What happens next? You choose!

Chapter 5 - Interlude: adhokk7

I wish I had a computer so I could write this down instead of merely composing it in my head. I wish I was sitting at my desk and typing my thoughts out so that I could see them on the monitor because then my thoughts might make some kind of sense instead of being this insane, senseless tornado that has been spinning in my head since this crazy acid trip started. But then, I’d probably try to twist my thoughts into some kind of semi-erotic narrative the way I do with everything. Fat lot of good that would do.

I’ve been here for three days, stuck in a tiny, trashy hotel room in Japan sometime before...I don’t even know when this is. Sometime in the distant past. Sometime before air-conditioning and plumbing were invented. This has been the longest three days of my life and it’s not getting any better. While my companions are spending their time coming up with crazy ideas and then running around on their wild goose chases, I’m wasting my time here, talking to myself and walking around in circles. The-Dark-Knight said I’m a psychic, but I hope he was just telling me that for dramatic effect because, if he was telling the truth, then we’re all lost. All I can see for our future is chaos and misery.

Spider-Man Luvr28 told me today, after she came back from wherever she had been, that she thought she had finally made some headway. She said she had talked to a guy who said he could help us. I know she’s a good person and that she means well, but I don’t know if I can trust her to know what she’s talking about because she’s as lost as I am. Assuming she can be trusted, which I am because I have no other choice, we’re supposed to meet this guy at sundown and he’s going to lead us to BizarroAids. When KenshinAtrain came back to the hotel room, he seemed too tired to argue about the plan. He agreed to the plan, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to him alone, so I don’t know how he really feels about it. I assume he thinks it’s another wild goose chase, the way I do, but I don’t really know and I guess it doesn’t really matter. I guess all that really matters is that we complete this quest The-Dark-Knight assigned to us so that we can save the time stream or the space-time continuum or whatever so that we can get back to our normal lives and pretend none of this ever happened or that it was all just another bad dream.

While KenshinAtrain napped (restless, twisting, sweating, and talking in his sleep), I decided to pass the time by sharing a little bit of personal information with Spider-Man Luvr28. She was pacing around the room and, every few seconds, shooting a dirty glance at the walls whenever a noise came from one of the next-door rooms. She seemed much more irritable than she should have been and I thought she could use a distraction as much as I could. I told her about the dreams I have been having, dreams of the man known as BizarroAids. After I told her about my dreams, sparing no detail, she said that she didn’t like what she was hearing. She didn’t seem concerned at all about my impressions of BizarroAids, that he was a cruel and merciless man, but she did seem very concerned about what I had considered to be a meaningless aspect of the dreams. In my dreams, BizarroAids was mostly a shadowy figure and my impressions of him were gut-level reactions, but everything else was crystal clear, including his court, his throne, and what I had assumed to be his servants. It was one of the servants, the only other man in my dreams, that seemed to get her attention. She said my description of this second man gave her a weird feeling and she said she didn’t want to hear anything more about my dreams. I imagine that, under normal circumstance, Spider-Man Luvr28 is 100% cool, but I think this little adventure is taking its toll on her. I’m starting to think that maybe we should forget our mission. I’m starting to think that maybe dying in the Shimbara Rebellion is preferable to whatever awaits us should we continue this mission.

12 Hours Later

Great. This is absolutely great.

We met Spider-Man Luvr28’s guy in an alley near the place where, a couple of nights ago, KenshinAtrain and I broke into a store and stole a bunch of clothes for us to wear so that we would blend in with the general populace. We set out from there, dressed in our best disguises, making our way through the town, with townspeople all around us. The threat of being discovered loomed over us like a storm cloud. Making matters worse, our guide informed us that the townspeople were in a state of heightened anxiety. He said the townspeople were especially afraid of outsiders because of a disease that had come out of nowhere and had, thus far, caused the deaths of dozens of people. The disease had been named “the flying fire” because of its main symptom: an uncontrollable fever that spread with ease, as though it flew from one person to another. Neither Spider-Man Luvr28 nor KenshinAtrain seemed particularly bothered by this news, but I was, so I decided to change the subject and I asked our guide about BizarroAids. He said the man he was leading us to was a powerful Shogun who could see the true nature of anyone in his presence. It was this ability, the guide told us, that allowed the Shogun to find allies and to train them so that they could use their powers in the most efficient manner possible. I asked the guide why the Shogun needed allies and the guide said, according to rumors, the Shogun was preparing for a great battle with a fierce enemy, an enemy who lived in the town but whose identity was unknown to anyone. He said the Shogun was rumored to be merciless to his enemies, but more so to his allies because there were traitors among his allies. There was, he said, a rumor of one particular traitor among his allies, a trusted ally who was high in rank, who possessed a futuristic weapon and was using it to assassinate the Shogun’s soldiers.

