A Game To Be With You

Rules

The gate of Crowfire's manor opened itself as they enter. Crowfire was almost blinded, his eyes are still squinting, his muscles stiffened while each of his wounds fire up, and utters the agonizing pain. John and Brimstone felt his dried blood, like colloids all over his jacket, and on his open skin.

It was yet dark, the night fog descended in the atmosphere of the manor lawn. The oval and the training court are all filled with gloom but the moonlight penetrates despite the night fog. There are no lights except for the moon. John gazed the manor buildings, its arrangements, its glass windows from which the moonlight reflects, the doors of the classrooms inside and its long silent halls. He traveled his eyes around and it caught approaching the combat gyms. But he never seen like this gloomy and empty. What intrigues him is the silence that now surrounds it and the pitch black far from what he could see.

He actually enjoyed this, whatever place this is.

"Are there other people here?" John asked out of nowhere.

"Inside our special regalia training hall. It may seem so dark, but inside those buildings are really day-like." Brimstone quickly answered. He added, "Crowfire provided enough we need according to our skills. He'll provide a specialized room for you as his new regalia."

“Um, may I ask you some questions?” John said. Brimstone just nodded while nailing an eye on him. He continued, “Where exactly are we? What are we? And why do these guys kill each other?”

“I’m impressed to your curiosity, boy.” Brimstone replied. He continued. “This is your next life. All characters that die come to the void, and then, the people in this world call those dead ones and offer them new form of existence. This world is unique. These beings die, but they reincarnate themselves into their young versions and start growing again. As we depart from our previous story, we transcend into another, but we forget who we are, our memories and become a new being, regalia, or perhaps weapons of these beings. I’ve been here for 20 years now, but time here is just merely a concept. As to how they kill, it is because of a strange phenomenon occurred just recently.”

"Lionglass. Who the fu—is the bastard? I knew a company back then with the similar name. the crackhead thought I was an Insignia. Care to explain? I became a sword once but when I broke while fighting, I changed into a pack of arrows." John almost laughed to his words while they are slowly walking.

Brimstone stopped. He looked at John straight in the eyes. John received his steady gaze but he can't help bulging.

"Insignia. Tell me exactly who are you, John." after few moments, Brimstone asked. His eyes never left him. He didn't even blink.

"Why?" John looked at him sharply. He said, "You said it yourself, we forget our past memories."

"All right, I won't push you. But our master needs you more than anyone he had. You carry much power as an Insignia, most especially in tough times like this." Brimstone started to step forward. John followed. He further explained, “Insignias are legendary regalias that evolved after receiving deadly damage in order to protect its master with all of its capacities. For a master, having an Insignia is a great privilege. It carries much power and have the capacity to maximize the powers of his master's other regalias. Masters tend to desperate to have at least once in their reincarnation.”

While speaking, Brimstone tilted his head down. He began to feel uneasy to what he heard. He almost cannot process things up. He doesn't know where his feeling had conceived, but for him, everything is suspicious and strange. He doesn't know how to put it, but all of a sudden, these feelings made him off. Is this man playing him?

Brimstone continued, "You see, he was almost killed by that wild cat. And we don't know if Crowfire will ever be gotten out by this strangling situation. It is a game, you know."

"Future Oracles." John out of nowhere spoke out.

Brimstone narrowed his eyes. He had a quick glance on John and reverted back his eyes on the way. John didn't see him who seemed out of his self.

Crowfire's back twitched. His hands and arms reflexed. They made a sudden stop and let Crowfire fall on his knees. He choked and blood blasted from his mouth. His wounds started to bleed again. John felt a warm wet spreading across his white shirt from Crowfire's jacket. Crowfire's eyes cannot stop squinting until his head hanged over his neck. His consciousness was totally gone.

John and Brimstone felt heavier as they walk again. It was too hard for them to carry a tall man since they are relatively of slimmer built.

"That's the regalias' special training hall. Crowfire needs medication so we will take him there." Brimstone pointed his finger on the approaching huge building. He paused then spoke out again, "He never had this kind of severe damage. Self-healing won't do."

