shown on the trees the images of Aerynn, Jeszika, Ashley and Bethany all trying their damnedest to stop the Children and failing. As he watches this particular scene Joshua laughs a mocking laugh again.

“An Involuntary Addiction.” showed the images of Brody lying on his side on the concrete floor of the cabin with his head leaning out of the opening of the door. Joshua paced around him slowly with his hair swinging gently this way and that and you could see his mouth scream “TELL ME!” and each time Broderick refused to tell the Dark Messiah what he wanted Joshua brought a foot out quickly and slammed it into the side of the defenseless man's face and on the forth kick a pool of crimson was gathering below the broken Playboy and Broderick looked up weakly and began to try to talk. Little bubbles of red forming on his lips as he tried to breath through the blood. The words “Drinking” and “Bethany” and finally "Wanted" could be seen but that was it.

“And were shedding every value out mothers taught.” made Joshua spin around his eyes wide with glee and saw images of Broderick now lying on his back with Miako standing over him. To weak to move he was forced to watch the scene of himself and Jeszika on the night of “Valhalla” over and over again as he coughed and seemed to choke for breath as Joshua leaned over and was screaming at him. Brody didn't try to move away. He knew he couldn't get away not now. Was he....crying?::

“So will you please show me your real face? Draw the line in the horizon? Cuz I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought.”

::Joshua seemed to be breathing hard and continued to rush along to the next images. He didn't know the music, but he wanted to see what would be shown next.

“So will you please show me your real face?” was shown to a image of the Children gathering in a crescent moon around cabin with Joshua standing between them and it. Miako unlocked the cabin and Brody comes staggering out. He seemed to lose all strength when he got to Joshua and fell to his knees before him. He looked like hell. He had a stubble beard that was stained red with blood. His eyes were no longer swollen shut but he looked so skinny. Joshua opened his arms to be embraced and Brody....looked up and....spat clean in his face. The rage of the Dark Messiah was terrible to behold. He began to rain down punches and took Brody by his now shaggy hair and launched him back into the cabin where he slammed into the wall.....and through it. The clip closed on Brody rolling limply behind the cabin until he came to rest on his back with one arm over his chest out cold. For all of his resistance, it only earned him pain and torture.

“Draw the line in the horizon.” By this one Joshua looked....a little less pleased, but none the less his eyes shined. This clip showed the door of the Cabin open and Brody come staggering out with his arms open, as if begging them for more. The moment he had snapped. As they rained down blows Broderick only laughed a laugh that....was hauntingly similar to Joshua's own. They all rained down punches and kicks but Brody only laughed until Joshua himself approached and Brody looked up....and this time Brody spit blood in Joshua's face and laughed....his own laugh at him. To this....Joshua only grinned.

“Cuz I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought.” This final piece showed Brody still chained in the cabin with the door open, but this time he was standing. He looked weak, and pale and bruised. Blood running down his chin was a freshly busted lip but he stared forward at Joshua and Miako who stood arm in arm outside the cabin. Brody looked...feral. Almost bestial.

Joshua was shown in the video in the trees to say “Aerynn” and Brody struggled against the chains, trying to get at them. Joshua's lips were then shown to sat “Ashley” and Brody.....only laughed that cold cruel laugh. Joshua's lips said “Jeszika” and Brody's eyes narrowed and he threw his arms forward trying to get at the two and finally Joshua smiled and finally his lips said “Bethany” and Brody went perfectly still with his eyes narrowed with hate. True hate for the first time Joshua spoke, but at the name....or them speaking it?....and Joshua laughed and slammed the door shut.

Joshua watched on as the music simply....faded and the little clips that were using the trees as canvas faded back to shadow. The Dark Messiah lowered his head and a faint little grin touched his lips beneath the wealth of black hair. When Joshua turned and began to walk back through the forest toward the camp he was laughing. The last thing they saw was his face. Joshua McBride was at peace. He was winning.::

*****
Place: Somewhere in the western US.
Date: 7/09/2014
Place: Warehouse

::When the camera came back into focus they weren't in the compound anymore. They were in a city....somewhere. They were on a nondescript street somewhere in the country and standing in front of one of the thousands of warehouses in any one of a dozen cities, in one of the western states. In short, the only thing you can see, is a place.

