CISCO: Series Alpha

The city fell asleep, skies are growling as they shatter rain on it. A squad of black suits with their blades on, slips and jumps over buildings. People said they roamed the whole darkness against horrendous crimes and mysterious incidents. They have appeared, as they approach hideout, 15 meters away, the leader command, "Know your positions! Now scatter!", The whole squad splits in three as they sneak the enemy's base through the misty midnight. At the base, people rushing their final business, the guards looking over until they receive a grenade from the atmosphere explodes and alerted the businessmen inside. The workers are panic so as the other men ran from their places. The main leader stood calmly as he tries to let the men refrain from interruptions. The squad has entered the property, they are running and knocking down the rest of the men. Only him, standing on the light from the outside. A guy barge in a sudden and dives into the leader's position with skies cheering with rumble and flash. Hours before, a sudden conflict in the most narrow streets in Blue Avenue, a small place in Acranttia having high poverty and scarcity. There, Claux Theasheil struggles to take back the leftovers from the other brothers in the street. He falls in the mud and gets beaten up. "Sucks to you, you forgot the deal." said the elder. At the back of the fence, Jahad side bombs the elder out of their way, the members were surprised as Jahad and the other boys came to rescue Claux. They paused and charge to them, Claux stands back and picks a wood from the bin, and hit on the enemy's head. He grabs the spoiled leftovers from the floor as they escaped when the obese cops arrived. Claux and the other boys escaped from the riot and parkour every obstacle they encounter. "Who told you to walk across them?!" Jahad scolded. "Who knows, they were tracking me all the way huh?!" Claux answered. "What a hopeless rodent! We grind holes in this household and live away from stray cats, remember that!" Jahad explained and Claux answered formally. They've reached their base and minors 8-10 years old, racing to them and competes for the leftovers. The base is surrounded by green pipes from the dead resto above, lightbulbs are losing their brightness, the television is half broken and the screens are static. Most of the boys are minors and the rest are elders living here for years. Gam rushes from the other room, "Jahad!! Ulysses is losing his breath!!", "Half of you stay and guard the kids, Claux goes with me." Jahad response to the news and rushed to the rusty tables known as our clinic for the sick, with the few expired medications and treatments. 3-year-old boy Ulysses, lying down and heavy breathing. Jahad walks in and asked the others, "How's his condition?", They replied, "He's running out of air, the tank seems to drain since last month. We can't handle—" "What are you talking about?! Keep going until he is filled with some air!" He raised his voice and whispers to Ulysses, "It will be alright, YOU—OKAY—LATER—STANDBY." The kid grabs his wrists as he can't endure his difficulty breathing. Later then, the kid stops breathing. His hand loses down from his wrists, everyone is in silence. "2:43" Gam checks his wrists as they listed the time of his death. Jahad bows and inhales a lot then walks away leaving the message to know what will they do. Claux handles a pitcher with cold water in it upstairs to the dead resto area, he heard Jahad was talking to someone, he mumbles and gibberish a lot. Claux slowly walks through the resto and he saw nothing only him talking casually. "Who are you talking to?" He asks suddenly, Jahad suddenly turns and replied, "A friend on the other table, could you knock?", " Have you took your pills?" Claux asks again. "Last minute ago eh—ah f**k he gone! Where was he?!" He suddenly pivots his head didn't know what was just happen. Claux sits with him and starts pouring cold water on each glasses, "The kid died last time was—" Claux stops speaking as Jahad's voice came in and explains, "The last youngest boy in the base, he barely can't talk either. The cops never accepted us to report at that time, he was lost in the flock and got almost hit by a bus. We cared for him and grow for him until we know that he has asthma for a long time." He exhales a lot and walks through the broken window, "How many of us will suffocate in these dusty streets?" "A herd?" Claux answered. "Herd?" Jahad asks a while "They graze and breed in this land, they inhale with dust to survive even in the hottest waves they still parading the streets." Claux elaborates. "What about the Pride?" Jahad replied "They won't stop hunting until they diminish their hooves