Meme Doc P.H.D
Mayfair Vol 3 #8: Rumage
***
I had no reason to believe that we were merely trapped in a memory loop.
4 in the damned morning. But it’s just a prediction. The immunity’s worn off, and I’d rather have a yakuza member stab me right now.
I, a skilled fighter, lost to someone inhumane, broke my hand, and it hurt more than the battles I’ve fought. Put on jury since the aftermath of killing his closest queen, I should have brandished my swords further, but the battles are endless. Misery never goes, it comes to you naturally.
Magnus: “Sean, please, wake up…”
Sean: “Huh?”
Magnus: “Listen, I’m too weak at this point, I’ve drained all my energy before even realizing it, he..he must have poisoned you?”
Sean: “I thought it was supposed to be healing…”
Magnus: “No time for further explanation, so I’ll cut it short Makeshift: Take this teleportation gem with you and get to the graveyard. You’re inches away from death, and you have to conserve that electricity…”
Sean: “Where—“
And Magnus passes out, the pebble rolling out of his blood soaked hand. I widen my eyes to see that my techno armour was torn, my clothes ripped. My socks felt swollen under the boots. My hair was loose. How was this possible? How could I let myself be captured only to be freed easily? And why me?
So many questions, but too little time to answer. At the behest of feeling my cracked rib, I conjure a spell in Gaelic to sustain some self healing. Only a few times I’ve ever done it, and my injuries must have been life threatening. Like my lover, and my friends…I glimpsed how much they were suffering because we lost an uphill battle.
And then I saw her sister. Florence Wyndham. Her lips were dripping with blood, her clothes stained of rose petals as if they were poisoned. But she had a shotgun in her arm, broken in half. Why did Magnus bring us here? For our potential?
Sean: “Flor…Flor, are you alright? Are you fine?”
Florence: “I’m very…very weak. I was told by Magnus to seek help, but all seems…lost..”*coughs*
Sean: “Like a trance, I don’t know where we are but he managed to get these for us. He may have stopped time. I can heal him back, but I don’t have any powders to get him going.”
Florence: “We—we gotta go…can you walk? Carry him? My sister…I know what’s going on with her, the Devil’s work, one by one and we have to save them.”
Sean: “I can’t…I don’t want to lose her..”
I sob on Florence’s shoulders as she hugs me back. I could never lose the sight of her being in pain, like the torment of her friends, being on the verge of survival meant everything. This was not the decisive victory a man had wanted, let alone going basking into full glory. I held such low expectations against fake juries, the law upheld—if I could only salvage my license instead of being a bounty hunter like the rest.
My family would look in shame, they were noblemen. All wiped out from the disease no one was cautious about. And the swords passed down from generation were in my hands, turbulent. Sheathed blood only to ironically, sheath mines. I could remember the brief, torturous brainwashing that I was forced to stab one of my teammates.
God, no…
***
Florence: “We had to keep running, this city is beyond ruins, like we fought earlier. The devastation is too much.”
Sean: “My pouch was here, where is it?”
Florence: “Must be gone like the rest. They probably…dumped everything. God, I want some fucking water, I’m really dehydrated…”
Sean: “Hello? Anyone out…here?”
Florence: “Don’t be a bloody idiot and scream, the three of us are incapable of doing much. We only teleported once. I’m not sure how much you know about Korea, but…it’s burnt bodies everywhere. Old and young alike…”
She was right. There was no one around. It was like literal hell, worse than villages ransacked and ravaged. If we could find Florence’s flying car, but her keys were taken, only allowed by her own biometrics.
We walked for a damned hour, and the sky did not change at all. I could hear the ghastly screams around, echoing. I was going to lose my mind, bouncing from happiness to a wave of insomnia and fatigue. Everything felt so faint…
Koles must be keeping everything together. I tried to restart Magnus’ heart, but he’s out cold, hard. I had to find a better booth to pull his soul back, but the problem is there wasn’t one. The stores were gone, the apartments…futuristic or not, it made no difference than things years and centuries ago. Except us both, breathing and living.
Another hour passed. Probably, probably not. I didn’t care. I held my only katana on one hand, as Florence carried Magnus. She was strong, had the spirit that wouldn’t give up easily. Not the breakable kind. It’s what I admired from a lot of people, but her especially, and Rowie—like two sides of the same coin, but I favoured the woman I love, how much we rekindled from the foundation once again.
