“Get off of me!” Luca screams, trying to wiggle out from beneath me.
“Make me,” I tell him.
An arm drags me off of him as he scurries to his feet. Dad frowns as Luca runs off like a rat. He takes me back to the house and sits me down.
He crosses his arms. “What did we just talk about?”
“Being boring,” I reply.
“You can’t go around attacking people.” He tells me.
“Why not? Nebustellars do it all the time.” I huff.
“Are they your examples?!” He yells.
I flinch at his voice, and he quickly collects himself. He pinches his nose.
“You have to stop, okay. If the guards saw you, they would’ve thrown you in the pit of Wikers. I don’t want that for you.” He wraps his arms around me. “You’re only ten years old. Promise me you’ll be less aggressive from now on.”
“I will try,” I smile.
“Nope,” he shakes his head. “I need a promise.”
I roll my eyes. “Promise.”
He drops his arms. “Good, now stay here while I deal with Luca’s parents.”
Dad leaves, and Mom is busy with Cassandria. I take a quick glance at the clock, and it’s almost time for the games to start. I slip my way out of the house, running down the muddy path. Just follow the hollow trees and cries for mercy. I stop at the biggest tree in the forest, climbing to the top. At the farthest branch is a front-row seat to the greatest event on the planet. Survival of the Wikers Pit. Thousands of warriors go in, but only one gets to leave.
There’s an enormous stadium for the Nebustellars to watch and enjoy. Since there’s no roof, I can see it all from up here. The last game left us with only two contenders. Two fearsome warriors fight for a place on the council among the stars. My dream is to fight like they do. Every day is a battle of survival against the strongest in the universe. The angst. The pain. The adrenaline. Oh, the adrenaline rush you would have. There's nothing like it in the world. I smile, hoping one day I’ll become among the council and force them to fight for their freedom. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
“Are you even listening to me?” He asks.
Ten soldiers surround me, pointing their weapons at my face. Their leader steps forward, ready to shoot.
“Why did you do it?” He asks me.
Do what? Then, the smell of blood fills my nose. I suddenly remember the lifeless bodies on the ground beside me. Six men were left unrecognizable by a vicious beast.
I clasp my hands together. “Right, those guys. I smelled blood, and it reminded me of the old days. Man, I almost forgot they were there.”
There’s a moment of silence, and the soldiers slowly get closer.
“Oh, I didn’t do that.” I tell them. “They were dead when I got here.”
“Permission to terminate, Commander?” One of the soldiers asks.
“No,” he replies. “You are going to tell us exactly what happened to our men?”
“Well, as you can see,. They died.” I answer. “I’m not sure what else there is to say.”
They didn’t like that answer. Without warning, they all open fire. Hundreds of bullets rip through my body. Only when they run out of bullets do I get to fall. My blood mixes with the muddy water on the jungle floor. Oh, the pain. A smile forms on my face as my body repairs itself. It fills the numerous holes up with random substances. Replaces the blood lost with any other form of liquid around. It keeps gathering and mixing until I’m back together again. I get back up to see the look of absolute horror on the soldiers' faces.
“That was fun,” I say, wiping off my clothes. “That might be my first regeneration on this planet. Normally, I would want more of a fight, but you’re human. So, if I attacked you, it would end in milliseconds. No fun there.”
Each soldier taps their wrist. Swords shoot out, and I stare at them in disbelief. Are they serious? Do they not know what regeneration means? Is this some kind of tactic to get me to lower my guard? Oh, I get it.
“Is there a secret superweapon somewhere?” I ask them. “Distract me and then shoot me with a doom ray or something. No need for theatrics; hit me. I want to see what happens.”
One guy throws his sword at me, and I step out of the way. It clunks on the ground, and all his teammates glare at him.
“Okay, I’m bored now. You’ve been a letdown and should be ashamed. Even those guys did better. And they were up against creatures from another world. Wilks of all things.” I say, gesturing to their fallen comrades. “It was quite the spectacle. They lost but killed 3 Wilks. Which, for a human, is pretty impressive.”
In the distance I can hear the creatures closing in. The branches of the trees creak under the weight of its body. I can hear the soft hissing sounds of their tongues searching for our location. The subtle smell of its poison in the air. The dull human senses could never pick it up. Not a single one makes a move. Is this some kind of malfunctioning telepathic attack? Why are they standing there? I’m not sticking around to see another Wilk versus human fight.