in these lands, ground zero." Jahad realizes it and nothing to explain, he immediately drops his cup on the table, "If this is getting doomed, we get on the rocket and take off." "We can't afford a rocket!" Claux chuckles "Then take off yourself—" "You're being mean." He complains and Jahad proceeds to go downstairs, "No, remember that, come on we're scavenging until dark." Claux pauses a while and breathes deeply as he follows Jahad's orders. Nighttime, the group rallied in the dead resto. Craft-wrecker Heron carried a bag of empty soda cans and a stolen gas container with a box labeled "Clackers". "Soda cans, a gas container, and Clackers?" Rev wondered, Heron hiss at him and proceeds to work in the abandoned kitchen room. Later then, the lights suddenly turned down as lightning flashes and growls. "Blackout.." Gam declares as other boys went up and brought some gas lamps and candles. Rain showers down as they take some expired Ramen Cups in their tables. They were the only ones lighted in the middle of the dark rain. Jahad's group arrived as they brought nothing into their hands. "The collection went early as expected, it was rush hour," Jahad said. Then a sudden groan of an engine approaching on the way, multiple gunshots ahead as they pass by. Jahad and the others crouch and blocks themselves with tables. The lamps exposed and flame up the entire floor, Heron suddenly exits with the bag of cans, "What was that?!" "Street raid, they're firing everywhere! We need to take them down—" Jahad sees a blazing floor ahead, "We have no time! Gam! Rev! We'll grab those blades as you can! Claux, Heron, and the minors proceed to leave the restaurant! Now!!" They began to quickly respond to his orders, as the restaurant continues to swallow in blazes until it reaches the kitchen area and began to flare the gas tanks over the restaurant. Everyone rushed through the narrow between two apartments where they seek shelter from the cold rain. Claux and others were anxious about the incident. Later then, the same engine noise ahead, and they are alarmed by the incoming gunshots. The gunshots came and they begin to take cover, but they were too late, the minors were shot and a grenade was thrown ahead of them. Claux and the rest proceed to pull the injured minors. They rolled down as the minors were killed by debris from the explosion. They began to freak out horribly and ran away. Minutes after, Jahad and the others were survived in the fire, they spot Claux and Heron sits in the aisle ducking their heads. "Hey, where are the minors?" Jahad concerns They remain silent. They look over as they heard gunshots from afar, they began to reply coldly. "As we rushed into, they passed by.." "The minors were shot..." They were surprised. "And exploded in the narrows." Everyone went quiet in the middle of the rain, thunder roars around the skies. Jahad breathes out of calmness with disappointment inside. "We didn't manage to protect them...they were our successors in this wild west." Heron kicks and slides himself, he groans for disappointment and cries. "You're annoying as ever.." Jahad commented. Heron pauses and looks at him. "You won't mad at us?" "There's no time to gospel the mistakes, we've been grazed by the raiders this time , we need to take them down and so we avenge them that's it, we'll bring back the cold night," Jahad explains and they proceed to parkour on top of the buildings following the noise of the engines rattling gunshots everywhere. The noise running over the raining city. Claux, Jahad, Heron, Gam, and Rev making their way to catch the raiders in the middle of the stormy night. Jahad leads the group as he acquires quick hearing senses within 30-51 meters wide. On the other hand, Rev turns on the dark, sights group chasing them. "Jahad! They're blending in the night!" He reported. He asks, "How many?"—" There were 8-12 people in it." Jahad thanked, "Finally, quick cover!!" Everyone follows Jahad dashing the floors, jump tumbles the cliff, obstacle vaults on the pipes, and slides down on the rusty roof to the open window on the 3rd floor. Claux stares at one of the pursuers–losing focus as one of the group looks at him suddenly. He slips and began falling to his death, yet Rev drags him in the window. "What are you looking at, ignore them, and let's move!" Rev advised and Claux asks suddenly, "Who are those?!" "Them? The night guardians, you'll better know them soon, but for him, he calls them as Gods of all Misery." "Gods of All Misery?" No wonder why did he call them but Claux still looking over at them. The gunfires are getting farther and the rain begins to get harder and the clouds darken the streets from the light making the night so desperate.