I gave into my senses and swiped at anything that was suspicious. The ghosts. I needed to breathe to conserve my energy. Tap into my chi. Meditation was the only form. Water would only short circuit me. Florence used her broken shotgun into a better modpon, a improvised club except the trigger was gone, but it was her trademark to shoot then beat up someone.
Florence: “Wait, I sense someone ahead. Take us there.”
Sean: “Alright. You hang on, Mags.”
And we were in Incheon. This gem could run out any minute, given the places we tried searching around. I may be familiar with Korea, but it is terrifying how fast Creek demolished an entire…country? I hope not. The rest probably went to the North after the monarchy died, and it reunifiedfed under better conditions, but North and South still retained its own stances of names.
We were in Seoul now, after leaping through a lot. Suddenly, I felt Magnus’ fingers tap on my shoulders. Then his finger pointed towards a man sitting near a broken pole that was about to run out of power. He was porched on a rock, in goggles that resembled Lucien’s, but rounded, a balaclava that looked slightly similar to Magnus’ gas mask, lines of graffiti that could be taken from Edris’ graffiti clothes, and…I couldn’t see further.
But the man started walking towards us, his size got bigger as he was now visible. But his robes were broken, in wraps akin to Forge’s dusty wear.
Sean: “Who are you?”
Robed Man: “Don’t bother looking around for more. Half of Korea is sacked. The city won’t bother coming, neither will the government or military interfere. Only I and your friends remain.”
Florence: “Are you the salvation that Styrmir said?”
Robed Man: “Salvation? Merely, I won’t say it is. But the hatted man who controls the wind does not dictate what you are. The bald man does. The time has come.”
Sean: “Eltrocus? Wait—“
Robed Man: “But now time won’t wait. You will take me back to your execution site. If you are Makeshift and Switcher, then he must have sent the right representatives. Your survival means a lot like your friend Strymir. I don’t know your real names, nor am I interested.”
Florence: “Alright, and…?”
Robed Man: “Everything will have a price to pay. I can sense the life forces that as far as you three get, all are dying slowly. But I will heal you only…”
“If I do what I must do, take me to Kolesnikov Valeryvich. Immediately.
***
Mayfair Vol 3 #8: Rumage
***
I had no reason to believe that we were merely trapped in a memory loop.
4 in the damned morning. But it’s just a prediction. The immunity’s worn off, and I’d rather have a yakuza member stab me right now.
I, a skilled fighter, lost to someone inhumane, broke my hand, and it hurt more than the battles I’ve fought. Put on jury since the aftermath of killing his closest queen, I should have brandished my swords further, but the battles are endless. Misery never goes, it comes to you naturally.
Magnus: “Sean, please, wake up…”
Sean: “Huh?”
Magnus: “Listen, I’m too weak at this point, I’ve drained all my energy before even realizing it, he..he must have poisoned you?”
Sean: “I thought it was supposed to be healing…”
Magnus: “No time for further explanation, so I’ll cut it short Makeshift: Take this teleportation gem with you and get to the graveyard. You’re inches away from death, and you have to conserve that electricity…”
Sean: “Where—“
And Magnus passes out, the pebble rolling out of his blood soaked hand. I widen my eyes to see that my techno armour was torn, my clothes ripped. My socks felt swollen under the boots. My hair was loose. How was this possible? How could I let myself be captured only to be freed easily? And why me?
So many questions, but too little time to answer. At the behest of feeling my cracked rib, I conjure a spell in Gaelic to sustain some self healing. Only a few times I’ve ever done it, and my injuries must have been life threatening. Like my lover, and my friends…I glimpsed how much they were suffering because we lost an uphill battle.
And then I saw her sister. Florence Wyndham. Her lips were dripping with blood, her clothes stained of rose petals as if they were poisoned. But she had a shotgun in her arm, broken in half. Why did Magnus bring us here? For our potential?
Sean: “Flor…Flor, are you alright? Are you fine?”
Florence: “I’m very…very weak. I was told by Magnus to seek help, but all seems…lost..”*coughs*
Sean: “Like a trance, I don’t know where we are but he managed to get these for us. He may have stopped time. I can heal him back, but I don’t have any powders to get him going.”
Florence: “We—we gotta go…can you walk? Carry him? My sister…I know what’s going on with her, the Devil’s work, one by one and we have to save them.”
