"The Endgame" (Nature)

Seymour had told his men what his plan was, and all of them had agreed to it. “Now Elliot, are you sure that you and Reed can get me to the parasites?” They both nodded, “As long as Gwen and Fabien pull of their diversion, yes.” Seymour put his hand on Elliot’s shoulder, “If there is a god somewhere, I hope he protects you with his own almighty hand, my English friend.” Elliot put his hand on Seymour’s shoulder in turn, “If there is a god somewhere, I hope he allows you to dine with all the other almighty heroes in the afterlife.” He smiled hot-headedly.

Fabien had been given the task of flying the plan, with Gwen in the back. Their mission was to create a diversion. Seymour had made several harmless explosive objects, “These things will just go ‘BANG!’ No one will get harmed, nor will another fire spread out. It’s enough to get the attention away from us though. Got it, Gwen?” She pretended to recall his advice as though it was complex, “Of course I get it you… Bulky beast!” She playfully hit him, “Now, go and avenge your son.” They parted each other with smiles of valour.

Underneath the air field, Sierra put her last resort plan into action. She entered what appeared to be a missile silo, unfortunately occupied by a missile. Opening the hatch on the side, she firmly placed the bomb inside of it, closing the hatch again. Turning around, there was a small office behind blast proof glass, along with a heavily reinforced door. Entering the office, she checked the set of monitors on the wall, noticing several CCTV cameras were still in operation. She sat down at the desk, still wincing from her severe and many burns, with the missile controls. With the some of the cameras still in operation, she would know of an attack by the enemy group; in which case, the missile would be used…

Fabien started up the plane engine. Gwen waved back at the group, as they wall watched the plane taxying up the road, sharply turning up to go airborne. “Right then Seymour,” Elliot turned to him, “Are you ready for this?” He smiled gloriously, and raised his sword up high. He let out an enormous war cry, which Elliot had assumed to be the French word for ‘Charge!’, as Abel, Sebastian and Langley all raised their swords as well, charging towards the base. This left Elliot with Zach and Celeste, both of whom had questions for him.

“Yes, I know Seymour wanted Zach dead. He even asked me to do it myself at one point.” Elliot confessed to Celeste. Although she was conversational in the language, she had asked Zach to translate Elliot’s speech for her. She said something back to him in French, which Zach translated into English for Elliot. “She thanks you for sparing my life – as do I – But she would also like to know where you will go after this is all over.” Elliot shrugged, “Not too far. We’re staying in this area. We’ve come too far, lost too much, no point in running even further now.” Zach again translated this, prompting a French response from Celeste. “She says you can stay with us. Here, in this mansion. It’s the least she can do after you drove away the threat of the Sinners.” But this prompted another question from Elliot, “Ask her how she escaped from them in the first place.” Zach looked confusingly at him, “Zach, please, ask her.” He reluctantly nodded, and did so.

Her response wasn’t short, she had been talking for some time, somehow Zach had enough brain capacity to remember everything she had said. “Although they act primitive, they do still have some intuition like all human beings. There were only four of the Sinners left, all of them had given up on their way of life upon discovering the rest of their people had been lead over a cliff.” Elliot swallowed hard.

“For that reason, they let me go. They didn’t care anymore. I don’t know what happened to them after that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they drowned themselves.”

Flying over the air field, they had drawn the attention of all the residents. Fearful that the place may get firebombed again, most people took shelter. Others however took up arms, attempting to shoot the plane down.

“Gwen! Go for that area there!” Fabien radioed to her, as she threw one of the harmless ‘poppers’ at a cluster of people shooting at them. It forced them to scatter further apart. “And there as well!” He pointed out another cluster of people shooting at them.

With everyone distracted, Seymour ordered his men to charge at the base. Kicking and bashing the gate down, Abel, Sebastian and Langley all rushed in. The residents were torn between shooting at the warriors and shooting at the plane, allowing them to rack up many kills.

“Alright, let’s go.” With everyone distracted, Reed could get Seymour into the labs downstairs. Although a couple of residents had noticed them and tried to kill them, Seymour’s sword was mightier than their firearms. “Some of these people are just innocent civilians! Why must you kill them all?” Reed felt disheartened. “Innocent civilians you say? Why is it that they approach us with guns then?” Seymour rebutted, “There’s no time for this my fellow warrior! Take me to the parasites!” Nonetheless, they ventured forth.

Olivia and Tina were watching from a rooftop, using the binoculars. “What’s happening?” Tina asked her, as she was looking through them, “They made it in. Seymour’s warriors are quite skilful in sword-fighting. I can’t see Reed or Seymour himself though.”

