Regenesis (Book 1): Impact (75 page)

“Watch
me,” she sneered as she jumped over the ledge of the building.

Pyotr
stretched his hand out toward her and lifted her back above the roof without
moving from where he stood. She remained suspended in the air while Vladimir
climbed back up the staircase and regrouped with Pyotr and Rachel.

“I
am weary of all this,” Pyotr said as he approached Cipriana. “You are going to
tell me what I need to know about Constantine.”

“I
don’t have–”

He
silenced her and told her he was aware of her agency. “I doubt you realize this
now, but you have utilized your agency for evil measures, and as such I
personally believe you no longer have that right to retain your secrets.” His eyes
flashed for a brief second before he let out a breath and said she knew
nothing. “The last time she had contact with Constantine was over twenty years
ago. In fact,” he smirked, “She’s been just as eager as we have been to find
him for herself. Now,” he paused for a moment to retrieve his blade from out of
a single ray of light and proceeded to take Cipriana by the neck and recited
her crimes, “You have robbed many good souls of their opportunities to come to
this earth, you are responsible for murder in multiple accounts, including
quite a few suicides on your own part, dissention, deceit, and a dozen other
abominations I would rather not list off.” He slid his blade through her chest
at which point a white light collected around her, amassed into Pyotr’s sword,
and ended when he tore his weapon from her and allowed her corpse to drop over
the edge of the building. He took a moment to incinerate her remains before he
released a breath and told his friends their work was done.

Rachel
blinked and discovered she and her allies were miles away, standing in the park
near her home

“Why
are we here now?”

“I
felt this was a much better place to have a chat after our battle,” Pyotr told
her. “And it was about to rain again in Seattle, so I opted to find a dryer area.”

“And
we both thank you for that Pyotr,” Vladimir mumbled. “But need I remind you
that we did not gain anything from her? We still have no idea where Constantine
is.”

Pyotr
agreed. “It is quite a shame, though one part of our overall goal is finished,
which still puts us one step closer than we were before. So we do have
something to be grateful for.”

Vladimir
rolled his eyes and muttered his sentiments under his breath. “This was an
utter waste.”

“How
so?” Pyotr asked him. “Rachel has unlocked one of her dormant abilities, we
have finally destroyed Cipriana, and I know I can trust and charge you two with
further tasks when they arrive.”

“This
has been a senseless exercise to keep us busy, even though you were more than
capable of handling matters on your own,” he snapped.

“Yet
I chose to leave it in your hands,” Pyotr told him. “Had I not had a moment to
spare I would have left the task of killing Cipriana and saving Rachel to you,
which I know you would have accomplished.”

“I
do not see the logic in pawning what you can do off onto the two of us if it
would be simpler and swifter had you handled matter yourself.”

“I
would if I was able to–”

“You
obviously were,” Vladimir cut him off, “Otherwise you would not have arrived at
the last second.”

“I
do not see why you are irritated Vladimir.” Pyotr examined him and asked
whether he wanted to kill Cipriana, or if he was still bothered by his
requirement of taking Rachel along with him. “You couldn’t have completed this
or even located her had Rachel not played her part.”

“Yes,
but what are these parts to begin with?” he asked embittered.  “You mention
these roles we all have within this tapestry, yet you are the only person who
can understand it all and you hide it so coyly that I have begun to believe you
are sadistic and simply enjoy watching us writhe as we face this mystery on our
own.”

Pyotr
cocked his head sideways and asked who he spoke for. “From what I understand
Rachel completed her part and ceased her complaints as soon as she was aware of
her newfound skill. In fact,” he turned to her and asked whether she found
their adventures bothersome.

She
wanted to stay out of their argument, but admitted that the obscurity behind it
was annoying. “You both know so much more than I do and I think it would help
me understand who we’re trying to stop as well as why we need to do what we’re
doing. Vladimir told me a bit about Cipriana’s past but not about everyone.
Like Daniel, for instance, Cipriana mentioned something about Daniel. Who was
he?”

Pyotr
lowered his head and apologized for their secrecy. He walked over to a bench
and had Rachel join him. “Daniel was one of our friends. We were a group of
twelve in all, Vladimir, Constantine, Raphael, Cecil, Cipriana, Joshua,
Jacqueline, Madison, Serenity, Daniel, Kirsten, and myself. We all met in
eighteen-thirty-four and attended the same school and later the same
university. Over time some of our members grew close to one another, as did
Daniel and Kirsten, and in eighteen-forty-two Daniel proposed to Kirsten. She accepted
and they began to plan for their wedding which they aimed to have in the
following year. However all the while Constantine was going through his
metamorphosis into the murderer, the abomination he is now. The transformation
caused a great anger and loathing from within him and one day he lashed out and
hurt Kirsten. Daniel stepped forward and defended her and wounded Constantine,
who then fled. Shortly thereafter he returned in the shadow of night and killed
Daniel. It wasn’t long afterwards that we learned of Constantine’s immortality
and his thirst for bloodshed and power, at which point we began to look into
immortality and power to combat his.”