I turn my back, and finally one guy steps forward. However, the Wilks strike before I can. It shoots its body off a nearby tree, coiling around his neck. He tries to yank it off of him. The moment he grabs it, he collapses on the ground. Another wilk latches onto a soldier's leg, slithering up his body. In panic he tries to stab the creature. He sends his swords right through his leg as the wilk zips around his neck.
Many beings coming from other planets and dimensions underestimate these armless, legless critters. They’re not as big as idos or the other beasts. Wilks usually travel in packs and ambush their prey. What they lack in size they make up for with speed. By the time they realize it’s on them, it’s too late. They secrete a deadly poison from their skin. And in most beings, it leads to complete paralysis. I watch as these foolish humans injure themselves and drop one by one. One wilk tries its luck with me. It swirls around my arm, squeezing it tightly. I grab it by its slimy head, squeezing it back.
“What? You don’t like it, do you?” I say it. “Your poison doesn’t work on me. Lots have tried.”
It lets out a soft whine, unwrapping its body from my arm. I decide to let it go and find a better batch of humans to have fun with. There’s still so much I don’t know about this planet. Like, why are humans so loyal to it? Less than a million of them live on it. If an alien warlord came to destroy a planet I barely lived on, I wouldn’t defend it. I’d find a way to get to the guy and battle him to the death. Imagine that. An all-out fight between me and the oldest Nebustellar in the universe.
I cannot wait. Of course, I need to find a way off this planet first. Jasmine probably has something to get me out of here, but she’s stingy. After all the information I gave her about different animals. I trek through the mud and swampy waters. Do I know where I’m going? Nope, but if you keep going straight, you’ll end up somewhere.
Ugh, this is taking forever. Where is everyone? Does Earth not have any animals left? I want to see what vile life forms this world has to offer. Maybe one will even give me a decent fight. Two voices murmur in the distance. I pick up the pace to see what creatures lie ahead. One male and one female human stand over a blazing fire. Both have a long wooden stick in their hands, waving it around. I feel like I’m about to witness a ritual. Naturally, I get closer for a better look.
“This isn’t going to work.” The male human says.
“Of course it will. Trust me,” she insists.
“Last time I trusted you, we nearly got blasted into oblivion by that android.” He replies.
“That was forever ago,” she says.
He drops the stick. “Angella, it happened a few days ago. Can we please just move to East MacroCity like I’ve been saying for months?”
“Pick that stick back up,” she commands. “We are doing this whether you like it or not. And you know how I feel about the east side. That’s where the monstrosities are birthed.”
“What monstrosities?” I ask.
The lady screams, whacking me in the head with her stick. The man reaches for his gun. No questions or words, just six rounds of ammo. Bullets fly through my chest, stomach, and face. I stand there in shock, feeling the holes in both cheeks. My face. The hole fills itself, and my lips pull my mouth into a twisted smile. I can’t help but laugh.
“My face,” I giggle. “You shot me in the face. That’s crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone shoot me in my face. Burn, hit, lash maybe, but not shoot. With zero hesitation as well. Wow.”
The lady hangs her stick over the flame until it catches fire. She threatens to burn me, but my joy is too high to care. I continue to come closer and explain myself.
“Listen, you’re freaking out because I’m not dead and I came out of nowhere. I wasn’t opposed to killing you. However, the instant attack has won me over. Humans will always ask questions or talk without action. Not this guy. I am actually impressed with you. A human, who would have thought?” I ask.
“Are you looking for a real fight?" He asks me. "If you want vicious monsters, head east. If you want out-of-control maniacs, go north. All the acidity makes the people go crazy. Personally, I’d take my chances with the monsters.” He tells me.
I may not have a heart, but something in my chest is racing with excitement. The thought of the thrilling battles sends my mind into a frenzy. The monsters sound promising, but maniacs are reeling me in. Beasts may be wild, but even they know when a stronger predator approaches them.
“Are these maniacs human?” I ask him.
“They don’t act like it,” he replies. “Barely look alive. Something over there makes them faster, stronger, and erratic. Like wild animals with no fear.”
That settles it. Maniacs it is. The kind guy points me in the right direction, and I’m off. Erratic superhumans, here I come. As I’m skipping along in the woods, I notice something shiny. Upon further inspection, I see a reflection of myself in the trees. And man, do I look good. My black hair is longer, down to my shoulders. White eyes swimming in mystery and chaos. A little facial hair is coming in. I’m liking the beard and mustache more than I thought. I flex my arms, admiring my fine set of weaponry.
My blue shirt is full of holes from all the bullets. The same goes for my black pants.