It was a building behind a four-storey building. John felt weird when he saw the facade of the building. It was grand white castle. The moon was peering behind it with its fullness.

Brimstone pulled the door of the castle while Crowfire is still on his nape. John followed. He thought he had to study more until the time is right. He can’t help to smirk. For years, it gave some sense of blood flow. He liked it.

 The light from the castle spread across them, almost blinding John. He shielded his eyes with his arm.

"Hurry. Crowfire needs medication." Brimstone shouted as blurred silhouettes came approaching towards him.

In few moments, John saw those ones clearly. About 5 to 6 boys and girls are now crowding him and Brimstone, wearing weird attires, mostly are capes.

"Let me carry him for you", a slightly older man came and grabbed Crowfire's arm on John's nape. It was Hammer High, the team captain. He is wearing a long white cape. He is incredibly tall and muscular.

"Thanks for taking him here, Brimstone. What happened to him?" John caught on his side. It was Thor, a hand is on his waist facing Brimstone in the brim of the door. He is wearing an armor, rocky armor made of molten lava.

The rest he could hear are loud, blurring whisper-like sentences. His attention to hearing it diverged to what beholds him. There are about three young men standing and young women right on the side of the net nailing their eyes on Hammer and Thunder carrying Crowfire towards three boys who were pulling a wheeled stretcher. From what he heard, they’re called Weld, Smoke and Toby. The ones pulling the stretcher are Diode, Wires and Coal.

There was a man, commanding those boys who were pulling the stretcher, having a head band on his head, a much younger version of his former boss. They are all speaking with each other, while moving their hands and having that small twitches but none of it was on John's intuition. He was just so startled to see him and everything seemed out of his comprehension.

Suddenly, John felt a hand landed on his shoulder. He immediately turned and saw Thor smiling behind him.

"Who are you, boy? Are you a regalia from another master?" Thor asked gleefully. He added, "Thanks for bringing our master here on our manor."

"He was our master's new regalia, named John Donnovan." Brimstone answered.

Hammer and Coal came approaching in their circle.

"You are the one earlier who was Crowfire thought would become a viral being." Hammer immediately butted in. He looked at Thor and Brimstone, "Thunder and I are there earlier, but we were immediately reverted when Crowfire had something in mind."

John felt a chill running through his spine. He realized, this man, Hammer was the bow g*n earlier. He thought he might be in trouble.

"You see, since our master and us, are now involved in a death game, I can't lay on my trust in you. You might be a hired assassin spy." Hammer narrowed his eyes on John. All the ones around clasped his hands and stepped back. All of them gave John a sharp gaze. Hammer added, "I can't let my master die in anyway."

"A hired assassin spy? You mean a stray regalia? Man, those other masters are too desperate to get that Psyche's core." Coal said, motioning his hand and pointed to John. He said, "Quit spying around you dumb ass."

John stepped back. He gripped the edge of his shirt. His hand shook, making the shirt uncover his chest. Hammer's sharp eyes caught darkened lines on John's collar bone. He walked closer to him. His eyebrows rose up.

"Show me your name, regalia." Hammer held John's Shirt and pulled it over, revealing his name, "JOHN."

"I know it might sound strange, but he is already an Insignia." Brimstone blurted out of the blue.

"What?" all of them turned their heads on Brimstone who was holding his waist with both of his hands with his eyes closed.

Hammer's turned his head on John very slowly. He said, "Insignia."

"How? Brimstone? How?" Coal grabbed Brimstone's collar and pulled it through his face.

"I don't know. Only Crowfire could answer that. Though John said, he was, as what Lionglass described him. He didn't know any stuff around here, I guess. Being new in the far shore is quite rough, you know." Brimstone waved his hand in between him and Coal's face.

John took a deep breath. Eventually, Hammer moved his head on him, until their noses was an inch close.