Rachel
frowned, “So Daniel’s murder is what you two want to avenge?”

Pyotr
agreed but said she only understood a part of why they sought Constantine. “Not
only has he murdered our loved ones, but he has put a great evil on this earth,
one both Vladimir and I feel guilty about.”

“But
it wasn’t your fault.”

“That
is true, but we were his friends Rachel, and friends are supposed to care for
and tend to one another. And I fear that if we did not pursue him he may be
left unchecked and could very well bring utter destruction and sorrow upon
humanity.” Pyotr then cracked a smile and added, “Though I doubt the Lord would
allow such a thing if we were not involved.”

“What
do you mean?”

“He
means that another would rise up to vanquish him,” Vladimir interjected.
“Something I am not wholly convinced would occur. But what I am interested to
learn is how Constantine can evade the host of heaven for so many decades.”

Pyotr’s
countenance grew solemn as he told his Romanian friend that heaven was a very
busy place. “And I regret to add that Constantine and his followers have found
a way, and enchantment, that keeps them hidden even from the heavenly host.”

“How
is that possible?” Rachel asked.

Pyotr
told her there were many things in the world she did not know of. “Only until
recently did you believe that the supernatural was nothing more than stories.
There are many dark and evil things that allow anything from calling upon
demons to everlasting life. And our foe has discovered something to remain
veiled from us, unless we can locate them in a more rudimentary manner.”

“Namely
through detective work,” Vladimir sighed. “I do not like your secrets Pyotr and
I would like to expect you to be more forthright in your part in our cause.”

Pyotr
dropped his arms to his sides and shortly told his comrade that he was finished
with the interrogation. “Your accusations wear on my patience and as things
stand now you are in no position to berate me for withholding information. I
learn what I can and tend to matters beyond your comprehension on an infinitely
small frame of time and you, Vladimir, are upset because I do not have the
answers you seek. I am sorry that I have not become omniscient but I am trying
my best. This is not a high priority among all of my otherworldly obligations
and I would go so far as to state that aside from myself, none of the other
angels are concerned about Constantine. They know that in the end he will be
defeated and to them it does not matter by whom.” He locked eyes with his
friend and reminded him that they were the last of their old friends and as
such he did not want any disputation to drive them apart. “I will speak with
you in regards to any further development when they arrive and after you have
calmed yourself. Until then, let me thank you both for your continued
assistance and faith in the matter.”

A
beam of light surrounded him and he disappeared within it. Rachel waited for
her vision to return to normal and found Vladimir with his arms crossed and
heading out of the park. Rachel ran to catch up with him and asked why he was
still irritated.

“You
have only been a part of this for a small fraction of time Rachel,” he hissed.
“I am tired of this journey and have no other desire than to bring about its
end. Now, forgive me for my irritation, but I must go.”

He
continued to walk away from her as a colony of bats surrounded him and
transported him away. Rachel stood out in the cold just as a light rain began
to fall. She cursed under her breath as she started back home.

---*---

Chapter
26

September
29th, 2029

12:03
AM

Baltimore,
Maryland

A
light mist covered Baltimore while Mia and Bryce waited inside her apartment.
Bryce examined all of the material she gathered and posted all across her
apartment while Mia sat on her couch and waited for Twelve to return.

“How
long have you known him for?” she asked.

Bryce
shrugged, “A few weeks. How about you?”

Mia
said she’d known him since the twelfth of the month. “You didn’t know that I
knew him, did you?”

“No.”

Mia
frowned and asked, “Then why do you think he never mentioned either of us to
each other?”

Bryce
simply reminded her that Twelve was an odd person to begin with. “Do you know
who he really is?”

She
shook her head and asked if he knew.

He
sighed and admitted that he was in the dark as well.

They
both listened to the transmission the kidnappers aired, their battle against
Cladis, the sudden turn of events that led to some indescribable change in the
quarrel, and the end of the broadcast. Strangely though, the transmission
simply repeated itself after the broadcast seemed to end instead of releasing
the wireless communication channels. Bryce asked Mia if she thought the group
was victorious, but she only guessed they lost from the sound of things.

A
lone crow rapped at her window until Mia opened it and let the bird in. Twelve
emerged from the form of the bird and regrettably informed them of the loss.
“James Resnik is dead, along with two others from that group,” he reported.

“We
heard,” Bryce told him. “Were you there?”

Twelve
shook his head and said he only witnessed the aftermath. “Three corpses, two
male, one female, and all three have the mark on their arms.”

“Which
means?”

He
said he was unsure. “I don’t know their blood types, so there is really nothing
more than speculation at this point.”