I notice a smudge on my arm. I try wiping it off, but it’s a stubborn smudge. Then it clicks. It’s mud from the swamp. During the gun show I used it to fill some of the holes. I really need to start using metal to fill these injuries. That way I can look like a cool cyborg or something.
After flexing a bit more, I decide to enter this dome city. Perhaps get myself something to eat. It’s been years since my last meal. It’d be a shame to die in a thrilling battle without indulging a bit first. No one stops me as I waltz my way inside. So many buildings, sounds, and absolute weaklings in the city. Instead of my usual search for sidequests of chaos, I beeline straight to the nearest food establishment.
Humans chitter and chatter in their wooden safe haven of nourishment. Some are laughing. Others are guzzling down cups of liquid. My nose picks up a scent. It is wonderful. I follow the scent to a table in the back. Two humans argue back and forth with each other.
“This is completely your fault.” The guy says. “I did my part, and then you let him get away.”
“I turned him off. What more do you want?” The lady snaps.
Three flat circles with black dots fill the first plate. Yellow lumps fill the second. The third plate and last plate have a thicker circular food. Specks of brown and white liquid drape over it. If I had a stomach, it would be growling right now. I snatch a flat circle off the plate and take a bite.
It’s thicker than I thought and a little dry. The black dots have a sugary taste. Overall, it’s not half bad. I walk around the table and grab a handful of the yellow lumps. They’re light and fluffy. Chewy and tasty. I would definitely put them above the flat circles. The guy stands up, but I push him back down, reaching for the last food.
The last one is wet and sticky but smells the best. I chomp down, and a swirl of sugary flavors enters my mouth. It’s chewy like the yellow lumps but still thick like the flat circles. I stuff the whole thing in my mouth and lick my fingers afterwards. Amazing. It’s only then that I realize the building is empty. Just me and these two humans inside. He spews threats and warnings, but I have my priorities straight.
“Where can I get more of that?” I ask.
The dude crosses his arms. “Security is on their way here. When they're done with you, you're going back in that cage. And this time, you're not getting out.”
“David, don’t provoke him.” The girl whispers. “Insanity is the most unstable of the subjects.”
“I’d listen to your friend. The last human amused me, so I let him live. You are starting to annoy me. Tell me where to find more of those thick circles, and I’ll be on my way.” I tell them.
“Sure,” he scoffs. “Just say you lost. Or will that break your pride, losing to an inferior human? You all think you’re better than us, don’t you?”
“Every single human being on this planet is way out of their league. You are messing with creatures that will consume you from the inside out and use your corpse as a vessel to lure in more.” I answer honestly. “Yeah, you may get lucky every once in a while, with a beast. When faced with actual other beings, all that luck runs out.”
The lady grabs his arm, pulling him back. “There are more cinnamon rolls in the kitchen. Eggs and chocolate chip pancakes, too.”
She leads the way to a secret room behind the counter. She stuffs a bag full of tasty treats. I give her a little nod, taking the bag outside. As soon as I exit the secret room, a metal rod pierces my arm. Three hooks click out from the tip, sinking into my skin. On the other end of the metal rod is a rope. Which David proudly holds the other end of. He yanks it, pulling me closer to him. From the last human, this is a huge letdown.
“Can’t regenerate with the weapon inside of you.” He smirks.
I nonchalantly rip the contraption out of my arm. Humans like these are the most annoying types. Brave humans who try despite all odds are worth watching. They power through immeasurable pain and fight till their last breaths. The things the human mind comes up with in desperate times are quite entertaining. Then, there are the ones swimming in ignorance. They fail to acknowledge beings that are faster, stronger, and smarter and possess powers they could only dream of.
When they finally realize it, they run off like the cowards they are. By that time, it's already too late. Those endings are the most satisfying.
I pat David on the shoulder. “Instead of hooks, use blades on both sides. Make the blades go fast. That way, if I try to take it out, I’ll lose my fingers. Between how fast I can regenerate and how fast the blades spin, it will be hard to rip out. Then again, I may just hold onto you but that's a risk you'll have to take.”
I take my bags and leave the building. I was expecting troops waiting for me outside, but no one's there. Guess security knew better than to test me. Which way are the maniacs? I don’t remember where I came from. I pout my lips as I pick a random direction to go in. As I make my way out of the dome, an idea pops up in my head. I raise my hand, watching a hole form in my palm. Buildings and structures break apart as the powerful vacuum pulls it into my body. I close my palm, and the hole fills itself. Halves of houses and stores are all that remains.
“Nice, now I’ll know where I’ve been.” I say to myself. “Inhumane lunatics, here I come!”