Elliot, Zach and Celeste had moved closer to the base with firebombs, merely as a Plan C in case the first two plans collapsed. They watched through the hole in the wall, as Seymour’s warriors dominated everyone. “I don’t think we’re needed here after all,” Zach remarked, prompting Elliot to raised his hand, “Don’t be so hasty…”

“Look!” Celeste pointed to the main building complex; even though it had been burnt to a crisp it was still standing somehow. Out of it, a large squadron of soldiers emerged. “They haven’t seen them! We’ve got to help!” As Celeste prepared to throw in a firebomb, Elliot tugged her back. “No, it’s too soon. I’m sorry Celeste, they knew what they were signing up for when they charged in there though. Let them go out in the most noble way possible.” She watched helplessly as the soldiers shot at the warriors. Firstly, Sebastian’s body was riddled with bullets, taking him out. Secondly, they shot wildly at Langley, taking him out too. While Abel continued to remain on top of things for a while longer than his two comrades, eventually he was overrun as well. Backed against the wall, the soldiers showed him no mercy, shooting him down. “No!” Celeste jumped up, again Elliot had to pull her back down. “I’m sorry! Celeste, I’m so sorry! He’s gone, he’s gone, ok? I know it’s hard, but he’s gone.” She broke down into tears, Zach and Elliot comforted her.

Reed had taken Seymour all the way down into the labs. Luckily, he remembered where Jane had gotten the petrol cans from last time. “Here,” Reed gave him one of the cans, and searched his pocket, producing the lighter. “Follow me,” He smiled fiercely.

Fabien and Gwen were still flying around; however, two problems had occurred at once. Firstly, one of the bullets had scraped the engine, causing it to emit some smoke. And secondly, Gwen had run out of poppers. “We need to get down, now!” Fabien tried to bring the plane down, but the lower they got, the more vulnerable they were to being shot at. “Gwen! I can’t land us! All the warriors are dead! There’s no distraction for the residents!”

Elliot had noticed Fabien trying to land the plane, and now realised he could do something which would satisfy two people at once. “Celeste,” he gave her a second firebomb. “You want to avenge Abel? Go right ahead. Light this place up.” She smiled at him appreciatively, before stepping through the hole. “Forward until Hell! With all of you!” Again, her English was rusty, but she got the message across. She lobbed the first firebomb considerably far, but saved the second one.

Behind her, Elliot and Zach had joined. Both of them threw in their firebombs as well. The resultant blaze was quickly beginning to engulf the airfield. “Come on, we don’t wanna get trapped in here,” Elliot lead his two colleagues back out before the fire could trap them in.

With all the residents distracted by the fire, Gwen and Fabien safely landed on the road outside. Once they had halted to a complete stop, the rest of their group rushed over to greet them. On one side, Elliot, Zach and Celeste applauded them, while on the other side, there was Olivia and Tina. Gwen removed her flight goggles, noticing two key people missing, “Where’s Seymour? And Reed too?”

Reed and Seymour could hear the fire above them. “Well, no point in giving up now I guess,” Seymour shook Reed’s hand, “Good luck to you my… other English friend.” Reed was confused by this however, as Seymour entered the room with the parasites, he closed the door behind him. “Wait, what are you doing man?” Reed banged on the door, “You can survive this easily! You don’t need to die here!”

But Seymour begged to differ, looking at all the jars of the worm-like parasites around the room. “These creatures… These things… Elliot may be right after all! Maybe these things did indeed start the apocalypse! These things are also what killed my son!” He wildly threw the petrol around the room, soaking everything, just as Reed had previously done. “Reed, you must go! Leave this place, now! Otherwise the resultant blaze will kill you!”

“But what about you Seymour? I can’t let you die in there!” He tried to force the door open.

“I’ll be ok. After this, I shall dine with my warriors. In Heaven, or in Hell. I shall be with my son again; I can tell him about how I avenged him. Oh, but this is just the most glorious death! Now, Reed, go! Please! Look after Celeste for me. Look after Elliot too.” He pulled up the lighter.

Finally giving in, Reed allowed Seymour his sacrifice. “Alright… I’m going now. We’ll remember you Seymour, always. Rest easy now, warrior.” With those words, he stood back from the door, then ran as fast as he could to escape the fallout.

With the lighter activated in his hand, Seymour looked around the room. “See you all in Hell!” He threw the lighter at the wall, the oil all over the room lit the place up instantly. Through the flames, Seymour stared at one of parasite jars, watching the glass melt, and the creatures inside burn to death. Despite the immense pain he was obviously in, Seymour didn’t react to the fire; Instead he gazed in satisfaction at the burning parasites, as they all went down into the fire together.