Finally, we came to the edge of town and the guide pointed out a large house behind a high wall. He said this was our destination. Spider-Man Luvr28 paid the guide with money KenshinAtrain had stolen from the store when we had stolen our clothes and the guide disappeared into the night. We proceeded toward the house, constantly aware as we came closer that it was possible that we were being watched by archers or spies or ninjas or whatever mercenaries the Shogun had hired to protect him. We made it the wall unmolested, though, and when we came to the front gate, we saw, carved into the stone above the gated entryway, Japanese writing which the devices on our wrists translated as “Beh-Sur-Oaidz”. It took me a second to realize this was a rough translation of the name “BizarroAids”

A lone soldier, dressed in full military garb, stood at the gate. As we approached, he took notice of us and as soon as I saw him, I knew he had been expecting us.

“You are denied entry,” he said as we came before him.

I wanted to rip the fool’s head off right there.

“What do you mean, we’re denied entry, you moron?” I shouted. “We have to get through! We’re...supposed to be here!”

The soldier shook his head and said, “One of you is ill. One among you is burning from the flying fire and only one of you shall pass.”

The soldier pointed to me. I didn’t hesitate. I moved forward, leaving the other two behind because, I reasoned, the sooner this was over with, the sooner we could go home and forget all of this, including whatever stupid disease one of us had caught. Another soldier appeared after I passed through the gate and he led me into the house and into a room I instantly recognized from my dreams. Standing in front of his throne was BizarroAids. He was not made of shadows, as I had dreamed, but was a normal man. He welcomed me to his home and he said that since I’m a psychic I should be able to see that his home would be a safe haven for me and that I would be protected from my enemies as long as I was his guest. Lurking somewhere behind BizarroAids, I could feel the presence of his lackey (the second man from my dreams, who, I remembered, was apparently capable of saying nothing except, “I am the knight.”). I could feel the lackey staring at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking, like he could read my thoughts and was amused by them.

BizarroAids rang a bell and he said, “My brother, Spider-Fan, will show you to your room. Tomorrow morning, you will begin your training.”

Spider-Fan came into the room and he signalled for me to follow him. He led me into a hallway made of stone and lit by torches. We walked for a little way and then he stopped. He turned back to face me, waved his hand, and the hallway and the torches disappeared. What had been the hallway was now an open field where soldiers trained in martial arts, using all kinds of weapons.

“This is your future,” Spider-Fan whispered and then the hallway reappeared. He led me to my room and he locked me in without saying another word. So here I am, alone in the home of BizarroAids, my friends locked outside, one of them deathly ill. Great. This is great. I wish I was at home in front of my computer, writing this all down because then it would just be another story I was writing and I could turn it into something semi-erotic. At least that would be entertaining. I can’t sleep and I can’t stop worrying about my friends. Which one of them is sick? What can I do to help them? What’s going to happen to me tomorrow? We only have four days left until the rebellion begins and I really don't think that will be enough time to find Citizen Number 930.

Who is infected?
1-KenshinAtrain
2-Spider-Man Luvr28
 
Fantastic job adhokk :up:

You've given me a lot of material to use, and I look forward to see where everyone votes.

So far:

SML - 2 votes
KA - 1 vote
 
The score now:

SML - 3 votes
Kenshin - 3 votes

Close one so far :wow:
 
I sent out pms to Biz and Two-Face...they have 24hrs to vote. If they don't, I'm the tie breaker :wow:
 
Voting goes the way of Kenshin...I'll get Chapter 6 up by Tues :up:
 
You guys shall see what it does :cwink:
 
Sorry, Kenshin. I too hope you don't die. By the way, have any of you guys seen that this story is being picked up on another website? Go to google and type in "adhokk7" and "interlude". Weird, huh?
 
Chapter 6 – Questions

Sitting alone in two opposite rooms, Spider-Man Luvr28 and KenshinAtrain both sit in isolation. One of them has a deadly disease. That’s the only thing that is certain. How quickly will this disease take hold? Is a diagnosis a death sentence? Has the adventure come to an end for one of them? The rooms don’t help matters much. The walls are bare and nothing in this room can stop the mind from wandering. KenshinAtrain suddenly gets pounded with the scent of death, but he tells himself it is only in his mind. As the hours pass, Spider-Man Luvr28’s thoughts begin to sway toward KenshinAtrain as opposed to herself. She fears for her friend, and with the revelation of her power, this worries her.

Smoke begins to fill KenshinAtrain’s room. He flails his arms to remove the smoke. Suddenly, the figure of Spider-Fan can be seen.