And then of course came the black haired covered face of Joshua McBride poking out from around one of the corners of the building and holding a wide grin on his face but as soon as his head appeared it disappeared back behind the building once again.

The camera man came forward to where his head had been and turned to corner....to find nothing of course. When the camera turned around however all anyone could see suddenly was the face of The Dark Father.::

Joshua: “Weak. Pathetic. These are all things the little bitch had the nerve to call me. She who had no part in this....and yet felt she had the right to make her little words heard. Well....”

::Joshua voice suddenly dropped to little more then a whisper and when he spoke these next words, he spoke then with almost a giggle.::

Joshua: “She's involved now isn't she Jeszika?”

::Joshua walked backwards until his entire body came into view as behind him a late model pick up truck passed on the street behind him.::

Joshua: “You should have told her to stay quiet Mrs. Gautier. You should have told her what happens to meaningless little sluts who talk about things they do not understand. She opened her mouth and spewed lies about the Almighty Father and for that she had to be removed. She interfered with things that didn't concern her...and for that she had to be removed.

You allow it Jeszika. You stood by and let this.....meaningless, foolish bartender down talk the Children of Nephilim. You and your merry band of rack tag misfits did this. YOU all made this happen by letting the little slut open her mouth and address US.

What did you think? That because she is a non-combatant we would let her slander and blasphemy lie? Did you think that after everything she has said....how far she has stuck her nose into MY business that I wouldn't come for her?

A sharp tongue.....can cut your own throat. Melissa should have thought about that.....and now she'll be lucky if I LET her keep her tongue. She can shove herself face down on you without a tongue.

Careful what you say now Jeszika Gautier....It's Dark....and hell is hot.”

::And to that Joshua simply grinned that horrible, sadistic grin once again. As if he relished the thought of hurting that woman, but then his eyes widened with renewed glee and he spread his arms like blackened wings and tilted his head back to scream two words to the heavens.::

Joshua: “FRASER FREEMAN!”

::Joshua's arms slowly lowered and then his head came down and the camera only caught his face through the wealth of hair and the hideous grin hidden in the darkness that was his beard. His mouth opened and closed as if he was chewing something. The words of Fraser Freeman perhaps? Seeing how they tasted when spoken from the mind of a god?::

Joshua: “Fraser.....Freeman. The working man's protector....so many think so, but do you know what I think Fraser? I don't think you have it in you to protect anyone. You couldn't protect Baron's girl from Stalker Knight.....you couldn't protect your own girl from yourself....you truly are a failure at everything you do with this whole protector racket....

and on that same token expect me to take anything you said in your little appearance seriously? You expect me to believe you....will do what exactly? What will you do Fraser?”

::Joshua came forward until he was face into the camera again and whispered.::

Joshua: “What will you do?”

::Joshua then stepped back and threw his arms into the air again and called to the heavens above.:

Joshua: “NOTHING! YOU WILL DO NOTHING!”

::Once his arms lowered and his head came back down slowly. When he spoke again, his words were normal, but with the softest little inflection.::

Joshua: “You brag about protecting that pathetic sack of trash Aerynn Donnelly....and do you know WHY you survived that encounter Fraser? Because I allowed it. You survived that fight because I LET you survive it....don't believe me of ye of little taste?”

::Joshua held up a hand and a single finger and then said softly.::

Joshua: “How do you think that confrontation would have turned out had my twins been standing where they belonged? You know how it would have ended as well as I do Fraser. It would have ended with me standing over the broken bodies of your entire group....laying to waste all I see. For that is what gods do Fraser. We destroy!”

::Joshua's eyes narrowed for no more then a split second and then they seemed to go back to normal and he smiled that psychotic smile once again.::

Joshua: “How little you understand. My Children are not brainwashed. We HELP them leave behind the bonds of their pasts. WE show them the truth of this world. In a world ruled by greed....corruption.....and countless other sins...i offer then a different way. I show them the truth of this world....as I showed Brody....”