Sean: “I can’t…I don’t want to lose her..”
I sob on Florence’s shoulders as she hugs me back. I could never lose the sight of her being in pain, like the torment of her friends, being on the verge of survival meant everything. This was not the decisive victory a man had wanted, let alone going basking into full glory. I held such low expectations against fake juries, the law upheld—if I could only salvage my license instead of being a bounty hunter like the rest.
My family would look in shame, they were noblemen. All wiped out from the disease no one was cautious about. And the swords passed down from generation were in my hands, turbulent. Sheathed blood only to ironically, sheath mines. I could remember the brief, torturous brainwashing that I was forced to stab one of my teammates.
God, no…
***
Florence: “We had to keep running, this city is beyond ruins, like we fought earlier. The devastation is too much.”
Sean: “My pouch was here, where is it?”
Florence: “Must be gone like the rest. They probably…dumped everything. God, I want some fucking water, I’m really dehydrated…”
Sean: “Hello? Anyone out…here?”
Florence: “Don’t be a bloody idiot and scream, the three of us are incapable of doing much. We only teleported once. I’m not sure how much you know about Korea, but…it’s burnt bodies everywhere. Old and young alike…”
She was right. There was no one around. It was like literal hell, worse than villages ransacked and ravaged. If we could find Florence’s flying car, but her keys were taken, only allowed by her own biometrics.
We walked for a damned hour, and the sky did not change at all. I could hear the ghastly screams around, echoing. I was going to lose my mind, bouncing from happiness to a wave of insomnia and fatigue. Everything felt so faint…
Koles must be keeping everything together. I tried to restart Magnus’ heart, but he’s out cold, hard. I had to find a better booth to pull his soul back, but the problem is there wasn’t one. The stores were gone, the apartments…futuristic or not, it made no difference than things years and centuries ago. Except us both, breathing and living.
Another hour passed. Probably, probably not. I didn’t care. I held my only katana on one hand, as Florence carried Magnus. She was strong, had the spirit that wouldn’t give up easily. Not the breakable kind. It’s what I admired from a lot of people, but her especially, and Rowie—like two sides of the same coin, but I favoured the woman I love, how much we rekindled from the foundation once again.
I gave into my senses and swiped at anything that was suspicious. The ghosts. I needed to breathe to conserve my energy. Tap into my chi. Meditation was the only form. Water would only short circuit me. Florence used her broken shotgun into a better modpon, a improvised club except the trigger was gone, but it was her trademark to shoot then beat up someone.
Florence: “Wait, I sense someone ahead. Take us there.”
Sean: “Alright. You hang on, Mags.”
And we were in Incheon. This gem could run out any minute, given the places we tried searching around. I may be familiar with Korea, but it is terrifying how fast Creek demolished an entire…country? I hope not. The rest probably went to the North after the monarchy died, and it reunifiedfed under better conditions, but North and South still retained its own stances of names.
We were in Seoul now, after leaping through a lot. Suddenly, I felt Magnus’ fingers tap on my shoulders. Then his finger pointed towards a man sitting near a broken pole that was about to run out of power. He was porched on a rock, in goggles that resembled Lucien’s, but rounded, a balaclava that looked slightly similar to Magnus’ gas mask, lines of graffiti that could be taken from Edris’ graffiti clothes, and…I couldn’t see further.
But the man started walking towards us, his size got bigger as he was now visible. But his robes were broken, in wraps akin to Forge’s dusty wear.
Sean: “Who are you?”
Robed Man: “Don’t bother looking around for more. Half of Korea is sacked. The city won’t bother coming, neither will the government or military interfere. Only I and your friends remain.”
Florence: “Are you the salvation that Styrmir said?”
Robed Man: “Salvation? Merely, I won’t say it is. But the hatted man who controls the wind does not dictate what you are. The bald man does. The time has come.”
Sean: “Eltrocus? Wait—“
Robed Man: “But now time won’t wait. You will take me back to your execution site. If you are Makeshift and Switcher, then he must have sent the right representatives. Your survival means a lot like your friend Strymir. I don’t know your real names, nor am I interested.”
Florence: “Alright, and…?”
Robed Man: “Everything will have a price to pay. I can sense the life forces that as far as you three get, all are dying slowly. But I will heal you only…”
“If I do what I must do, take me to Kolesnikov Valeryvich. Immediately.
***