Ignavus : City of Blood

Act 1 : Gathering

John Straverman nested both hands up to his black hair, crunching it down to the last strand. He was stunned before the sudden announcement from many devices around. That is the bold and shimmering voice every employees in WIC company listened to in their everyday lives. A commandment of God, some have said, for the solemn sayings to arrive when they have to face difficulties on their duties.

“It’s Aldo Hughes Meridic. You heard that too, right?” Said John Straverman. He wobbles the other man nearby over the shoulder back and forth in disbelief, looking at such stranger’s pale expression as the man frowned in front of him,” I don’t know, I don’t know! I should’ve followed my wife than being reckless like this.” said the stranger in return.

Chaos ensued.

Most people in the lobby, once yelled in utmost rage, now having a concussion against the announcement that the owner of WIC company had introduced. Aldo Hughes Meridic is the richest person of Hamara and the eccentric one in terms of taste. A renowned news magazine often notified its loyal readers about his extreme amount of wealth. It is close to a trillion dollars in 2050 and hundred times richer than the second-best earner in the new Pangaea continent.

WIC company, after all, is the only business group capable of reconstructing the new world to be unified and reborn as one continent than divided in sea-water borders in general. With their advanced technology in terra-forming, Aldo Hughes Meridic employed hundred thousands of engineers and scientists to isolate three major continents in the former earth, shortly before its total sunken bodies that has been predicted since year 2020 by most experts at the time.

He once wanted to be deemed as the sole President of new earth after WIC’s successful campaign in merging the once-diversed continent into one. His request, however, was wholly rejected by the remaining nations’ political leaders and citizens of New Pangaea in unanimous vote. He disappeared within the veil of darkness once vetoed since then and leading WIC company behind the mask of white.

“Calm down, fellow employees of WIC!”

A man suddenly centered himself from the second floor and howled against the flow of perturbed employees of WIC company. He is shrouded within the long-tailed tuxedo and a pair of white gloves, marks of a regional manager in the respective business’ career ladder and the person responsible for such location to uphold. John Straverman peeks upon his chest to learn of his name in subsequent manner and having done so from the time when the black-haired man observed his cunning moves upstairs.

“Frank Keissmann, huh. I’ll try to keep that in mind.” Mumbled John Straverman to himself,”What would he do in front of these people? Talk about charisma at this point, maybe he could do something to pacify the mob.”

Despite the hubbub occurred down below, Frank Keissmann conquered their divided attention and directed them all to himself at the second floor. His appearance defined a person in their near-old age would be. Ashen-haired and his aquiline-shaped nose posed a facade of tactical-minded genius who was gradually withered in time. Both eyes oversees the masses below them in slight disgust, appeared strong but filled with antipathy emerged deep within.

Yet, it is none other than John Straverman’s own speculation in his thoughts. The old man has started his own speech before he could muster additional idea within the mind.

“We haven’t know what’s the cause of our sudden invitation into this cursed city. Aldo Meridic should have strategic plan for our involvement in one of his ‘crazy’ inventions so far. I’ve received no response from the headquarters, yet I know that-”

~tang~

“Argh!”

In surprise, a furious personality smashed him with a steel-made chair across the back, which eventually dragged him to fall face-down straight after. His head spurted blood and completely messed up the ceramic tile below with red,” Shut up, grandpa. We want to live!” Shouted the man upstairs.

“Darling, he’s dead! call an ambulance, please!”

Elisa turned her head and buried them on John’s chest in immediate fashion. Such malicious atrocity has claimed her sanity, brought the woman to cry in hopeless sorrow. Nobody seemed eager to support Frank Keissmann despite his writhing self on the ground. They continue whatever business that was interrupted by the old man and his self-conceited appearance before the maddened employees of WIC.

John Straverman, on the other hand, need to contain his spouse from being panicked, so the black-haired man tried to call 777 for immediate rescue,” Please answer, please answer...” John Straverman echoed them in silence.

~beep-beep~

No response from the first-aid emergency operator. He prompted another call to have them all in vain minutes later. As the black-haired man hoped for the fourth, a stranger clenched his shoulder from behind and whisper to his ear,” It’s useless. Every man for himself, now, act like one.” He murmured.

John Straverman looks across the rear to locate the person who interferes with his privacy, but no one has been there from the start. He finds a brunette-haired woman that was groveling hopelessly before the remains of Frank Keismann. No quivering movements anymore, John Traverman thought once settling into the nuance of the old man’s body for awhile and carefully inspected his entire skin to locate a pulse from afar.

