June 24, 2075

3 Hours Later

1330 CDT

Outskirts of Western Winner, South Dakota

Luke Miller’s Point of View

I don’t understand. We’re just sitting and resting here by a truck again, acting like everything’s fine. Battalion A fought for their lives in this drenched grassy field of blood and dirt for three hours. Operation Aurora was a success, but everyone still has that depressing look of anxiety and hopelessness on their face. Commander O’Carroll and Commander Zhi are being called the heroes of Battalion A, while my squad and Captain Michelle Fox are being named the heroes of Battalion B. I don’t believe we’re heroes. Michelle is the true heroine, we just capitalized on her momentum.

“Squad Zeus!” Commander Zhi calls out.

Not good.

“At ease!” Commander Zhi says.

Phew.

“I empathize with Private Young’s disturbing injury, but she and the other wounded are currently en route to Olympus’s general hospital where they will be treated for their damages,” Jian explains. “Due to Private Young being wounded in action, a new soldier will be added to your squad as her replacement, effective immediately.”

“Hello,” Anna greets in a somber tone as she approaches.

Yeesh. That’s a nasty black eye.

“I like the pink scarf on your neck,” Rachel compliments with a smile.

“You look like shit,” Ruby blurts out.

“Ruby!” Rachel yells in disbelief.

“Listen here,” Ruby warns as she gets in Anna’s face. “Don’t think that you can just show up here and replace our dear friend Teresa!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to intrude, but I don’t have much choice,” Anna apologizes in exhaustion.

“Ugh! Nevermind. I’m too tired to deal with you right now.” Ruby says in frustration.

“Oh,” Anna says in similar low energy.

“She doesn’t mean it, Anna. We’ve all just had a long day,” I say.

“Holy mother of fucking shitfuck!!! What’s that monster doing here?!” A male soldier yells in horror as he points at me. “Shoot him! Someone shoot him! He’s infected!”

What??! No!

“Calm down, soldier!” Annie says after smacking him.

“Explain,” Jian questions.

“I saw him,” the soldier hyperventilates. “He is not fucking human!” He straight-up punched a semi-truck and sent it flying away like a frisbee! His eyes turned blood red, and his skin dried up like chapped lips when he did it too! He’s not normal, a zombie in disguise! He’s a fucking mutated!”

This can’t be happening…

“Jian, boo,” Annie says with a smile as she shifts her attention towards me. “I just noticed that my favorite cutie pie, Luke here, ain’t wearin’ his Thunderbolt,” she says as she pulls out her revolver and aims it at me.

“Luke, why aren’t you wearing your Thunderbolt? You know the rules,” Jian asks in worry as he approaches.

Now the crowd’s starting to mutter and stare at me.

“STAY BACK!” I yell.

No! I just made it worse! Now everyone is pointing their guns at me.

“Everyone in Squad Zeus needs to place their hands behind their heads and kneel! NOW!” Jian orders as he pulls his gun out next.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Shit! Scoff, I knew that being this beautiful would come with a price.” Ruby cries out in disbelief.

“What’s going on here, Jian?” General Farrington asks as he arrives.

“Apparently, Luke is either a superhero or infected? One of our soldiers witnessed him punching a truck down several street blocks, followed by his eyes turning blood red,” Jian calmly explains.

“Uh-huh. Is this true, Luke?” General Farrington asks.

“Yes, it’s true!” A woman yells out in the crowd. “I witnessed it too! That freak needs to be killed! He’s just like the monsters that murdered our friends!”

“Look!” Sonya yells as she steps in front of me. “I don’t know what’s going on with Luke, but I know that he’s not a monster. Operation Aurora is over, and yet you dumbasses are still trigger-happy! If you’re gonna shoot him, then you’ll have to shoot me as well because I’m not leaving his side no matter what!”

Sonya…

“Yes!” Billy yells as he shields me next. “Luke is super cool! He’s my friend, not an evil monster! Don’t kill him!”

Billy…

“This isn’t spectacular at all!” Rachel yells as she shields me next. “Luke is my friend! I love him, so you better not harm him, or else I’ll give all of you the hands! If you’re gonna hurt him, then you’ll have to get through me first!”

Rachel…

“Jeez!” Ruby yells as she shields me next. “Luke is an amazing ride-or-die, friend! Messing with Luke is like messing with me and nobody, and I mean, nobody messes with Squad Zeus or me. I’ll shove my guitar straight up the ass of anybody stupid enough to mess with us, and I ain’t going back to jail no matter what happens so just shoot us now and get it over with!” Ruby yells as she flips off everyone.