“Do
you think they could be a part of this now?” Mia asked him.

Twelve
looked at her and said they were a part of it the moment they captured James
Resnik and tried to kill Cladis. “It’s unfortunate that they failed to kill
him,” Twelve started, “But we managed to gain a few very useful clues. For
starters, Cladis can regenerate, which means bullets are useless against him–”

“Then
how the hell are we supposed to handle this?” Bryce blurted out. “We can’t just
lock him up, but we can’t shoot him either, so how are we supposed to stop this
guy?”

“That
isn’t the immediate concern,” Twelve stopped him. “At the moment we have a city
on the brink of self-destruction because all lines of communication have been
removed and as such anarchy is beginning to take hold.”

“Are
you saying you want us back out there?” Mia asked.

Twelve
nodded. “We need to ensure that we can reclaim this city before it becomes lost
entirely.”

“But
why is everyone acting this way?” Bryce asked them.

Twelve
let out a breath and told him there wasn’t any way to call out for help in the
city. “Because communications are down people realize anyone they wrong cannot
call for help and the police will not be able to respond to any calls that may
come through to the stations via any landlines. Riots and violence have swept
through the city and we need to return order as quickly as we can. But I want
you both to stay together, alright? There are terrible things happening amid
the chaos and the last thing we need is for anything to happen to either of
you.” He headed toward the window and told them he would keep an eye out for
them should anything happen. “We’ll talk later, but for now we need to do our
part and try to salvage what we can. I can’t handle all of this on my own and
neither will your police force.”

“You
mentioned that those people who kidnapped Resnik offered clues?” Mia reminded
him. “What are they?”

“When
this city is stabilized, we’ll talk. For now, focus on helping where you can.
That’s all we can do for now.” Twelve stopped and told the pair that he needed
to leave. “Down the hall, there is a man raping his eighteen year old neighbor
as we speak.” He looked at Bryce and told him to go save her. “I need to help
elsewhere, but I would ask that you protect her as well,” Twelve told Bryce as
he glanced at Mia. “This city isn’t safe anymore.”

---*---

5:15
AM

London,
England

A
word echoed though Jason’s mind, from the all-encompassing darkness around him.
He failed to sense where it originated and couldn’t interpret the word with
clarity. His body seemed weightless and warm, something he hadn’t felt in a
long time, a sensation he’d believed was lost. But there was no light. There
was nothing. His eyes were closed and a thought, the word he couldn’t make out,
begged him to consider what existed past the darkness he dwelt within. Once the
word faded Jason could only hear a low sound, a hum. The noise grew and soon
became so loud he couldn’t think anymore.

Jason
gasped for air, nearly choking while he swallowed it. His eyes shot open and
pain overtook him. He struggled to control his breathing and endure the pain as
he pushed aside the debris from the building that covered him. Jason sat up and
recalled Todd’s attack. The low hum continued to resonate, though he could not
find the source.

Where
the hell is he? The girl’s gone too. Must have left. Must have. Wouldn’t stay,
wouldn’t risk it after an explosion. Why am I here? Why hasn’t anyone come yet?
No police or firemen. But there is a fire, right?
He glanced around and
saw remains of what looked like a fire, though an extinguisher lay discarded
against a wall nearby.
Todd must have put them out. Taken the girl. Taken
his tools, his weapons. Taken the girl. Taken her…but where?

Jason
remained still and listened. He could still hear the hum as well as the
indecipherable word that moments earlier echoed in his mind when he was
unconscious. He listened but failed to discover where Joshua Todd escaped to.

Can’t
waste time. Need to move, need to find him, need to stop him, to kill him. To
kill him…

The
room fell out of focus and Jason felt nausea overcome him. His breathing
sharpened and shortened as he tried to recover from Todd’s attack. His body was
wounded, cut, bruised, and broken even. Jason felt a pointed pain at the back
of his skull and upon feeling the area discovered a small puncture wound. He
tried to move his other hand to inspect the gash but his arm failed to register
his command. Jason looked at his left arm and discovered an almost entire lack
of flesh and bone. His arm was gone from nearly the shoulder down.

Jason
paled and felt he would faint.
Gone? Gone? But, but how? Why? Why would he
take it?
Jason struggled to his feet and found the world swayed violently
as he moved. The room, still in tatters, moved in opposite directions from
where he stood and the walls and the door. The door. It wandered away from him
and to another wall.
Damn you, get back here. Damn it damn it damn it. DAMN
YOU!

He
grit his teeth and felt for the first time in his life as Ilion a searing and
boiling heat. In an instant the building erupted over the surrounding area.
Jason remained on his feet in place and watched the fires dance. They swayed
from side to side in the darkness in the form of a man.
Todd!
He ran, he
ran and laughed and turned into shadow right before Jason’s eyes, just beyond
the barrier of fire Jason had created from the annihilation of the old
building. Todd’s laughter melded in with the unknowable whisper Jason couldn’t
scrub from his mind. And the ever rising hum grew intolerable.