“KenshinAtrain, I’m afraid I have bad news” declares Spider-Fan.

“It’s me, isn’t it” responds KenshinAtrain. He breathes out a sigh of
despair. “How long do I have?”

“I cannot answer that question. The only thing known about this virus is that it starts with a fever” replies Spider-Fan.

“What happens now?” asks KenshinAtrain, fearing the answer.

“You’re training will commence. Without you, there is no guarantee for success” replies Spider-Fan, assuringly.

“How can I be trained?” asks KenshinAtrain. “You’ll all get sick.”

“I can train you” replies Spider-Fan. “I can create illusions. That is how I am here before you right now, and that is how I will train you.”

Elsewhere…

Adhokk7 stands in the lobby, waiting for one of his friends to show up. BizarroAids sits in his chair, not moving an inch or making a sound. He looks deep in thought. Adhokk7 has been himself. He was tossing and turning all night from the uncertainty of all this. Adhokk7 hears footsteps, and looks back to see Spider-Man Luvr28 being led to the room by the mysterious stranger uttering “I Am the Knight.” One part of adhokk7 feels great joy. The other part knows what this means for their other team member.

“Welcome back” says adhokk7.

“Thanks” says Spider-Man Luvr28 with a half smile as she stands on the opposite side of adhokk7. They both look forward.

“Today is the most important day in your lives” says BizarroAids from his chair. He stands up. “The hands of time are out of balance” declares BizarroAids as he steps toward the two champions. “A man leaves his home in New York during the day. He has lost his job recently, and has a wife and 4 kids to provide for. As he can’t find a job due to a struggling economy, and his limited skill set, their bills begin to pile up. Food becomes scarce. He takes what little he has to the subway station. At the same time, a young man of 18 years old gets on the subway. He is a senior in high school, and well dressed since It is Friday and his high school football team has a game later that day. As he rides the subway car, that same desperate man earlier makes a plea to those who would listen for what little they can provide. The student makes eye contact with this man, and then turns his head away. The desperate man walks to the next car, while the student continues thinking about his game” says BizarroAids ending the story just as he gets in front of them, timing that perfectly. Spider-Man Luvr28 and adhokk7 share puzzled looks.

“That desperate man and the student’s destinies were connected on that day” explains BizarroAids. “Both men lived very separate lives, yet for a split second shared looks and had interaction. The odds of this encounter would be astronomical, as so many people live in New York and thousands of trains come and go everyday. But on this day, their eyes met. This is because there are no random coincidences. Things happen for a reason. The lives of these Japanese men will greatly influence the future you live in and the future I am from. However, something is wrong now. This virus isn’t supposed to happen, and we know a plan is in place to alter history greatly.”

“Really?” asks adhokk7 mockingly, seeing this as restating the obvious.

“That doesn't help” replies BizarroAids.

“What is their plan?” asks Spider-Man Luvr28

“We don’t exactly know” replies BizarroAids. “My source has yet to uncover an exact plot. However, it involves the rebellion that is to take place in 4 days. You have been chosen by The-Dark-Knight to stop this event. Failure could end time. We’ll see how wise The-Dark-Knight was with his choices. Preparation won’t be easy, and will be more intense than normal since we are short on time. Are you ready to begin?”

“Yes” reply Spider-Man Luvr28 and adhokk7 at the same time.

Elsewhere…

Rando stands by the door watching his agents Ziggyman and Two-Face wrestle on the otherside of the joint. He looks over to another group of men talking and ignoring the others in the room. Rando thinks he would like nothing more than cause some trouble and end these men, to end his sheer boredom of waiting for his contact.

“Rando” calls a voice outside. Rando looks back and considers a quick kill before deciding to exit.

“Bout time DRUMM3RBOY” says Rando with obvious aggravation toward the inconspicuous looking man.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but there is much to be done” replies DRUMM3RBOY. “Everything will be in place for you.”

“Come on, will?” replies Rando.

“This is a delicate task Rando, and we’ll only get one shot” replies DRUMM3RBOY. “You wouldn’t want to upset the boss, would you?”

“I guess not” replies Rando. “That all?”

“Yes” answers DRUMM3RBOY.

“Good, now if you’ll excuse me” says Rando entering the building. As DRUMM3RBOY begins walking, he can hear both the sounds of screams and laughter coming from inside the room.

Did I mention something about a source? Who is the source?
1. Ziggyman
2. Two-Face
3. Rando
4. I Am the Knight

Oh, I want this round of voting to be conducted via pm. Don’t want you guys to know where this is going. Please make comments in the thread about this chapter though.

Remember, you choose what happens next in Chapter 7 – The Training is the Hardest Part
 
You can vote for yourself :cwink:
 

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