Ruby…

“We’re going to get in so much trouble if we survive this,” Duy says as he shields me next. “I think that Luke is a suspicious fuck up, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I think we should give him to the research team to see what happens! It’s a much better decision than just gunning him down!”

Duy.

“Hmph!” Anna says as she comes to shield me next. “Surviving this hellish day full of undead only to be gunned down by our own people is such a tragic tragedy. I am a member of Squad Zeus now and how anybody feels about that is irrelevant,” she says as she gives Ruby a look. “…because I just joined not even five minutes ago and I’m about to be shot. I think of Luke as a cordial acquaintance, but with just one transparent glimpse at him, I can tell that he is such a big dork and not some kind of monster.”

Even Anna…

“Huh?? Ya got a problem with me, Your Highness? I heard that shade throw!” Ruby says in disgust.

“Hmph! If you suspect that I was tossing shade, then I was perhaps tossing shade,” Anna clarifies in a snobby tone.

“Ugh! Tossing shade? You sure do make a lot of grammar mistakes for a fancy, girly girl,” Ruby insults.

“Your feeble attempt at disrespect does not vex me one bit, taking into account your coarse, crude, unladylike behavior and the inordinate words that exit your scatological and scurrilous fly trap,” Anna calmly explains as she inspects her own fingernails.

“Screw you and your big fancy words,” Ruby states as she puts her middle finger in Anna’s face.

“I would only expect a childish, boorish insult from a harlot like you,” Anna fires back with a quick finger flick to Ruby’s finger.

“What did you call me?” Ruby cries out in pure confusion.

They’re going to kill each other before our own people do at this rate.

“Nobody shoot!” General Farrington orders. “Nobody do anything!”

“What? Y-You heard the witnesses!” General Dakari orders from far away in the background.

“Stand down, General Dakari!” General Farrington pleads.

“Hell no! He’s a mutated! That means he needs to die!” General Dakarai responds fearfully.

No, I-I won’t let them kill me. I can’t! I didn’t ask for this! Veronica, what did you do to me?

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” I scream.

*

Ah, m-my head. Damn it, I blacked out for a second. What happened?! Oh, why is everyone looking at me like that?

“Holy shit, dude!” Ruby yells out with a look of horror in her eyes.

Ow. M-my arms hurt. Wait. What the fuck??!! A sword! My arms mutated into a large white and red sword?! Just… just like a…No NO! I can’t be a mutated!

“His eyes! They’re blood red!” Someone in the crowd confirms my reality.

Duy was right, everyone was right, I am a monster.

“Luke, play dead,” Sonya quickly mutters under her breath.

Play what? Oh. She’s gonna punch me in the face. This is going to hurt.

*

Meanwhile

Onboard the Space Station “Apollo”, Earth’s Orbit

Angela Blackwood’s Point of View

Well, well, well, what an enthralling ray of sunshine.

My communicator is buzzing.

“Hello? Yes, I just received the news. I see. Sigh, yes. I’ll repeat.

Primary objective: Capture the she-devil and a founding member of Olympus, Doctor Veronica Shinka.

Yes, I know to capture her alive. I am aware that dead people can’t talk, but that might be untrue if these rumors are indeed fact.

Secondary objective: Interrogate Veronica Shinka’s apprentices/Olympian researchers; Commander Harold Smith and Commander Kiko Farrington.

Yes, I shall make it excessively thorough. You of all people should know that I am very meticulous with my work.

Tertiary objective: Interrogate the legendary Olympian General, Brian Farrington.

Yes. I shall make sure to capture him alive as well.

Quaternary objective: Capture the teenager that Doctor Shinka has made herself the guardian of, known as Private Luke Miller, the leading cause of this investigation.

Yes, I shall make sure that he kneels before the might of the Royals, Edit.

I know. We only need the boy’s brain, which means that he can be captured dead or alive.

Do not fret for these are but introductory tasks for the Death Angels. Operation: GodSlayer shall be completed without fail, and as the Royal’s elite enforcer, I am aware that I’m permitted to eliminate anyone I see fit, should they stand in my way. Heh heh. This shall be a piece of cake. Angela Blackwood, signing off…”

*

END OF ACT 2: Operation: Aurora