Not
again Todd.
Jason snarled, “Not again.”

He
raced through the fires and toward the endless darkness. Once beyond the fire
he found himself alone. The flames vanished as did all the lights of London.
The stars and the moon slowly faded and abandoned him on his quest. Jason fell
to his knees and groped at the ground and the air before him in search of
anything, in search of Todd, in search of the hum or the whisper, in search of
the hideous laugh, the cackle, the toothy smile that accompanied it, in search
of Joshua Todd.

Jason
felt a sudden cold steel and after a moment of fingering the engravings on the
plate he remembered what it was to him a long time ago. A portal. He grinned
and stifled a chuckle as he tore the metal lid clean off its resting place and
cast it aside, far into the oblivion around him. Far into the darkness behind
him. Jason slipped inside the newly found gateway and into more shade and
shadow. He found water at his feet though and cried out in relief and joy. The
stench returned to him and he rushed through the water after his prey.

I’ve
found you Todd! I’ve found you and there’s nothing you can do to save yourself!
You are going to beg and plead and cry as I peel the stolen flesh from your
still breathing corpse bit by bit you callous wretch. I’ll split your tongue
and eyes and I’ll drown you in this filthy stream and I’ll strangle you and rip
you to pieces digit by digit bone by bone limb from limb. I will find you Todd
and I will kill you I will kill you will kill you Todd kill you Todd…

A
sudden and unwelcome light pierced the comfortable darkness and Jason’s eyes
required a moment to adjust to the intrusion. Yet the illumination proffered
one welcome sight. Todd cowered in a corner away from Jason. He was alone and
unable to utter a single word against him.

Jason
seethed as he slowly stepped toward Joshua. “Todd. Look what you did to me!” he
bellowed. “Did you really believe this could stop me? Me?! Your little
desecrations mean nothing to me. I will kill you. Do you hear me Todd? You are
nothing. Your little God told you to kill me? He told you to kill me? Me? You,
He must know nothing. He is nothing, nothing! Compared to me.” Jason lunged
forward and seized Todd at his throat. He held him close to his eyes and
sneered, “Your God has failed. I am nothing to be trifled with you cur. You
bastard, you…you…”

Jason
wrenched Todd’s neck violently for a moment and slammed his head into a wall.
Todd ceased moving but Jason continued to bash his skull into the wall until
the remains of his head and neck ran through his fingers in a pulp. The hum
rose into a high pitch and in a moment the remains of the man became little
more than a rat.

A
cold sweat came over him and Jason stumbled backward and to the floor.

“Jason?”

The
word finally elucidated itself and repeated again.

“Jason?”

His
eyes widened and he searched desperately for the source. The laughter fled
entirely and he remained hopeless in the catacombs of the city.
No, no no no
no no. Why now? Why did you have to come and interrupt this? I had him. He was
gone and dead and I killed him! Me! I killed the man that tried to kill me and
you stole this from me! Where the hell are you?

“Jason?”
He heard the voice once more. “Jason, I hope you can hear me, and I hope you
are alright. I miss you and I can’t wait for you to come home. Please, please
come home soon.”

Audrey?
Audrey where are you? You can’t be here. Please, I don’t want you to see this,
to see me kill him. Audrey where are you?
Jason stopped for a moment and
breathed.
Home. She said ‘come home.’ She’s home. But where, where am I?
He looked around and saw the rat he mutilated as well as the large, well lit
room around him.
The sewers. What the hell have I been doing? What was that?
What came over me?
He looked at his hands and realized he was whole again.
But,
but how? Was any of that real?

Jason
rubbed his eyes and face with his bloodied hands and tried to determine his
next step.
Todd is still on the loose and Lily needs help. I need to save
her. She’s in trouble, but, but where do I go from here?
He gazed about the
room once more and found something familiar logged in a stone wall on the other
side of the room. Jason hovered to it and examined the item.
Todd’s blade.
He was here then, but where did he go? And what happened here? There’s no way
he discarded it after all of these years and I doubt he has strength enough to
imbed it in stone.
He quickly returned to the area where he entered the
room and studied the floor. Traces of what Jason guessed were blood led off in
one of nearly a dozen paths and without hesitation he raced into the shadowed
corridor in search of an exit.

He
found a way back to the surface and took it.
With any luck there will be
another clue. If not though, at least I’m back on the surface. I could return
home and meet Audrey and have her patch this costume up.
Once he returned
to the streets he discovered night was nearly through, but also that the
trickles of blood continued to support his trail. Jason soon reached another
old building, akin to the one he nearly died in. However the trail led into the
basement through a cellar door.