~bam~

A massive explosion lands from the north. Whilst hauling his terrified wife towards the exit, John Straverman perceives a cloud of flame that occurred near the main gate that they have been gotten past to gain entry. Gunshots emitted shortly after the blast and growing louder in sequence.

“We have no other choice! Everyone for themselves!”

A woman fell down to her knee after yelling dramatically against the tide of horrifying discharge. Instead of running away from the source, the woman advances exactly towards the explosion in immediate fashion. It makes everyone in the lobby goes even more wild and started to flock around the exit in terror. They know it is the place where it all immersed into one, the main gate entrance to the city of Axeport that screens them of identity earlier.

“There must be hundreds of Axeport citizens that quickly realized to get out from the cage before it goes shuttered up. Hope for the best of them, really, we can’t do anything unless to survive.”

John Straverman glances upon an ebony woman who stood still and fixated into her place. She utters a word of wisdom amidst the horde of escapees, which ignored her in their own business to survive. The black-haired man grasped his spouse and approached the woman shortly after,”What you want from her? We have to go like the others!” said Elisa in utmost concern. Her shrieking voice indicated desire to leave and pack up things before it goes worsened, one they could never return.

John Straverman refused to comply with her wife’s plea, however, and bears his eyes to stare upon her in stern look,” We’ll be dead before making headway to the exit gate, Elisa. They have countless officers back there.” He replied whilst placing both palms to seize her tremble over the hand. She shook herself in tears against the adamant state of her husband. In spite of Elisa’s adamant aspiration to escape, She could never leave her husband alone in the realm of lunacy produced byWIC company, for her to surrender and affixed into John Straverman’s will subsequently.

~tap-tap-tap~

The black-haired man approached the ebony woman that he admires after such striving emergence of her thoughts. He is one in motions to the reality that they have to brawl against, to fight their way on dealing with challenges beckoned. For that reason, he offers a handshake to follow, wearing a smile to show amicable behavior before the woman and greeting her in softened tone afterwards,” I’m John Straverman, and this is my wife, Elisa.” John introduced.

“Look at you, it’s been some time since I’ve encountered a man with vigorous will. I’m Shanice.”

The ebony woman glances over John Straverman’s spouse. She was hiding behind the fortification structured from John Straverman’s torso, peeking curious from the shoulder as the woman situated herself across the rear,” What’s wrong with your wife, sweetheart? Haven’t been in a war before, I see.” Sneered the woman in advance.

“Me too, actually. How do you see for us to cooperate? You have to team up for survival, and I think that’s the main reason for us to get here in the first place.” Continued John Straverman ahead of Shanice’s comment before Elisa’s laidback behavior. He spoke straight-forward over his own intention and strives for a warm response from the ebony woman as much. Then, as the ebony woman keeps herself muffled in cold note, John Straverman carries on with his explanation by bowing respectfully to the woman in immediate fashion,”I’m apologize for my direct approach, but Aldo Meridic has requested something unbearable, so I thought that it’s better to solve them together with other person that has similar vision to yourself.”

“That makes me a perfect fit why?”

Shanice gazes upon the man in more inquisitiveness than ever. The ebony woman displays a strain of her own conscience under the veins that appeared on her forearms soon after,”You two barely known about me, yet you try to recruit me for a reason that I don’t get.” She provoked. Against her following question, John Straverman laid down his sheer confidence into the negotiation table and brought another favor into the demand soon after.

“Not recruiting, Shanice. I’m trying to make a deal with you. It’s alright if you don’t want to have a team with us, but I do think it’s necessary for maintaining chances of survival when we do this in a group.” Retorted the black-haired man as his hands gripped hard across the sides,” We have to enlarge our presence to maintain order. Aldo Meridic has given us the hint, actually, that we would win if we have dealt with lesser kill than the others.”

He looks at her in confidence,” And we could manage ourselves to kill less by spreading the risk. Understand?”

Shanice rubbed her chin consecutively in the middle of meticulous details enlightened. John Traverman ended his brief presentation with a small nod, before then waiting for her confirmation regarding the deal proposed. She takes a little time to ponder about the consequences and variables that the black-haired man could never understand deep within. Unless for the woman to speak aloud, John Traverman has to give her a space on thinking their terms in profound manner.

“ I see we share the similar thoughts. I am amazed with your keen logical thinking, Mr. Straverman.” Said the ebony woman towards him before putting her right hand within the shakes that the black-haired man has offered earlier,”We’ll do this together, okay? No backstabbers in this scenario, or I’ll murder both of you before you know it.”