"What could you offer for us to believe and trust you, Insignia, if you really are?" he asked. He continued, "You see, you will be confirmed as legitimate ours only when Crowfire's wake up. After all, the story just came from you. And we can't call Lionglass here just to confirm for us. You might be his' hired assassin spy."

"Hammer, Hammer, enough with deep suspicions. If he really was a newly called being from the far shore, what we do would be very stressful for him." Thor held Hammer's shoulder.

Hammer stepped back, closed his eyes and crossed his arms. He thought for few moments.

"Alright, for now, as part of countermeasures, we will let him stay on the manor compound, but he can't stay here in inside the castle." Hammer finally remarked.

John gulped when hearing the last sentence from his former team captain, "He will stay outside."

John gulped the moment the thought of what Hammer said struck his mind.

"He should stay outside this hall, where his powers will be restricted in case he was a hired assassin spy and an Insignia at the same time." Hammer spoke to everyone. He finally gazed to John, "I hope you understand. It is not to discriminate you, but we are on a desperate situation, that the lives of each of us are on the line."

John just nodded.

"Alright." Hammer turned his back and started walking. Thor and Coal followed him. Brimstone led John towards the door. Hammer from where he is, commanded, "Brimstone, activate the force field around this hall and cast the nullifying field around the whole manor."

"Roger!" Brimstone answered. He let John stood outside the door of the gym. He said, "I hope you understand. If you really are one of us, you'll get it why soon."

"Thanks." John nodded his head. It was when the light of the gym hall disappeared from his very eyes. The dual door is now tightly closed.

John walked from the facade of the castle and gazed upward. There were up the stars, the glittering night sky and the huge full moon. He smiled when seeing it and bliss sprung inside him. But later, a violet curtain of light spread across the sky, forming a dome above him. It was Brimstone's power, he thought, the force field and that nullifying field. As far from what he understood, that would restrict his powers. Not unless he was more powerful than Brimstone, he thought.

You made the right decision dumbasses. He whispered within himself.

He lifted his hands and they are glowing. They emanated sparks of electricity which really made him smile. He pushed his eyeglasses with one of his hands and started giggling, laughing.

He had powers. That was the most ridiculous thing he thought, that from his world, it sounds totally no sense. His skills and capacities are his powers way back on his life games. But now he was on another world, a very strange world were all of his opponents back then are here, and are after to catch each other's lives. He thought of that Future Oracle. Though he doesn't have totally the idea about it, but after what he had been through, it was really an actual death game.

Is your gift to your old boyfriend Jane? I suppose you are my ultimate prize. A woman like you do not deserve anyone awful and pathetic. Wait for me, babe. Wait for me.

While almost lost in his maniacal thoughts, John heard an almost familiar voice behind.

"Hey! You are an Insignia, right? Or as you claim yourself you are." far from the end of the volleyball gym, a deep familiar voice spoke out.

"Toby?" John whispered in himself. He stood from where he seated and turned his head at the end of the alley.

John gasped and covered his mouth. He murmured, “Why did I say that? Where did that come from?”

It was Toby. Though he hardly see him because of the gloom, the moonlight reflecting from the training court behind him shows his frame, his tall stature, the shape of his body and his clasping hands. When he recognized him, John grinned. He almost cried when he thought things are happening according to what he wanted.

"Yeah, I am." John stood without directing his head on Toby. He sounded so cocky like he was before, just to instill Toby's nerves like those in times back. Toby will definitely take this bait. That is what he was naturally. He added, "What do you want, Toby?"

Who is this dude anyway and why did I sound like I know him?

Toby stepped back. Though he was just a blinding silhouette, John knew he moved back. He tilted his head down. John thought Toby grits his teeth right now.

Toby said, shaking, "Ho-How d-do yo-you know my name?"

John's eyes gone big said to himself, "Crap, what’s going on with me?"

Nothing he could think and blurted the first thought to struck his head, "Who are you c***k head?”

Toby drifted his feet on the ground. He squatted and stood on opposing stance.

"So cocky huh? You never know yet the power in you and you boasted like you know how to use it." Toby's voice spoke out deep within his throat.

