Judas

Judas

Key Zero: Fragments:

Allen lay on the ground, breathing heavily. His motionless body was covered in sweat. Aizen crawling around in his body was the only sound that wouldn’t let him have any rest. How long until he lost all of himself? Days? Weeks? Ha! Time meant nothing in this god forsaken city. However, he still needed if he was going to escape again.

His eyes rolled up to the ceiling. Death wasn’t a risk to an angel. No, the only thing that could kill them was being eaten alive by other angels. Still, Allen had other problems caused by Aizen that he couldn’t ignore. That damned creature constantly fed on his blood. Because of this, the angel barely had any energy to move. Sometimes, the biting caused excruciating pain. Allen couldn’t scream out. He took in slow breaths to cope.

However, he can’t lose to Aizen.

Allen gritted his teeth. The first thing he needed to do was get up. He looked down at his feet. His brain was telling his toes to move, but they seemed to be ignoring him.

Come on. Move. I have to move my big toe. He needed to see the extent of Aizen’s damage to his body. If he could move and at least have sensation in his limbs, maybe he could work something out.

Come on. Move. Move! His eyes stayed on his right big toe. He couldn’t feel anything yet, but he couldn’t stop trying either. However, Allen couldn’t resist working himself up either, lest he fed Aizen more. The angel drew in a deep breath and focused on his foots. Move. Come on. Move!

At last, his right big toe slightly moved back and forth. The angel felt a small bubble of hope rise in his chest. Good to know that he still had feeling in his limbs. He didn’t waste any time working to move the rest of his toes.

Marion lay on the floor of the golden cage next to Alma. How could he even offer the false hope of escape? Didn’t Allen know that once you end up in the Fallen City, there was no escaping? Still, he insisted on trying again. Plus, he wanted to take her and Alma with him. Marion didn’t know whether to laugh or sneer.

Still, she had the feeling that she couldn’t turn her back on him. Part of her couldn’t stand see him end up being broken like those vegetated angels in the tanks in the “graveyard”. Marion looked down at Alma laying by her side. She didn’t want to see her hopes getting raised for nothing. Or was it that she didn’t want her own hopes getting raised?

Marion gritted her teeth. Why am I even thinking like something like that would be possible? Her words fell on deaf ears to Allen. No amount of reasoning could stop him from wanting to escape. She rolled over onto her back. Why couldn’t she just let Allen fall on his face and learn the hard way? Marion puffed up her cheeks and frowned. She smacked herself on the forehead. That idiot! Why do you have to go and ruin everything?

Harry and Tyrone lay on the ground on the east side of the outer ring in the seventh circle of the city. They never had a minute to rest. Other angels looked for food and escaping angels. The days were the worst. The nights were unbearable. Harry and Tyrone’s first objective was to found everyone else in their group. However, more elements seemed to have hindered that part of the mission.

This time of year, the city had “summer thunderstorms”. The rain that fell was so toxic that it burned the skin off of the angels. Lighting prevented the city from ever getting dark day or night. The thunder might have been quiet, but it was enough to disturb the angels to freeze them in fear. To top it all off, the heat rises so much during these storms that angels will faint from the slightly movement. The storm that knocked the Escape crew off the top of the mountain was only the warm-up for the rest of the storms to come.

Still, Harry and Tyrone must move forward. If they stay put, they would be beaten by the elements and eaten by angels. Deep down inside, the angels knew that this escape plan was a terrible idea. How could they have let Allen and Ophelia talk them into this? Still, it was too late to turn back now. They all started this crazy scheme and they might as well finish it.

Kit and Grace lay on the ground on the west side of the middle ring in the seventh circle. They too faced the same problems with the storms and the other angels. However, this provided Kit with an opportunity that the others didn’t have at the moment. Grace was added to the team at the last minute. They caught her eavesdropping on them in the hotel. Allen saw some use in her and recruited her. Harry and Tyrone didn’t trust her in the beginning. Maybe this would give Kit the chance to figure out Grace for himself better.

But how would he begin to ask his questions? Grace would probably think that he didn’t trust her either. He wanted her to feel like that she had somebody on her side. But, Kit didn’t want to come off looking too trusting or soft either. Right now, Grace was the only sure way of survival until they found the rest of their group. To be honest, Kit had some of his own doubts about his temporary companion. What was she really doing that day that Harry found her in the conference room where they were plotting their escape? Was she part of Tate’s group of somebody rogue? As they walked, Kit tried to figure out a way to ask his questions without raising any alarm.

Leda stood chained up in her cage. She loved to piss off her vile, sadist lord. Seeing him choking her with rage as she laughed until she passed out provided such a thrill that she almost forgot existed. The angel couldn’t remember the last time that she smiled.

Of course she was going to help Allen and the girls again. However, she can sense something wrong with the leader. Leda can see Aizen eating away at his body. Not much scares her, but one look into that creature’s eyes and she looked away trembling. She isn’t sure if Allen can survive that little greedy beast. No wonder Tyki wants to see how long the angel can survive before he crumbles under Aizen’s lust. Leda would be able to help Allen if she wasn’t chained up in her cage. He doesn’t want Alma, Ophelia, and Marion to know about how bad things are for him either. They needed to trust in him if he was going to help them escape from the Tower and reunite with his teach in the city.

For now, she can only reach out and talk to Allen about his private matter.

Before they all know it, the curtain has risen and the show gets into its next act.