Outside, everyone watched in silence as the air field burned down a second time. From out of the shadows, Reed came running towards them, looking slightly reddened. “Reed!” Elliot went over to him, helping him catch his breath. “Where is Seymour?” Celeste asked him. He caught his breath for a few more seconds, before looking over to her, “He’s with his son now…” Celeste nodded grievingly. Everyone continued to watch the inferno.

Elliot took Olivia’s hand and looked at her, “We did it.” They smiled lightly at each other. Elliot then took Reed’s hand as well, prompting everyone to link their hands together in a line. “Seymour, Abel, Langley and Sebastian. We live to fight another day not just because of them, but for them. We shall remember them,” Elliot bowed his head, shortly followed by all the others. He then recited the names of everyone in the group, “Elliot, Olivia, Gwen, Erica, Tina, Reed, Fabien, Zach, Pierre, Celeste. We are a united front now. All ten of us. We found our home, we will live in the mansion until either it is destroyed, or our days are numbered.” Again, he bowed his head, prompting everyone else to do so. Silently, they all turned around, making their way back to the mansion.

In the office next to the missile silo, Sierra could see the group walking away on the outside camera. She huffed and puffed aggressively, before laughing like a maniac, “No! Nobody lives!” Turning around, she slammed her fist on the red button which said ‘LAUNCH’. Looking through the window, she noticed the missile rise up several inches, the hatch opening. Now, it began to fully rise outside. She watched with gritted teeth, like a crazed scientist. She looked at the desk, and realised she had forgotten one crucial thing – She hadn’t set the flight path for the missile. Where it was headed was still very much anyone’s guess.

Everyone continued to walk away from the blaze, not turning back. No one even looked at another person, the journey was completely silent. A loud mechanical noise from behind however had drawn their attention. Everyone’s faces filled with shock, upon noticing a certain object launched into the sky – it was the missile. “Impossible…” Elliot was devastated. “If that thing drops anywhere near us, we’re all going to die.” Fabien reminded them, “There’s no point in running, not anymore…” All everyone could do now was watch hopelessly, and pray that the missile continued to fly over them… =Epilogue= “Please… Let me go!” Cora begged for her life while being dragged by two of the doctors. They entered the bunkbed room, and tossed Cora on the ground. “So then, Miss Annabelle,” Khan referred to her as. “Allow me to demonstrate what happens when you cross me…”

One of the doctors handed Khan a red hot poker. Standing over here, he raised it up. “No!” Keith charged at and tackled him, punching him viciously. Annabelle hopped up as well, running to take the poker from them. “Stand back!” She pulled out on the two doctors who tried to apprehend her. She watched them closely whilst Keith continued to beat Khan into the ground. She looked over at Cora, who was struggling to get up.

“Cora… Your mum, Erica. I’ve seen her, she’s alive.” At the present moment, Annabelle couldn’t think of a better way to comfort her. “My mum? Alive?” She was looked scruffy and ragged from the way she had been treated. “Yes, alive. Come with me, and I’ll take you to her.” Cora tried to smile as best she could; though this emotion had been lost long ago. As one of the doctors tried to sweep the poker away from her, she stabbed it through his chest, “I said stand back!” He dropped the ground, cradling his burn.

“I’ll let you live, Khan. But I am going to torture you. Annabelle, give me the poker,” Mercilessly, she handed it right to him. Amongst the blood he was covered in, Khan tried to beg. Feeling no remorse, Keith pressed it against Khan’s temple, prompting him to scream from the agony of the burn. “Alright Keith, that’s enough! I can’t stand his annoying scream anymore!” Annabelle requested. Keith dropped the poker, the other doctor was too scared to act against them. Lifting Cora up, Annabelle and Keith ventured to find their way off of the ship… -Deaths of Sebastian, Abel, Langley and Seymour -With regards to the fates of Sierra, Tango and Jane:
 * This chapter holds the most amount of recurring character deaths at a total of 4.
 * As of their deaths, Celeste is the only survivor of Seymour's group (Zach and Pierre were from the Air field technically).
 * "It's really up to the reader to decide what happened to them afterwards. I made sure their fates were left ambiguous at the end of this chapter because I felt as though it would be fun and a little bit 'interactive' for the reader to decide what happened to them afterwards. I have no plans to explore these three characters again, so they are left with Unknown statuses. It's really up to you to decide - If you think they're dead, then they're dead. If you think they're alive, then they're alive.