"What can you do aside from whining?” John shouted. He balled his hands and put it on his chest.

Toby's feet skidded and started to run. John stepped back and opened his zoomed towards him. He was almost blurring. Toby roared. He whirred his right arm in the air towards John's chest. John's pupils dilated and the whipping arm brightened on his eyes. He jumped and hoisted himself up.

He floated in the air for few seconds. Toby was pulled on the ground rolling. His face crashed on the soil. John bounced back and stepped backward. He looked at Toby who was wiping his face with his arm. Toby stood. He clasped his hands into fist and shot his arm on John.

John tilted his head a little and watched Toby's arm arching on his side. It seems seconds slow down. While on the force of thrust, Toby's eyes darted on him. Toby was gritting his teeth until he faltered the second time.

"Wahhh..." Toby shouted deep within his throat as he moved his clenching fist on John. The blood vessels on his neck are all in shape.

He rained his fists in the air, on the whizzing after image of John his eyes see on his front. John was like air, turning, storming around moved so fast that he can even see Toby's movements like in slow motion.

Toby put all his rage on his hands in every fly of his hand that it failed to hit.

"Wah... Wahh... You are a monster!" Toby suddenly stopped. He arched his body and his hands landed on his legs. Sweat runs through his forehead. He hyperventilated until he caught his breath. For few more seconds, Toby stopped from moving.

"Weak." John murmured silently. He stepped close on him. He grinned without Toby seeing.

I never had this fun ever since that day, Jane.

"Are you crazy?" Toby said. He took few pauses as he replenishes the air on his chest. He further said, "I have never met you before. Who are you?"

John's eyes opened wide. He made another mistake, he thought. He felt he was taken too much by this world he was in.

"Well, yeah you know, we tend to know each other when we we're in the previous life, I guess." John shielded his hands on his chest and spoke out. “But to tell you frankly, I honestly don’t have time to the likes of you, so maybe you are just one of the passers-by, if you get me.”

"That marks you an enemy. Regalia that remembers automatically turns into viral beings." Toby stood straight.

The two of them suddenly turned their heads on the tennis court while facing each other. Their jaws dropped and their feet almost dangle on the point they were standing.

"Well, I guess you have taken the bait, Insignia, or to be more appropriate, hired assassin spy." What beheld the two of them are the silhouettes of their team mates. The one who spoke out was Hammer. His arms are crossed on his chest. Behind him, all of those silhouettes are on opposing stance. Coal sharpens two daggers. Thor holds a spear, and the rest are holding rocks.

Hammer again spoke out, his voice was so deep and whole that gave the two of them goosebumps. He said, "You have to be eliminated. And perhaps it's time to put an iron hand on a hard head."

He pointed out his hand on the two of them and commanded, "Cease him.”

John and Toby trembled. Their teeth gnashed as their eyes nailed on the boys at the end of that alley. All of them have a bad grin on their faces. Along with the spook of the night breeze, their silhouettes are like shadows slowly solidified from their eyes. The wind whistled,  their hairs brush on their heads.

"Cease them!" Once again the deep voice of the team captain rose above the atmosphere.

"R-run." Toby stammered, almost like a whisper.

Before he could let out another word, Toby's eyes caught John flashed on him. His body moved all by itself and followed John running right directly towards the trees of the manor.

He can hear the shouts of those boys behind him, and the sound of their feet galloping over the ground. He can't look back. He didn't know but, he was so frightened, like this had happened before to him. As he ran, the way becomes clearer for him. There was the manor's gate, right after the bunch of trees he was now approaching. Then he stopped. John was lost on his sight. He wobbled his head around, his eyes search for him. He was gone.

Then a rock shot on his head.

"Ahh." Toby dangled. His head shook. His sight was blinding. He touched his head and he felt a warm liquid touched his hand. It was blood.

He turned his head and few meters behind him are that crowd of boys who were holding rocks. Those boys tightened their grip on those rocks and whipped their arms in the air. Rocks rained on Toby. It hammered his arms, his head, his torso and his chest, leaving long slits because they were sharp. His head rung. He bounced to the ground and vomited out blood.