::Joshua came forward again until his face took up the entire camera and whispered.::

Joshua: “As I will show you.”

::Joshua's lips curled into that cruel smile again and he laughed directly into the camera and then walked back, running his hand over the door of the warehouse speaking as he did, trailing only his fingers over the metal.::

Joshua: “You make bold claims Freeman. You claim I am not a prohpet figure....and yet everywhere you turn everyone is doing exactly as I command. Even my foes are bowing to my power. Even the mighty World Champion is mush beneath my feet....so what are you? If I am not a prophet....then what Fraser? What am I?

You stand there and make threats as if you have anything to threaten me with. Your soilders....are whores and pimps Freeman....mine are soldiers of GOD! We are the righteous and we WILL burn all before us....and yet you expect us to be afraid....of a pair of pimps....a couple of whores...a stalker.....and a woman who is so afraid of her own shadow she has been running for her whole life....and this is your army?”

::Joshua laughed a gently, mocking laugh and shook his head in disgust.::

Joshua: “Please, bring Skylar to me. My Children have been without a playmate for to long. You think what her father....did to her is horrible.....?”

::Once again his voice dropped to little more then a whisper.::

Joshua: “....try us and see how she screams. Try us Freeman. Your band of broken toys....does not scare us. WE....are the truth....you are simply a pretender.”

::Joshua laughed gently and then slammed his hand off the metal causing the metal bang and echo around the street. Behind Joshua a late model pick up parked on the street, but no one got out. His Children, no doubt.

Joshua however tapped his hand off the metal this time and then walked away from the door back toward the camera, his steps slow and methodical and he spoke as his feet hit the ground, in perfect rhythm.::

Joshua: “You want to give the yammering masses of mindless sheep what they paid to see. You want to give the sheep a show.....that is where you lose Freeman. Do you think I will care about THEM when you face me? Go ahead and do your best for them....i will be trying to hurt you. To put you down so hard you won't ever be able to speak your blasphemy's again.

You speak repeatedly about my Children....as if you have any control....as if you understand anything. My Children being with me doesn't give you a handicap Freeman. They won't hurt you....unless I tell them to.”

::And to that he offered a faint little smirk and chuckle.::

Joshua: “You understand nothing. I don't think you fear us....yet. But you will. I think you want a fair fight. I think....you want a lot of things Fraser but what you want is meaningless. You are merely a simple human being. You are NOTHING to us.

WE make the decisions.

WE make the choices.

WE make the rules.

YOU obey.

YOU listen.

YOU learn your place.

YOU....don't tell US what to do Freeman.

WE ARE ALL!”

::The final words were roared into the camera and finally after a moment he began to simply breath hard and then said in a soft tone.::

Joshua: “You think all weak men hit free-fall? Awe.....”

::Joshua them made a little kissy face to the camera. Actually puckered his lips and kissed at the camera then laughed softly::

Joshua: “...That's cute.”

::Joshua then came forward and placed his face before the camera once again and whispered in a tone which was barely audible.::

Joshua: “....How will your Free-Fall matter....when your stuck in the Jaws of Cerberus? It won't.....you will have no choice....but to do what your kind must.

Break little Fraser. Your....going.....to....break.”

::And then he laughed again and turned his back on the camera and grabbed the door and pulled the door open to the warehouse behind him. Inside it was empty except a single chair in the center of the room and there sat Melissa Maraeu. She was bond to the chair at wrist and ankles and had....good lord, she had a ball gag firmly in her mouth.

When the woman saw him she began to struggle and Joshua made little tisk tisk noises and the faintest little clicking sounds with his tongue but didn't move away from the door just yet.::

Joshua: “You are NOT in control here little harlot. You are NOT in control of anything. Now sit quietly....if you think you have the kind of will to resist what I can do when a fully trained man cannot....simply because you are a pathetic pretending dominatrix....you are sorely mistaken.”

::The woman said nothing, not that she could, what with being gagged and all, but she did stop making noises and Joshua smiled and nodded.::

Joshua: “Now....we should talk.”

::And with that he grasped the door of the warehouse and slammed it shut behind him.::