"Where's the Insignia?" Coal spoke out. He joggled the rocks on his hand.

"Look there he is!" Brimstone shouted. He pointed out his hand on the gate.

John was far away, standing in the middle of the open gate, bumping his hands and his head on the air, like there was an invisible wall in front of him. He kicked the air and punched many times. All their eyes were stuck on him until he drops on his knees. He leaned his body on the air and pushed it with his hand. It was Brimstone's force field.

"You are still powerful, Brimstone!" Coal remarked and tapped Brimstone's shoulder.

Toby lied on the ground almost losing his consciousness but he never lost his eyes on John. As far from he can picture, those boys ran through him. Hammer called Thunder and Thor in their regalia form. They immediately turned into a sniper rifle.

"Surrender now Insignia and spit out everything you know about this." Hammer stepped close to John. He pointed the mouth of the g*n on John's back. John slowly raised his two arms above his shoulder. Hammer continued,"How did you get here? Who is your master? How do you know about us?"

Crap! John murmured in himself. He didn't know what to do. He knew this had happened similarly before, that Hammer rejected and he and Toby were banned them inside the gym for a while. He and Toby were scolded so much for the tantrums they caused. He wanted to feel it again, but not this extremely twisted that his former team mates will kill him. His team mates are never been this relentless towards violence, except that he is on another world. Will he really be killed? He began to feel unsuited for this. He had everything he had before. But he's here and there's no turning back.

"I told you I am newly summoned from the void." John answered quickly. The thoughts he got from his overhearing are the first to strike his mind, though he didn't understand what that means.

"Then why do you claim you remember? What do you remember?" Hammer asked softly. He pushed the g*n mouth harder on his head. “I hope you understand that regalias who remember their past lives, put much grief into their hearts by the events surrounding their own death. Those collections of negative emotions translate into blights to their new master in this world, hence, killing the master in the most tortuous ways. So, what are you saying again?”

"Because I am different. I am not like you all." out of nowhere the words blurted from his mouth. His voice immediately downs its pitch. “Wanna have a demonstration?”

"Then..." Hammer opened his mouth. The body of the g*n pushed on John’s face.

The g*n banged and the bullet flew up in the air. The g*n mouth struck John’s nose. He bounced on the ground. But he dashed upward.

It was too late for Hammer too think. John just kicked the g*n off his hand.

All of them startled. John's leg spread across Hammer's face. He threw his arms around him. John tilted his body as he lands on his two feet. His jump is his power. He had to use it, he thought.

The others started to attack John. They punched and kicked him everywhere. John's limbs kept on dashing, flashing, avoiding every hit. John was pushed over that invisible wall as the punch thrusts him. Then, a huge fist came, and hit his forehead. His back slammed, and blood jerked from his mouth. He choked and his blood splattered while he was falling. Coal held his shirt and threw him again against that wall. He slammed and bounced. Hammer while still on his back on the ground, pointed out the g*n on John.

"Don't lose an attack, Thunder!" he said. He pulled the trigger. He fired the g*n.

John's eyes opened wide. He heard the spinning sound of the bullet and everything to him seemed slow in motion. The bullet is going to hit his right eye. He has to move away.

Coal grabbed again his shirt and motioned on throwing him. John bent his knees and fell on the ground, without losing his eyes on the coming bullet, pulling Coal over his chest. Coal rose up his hand in the air to slap him. Then the bullet came. It passed through straight in his palm.

Coal was taken by the thrust and immediately crashed on the invisible wall. The bullet left a huge hole on his palm. Blood immediately oozed out.

The bullet was nailed on the wall but eventually fell on the ground.

All of them stopped for a moment. All of them gulped, even John. He was that slow to keep Coal from the bullet.

"Ahhhh..." Coal screamed. He gripped his wrist with his left hand and cried on the soil.

"Idiots." John muttered in his mind. This shouldn't happen, he protested in himself. “You all are wasting your own potentials. I’ll give you what you want!”