Rage Against The Machine 1

"AHHHHHH! Damn it!" My fist pounds against the wheel of my car as it lies dead in the parking lot.

"Why?! Damn it! Why?!" I slam my head against the wheel, and the horn blares before I pull myself together and open the door, slamming it shut behind me.

After getting out of the car, I sit down and pull out my phone and headphones, trying to decompress. This is the fifth time this year. I've been having car problems.

I guess it's my fault for buying used, but what can you do when the newer models cost $5000 and up? I'm so angry. I'm laughing out of pure self-pity now.

Looking at my old iPhone 5, I see the screen fizzle out and die. Staring at it for a moment, I throw it into the nearby pond. I couldn't get a deal on a new one since this one was already too messed up.

Sitting back down against my car, I glance at the building where I used to work. Got fired again. "We don't need more workers, and our payroll is too high."

What a fucking joke.

Even when I entered the manager's office, I saw them wearing designer clothes and driving nice cars. Any credit cards we managed to open for the company? Straight into their bonuses.

I watched as my former coworkers, people I once thought were friends, didn't even give me a passing glance. A couple of them I thought might care, but they didn't even look at me.

But to be honest, why should they care? Simple: they don't. It doesn't benefit them to care. They all drove away without a word. I saw my former boss walk to his own car and flip me off. I still don't even know why the guy hates me. I was a model employee—made it to every shift five minutes early, opened more credit cards for customers than anyone else, even ones who barely spoke English.

Maybe it was because I asked for a raise for all the extra work I was doing. But just looking at his smug, fucking face pisses me off.

Since I was close enough, I walked up to his car. His driver's side window was open because it was a hot day, and he was trying to keep his car cool.

"What do you want? Need me to call you an Uber? Oh wait, you probably can't pay for it. Get the fuck out of my face." He sneers.

Without thinking, I grab his head and slam it into the steering wheel, repeatedly. After about six slams, he manages to catch my arm and tries to punch me in the face, but since he's still buckled up, he can barely reach me. I grab him by the collar and slam him into the door, breaking one of his teeth.

"You fucking lunatic. I'm gonna sue your ass for this." He grabs his phone to call 911, but I grab it and toss it across the parking lot.

"What do you have against me? Did I piss in your cereal or something?" He says nothing, just glares at me.

He turns the key and starts the engine, a smile creeping across his face. He tries to run me over, but the car's acceleration isn't fast enough. I step aside and dodge it easily. As he leaves the parking lot, I begin to hear police sirens in the distance.

I walk back over to my car and sit down, feeling slightly satisfied that the guy is going to need some good dental work. I see the police cars enter the lot and stop. I just sit there and watch them.

Two officers get out of the car, pointing their guns at me, yelling for me to get on the ground with my hands behind my head.

To be honest, I don't care anymore.

So, I stand up. As they keep shouting, I put my hand in my pocket, and one of them takes a shot, hitting me in the chest. Another bullet hits my neck. Slowly, I pull out my wallet and look at the picture of me and my mom.

Things were better back then. I'm sorry I let you down. The lights from the police cars blur as blood pools around me. It pisses me off to hear them talking about me like I'm just a piece of trash.

One car leaves while the other calls for an ambulance to collect the body. Before my eyes close, I see one of the cops spit on me. With the last of my strength, I pull him close and clock him in the nuts.

He staggers backward and fires off another shot as I fade into darkness.

(Line Break)

"Why am I here?" The question reverberates around the enormous cavern I find myself in.

The only visible part of the creature beneath the piles of gold opens its eyes, and its voice seems to echo inside my mind.

"You are here because I believe I can make something useful out of you. My name is something you wouldn't be able to comprehend, so for this conversation, you may call me Calduin." The gold shifts around me as a massive, scaled head lifts from the mountain of treasure.

As the dragon towers over me, it continues, "Some of my associates and I have been enjoying a little game. To the uninitiated, it's called the Jump Chain. But for you, it is an opportunity." This feels like a classic dragon-deal moment, and as if reading my thoughts, he chuckles, shaking the entire room.

"You see, I like collecting things. My collection spans entire universes, and I don't like not having something that others do. It's a matter of pride." As I try to get a foothold in the mountain of gold, the room shifts, and I'm lifted by his enormous claw.

"The Angel and the Original have already created their own Jumpers. Now, I want one of my own, and you will make a perfect candidate. I'm not so callous as to take your choice from you. If you refuse, you may go to an afterlife of your choosing. Frankly, your life has already been pathetic enough. But beware, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." I stare into his eyes, which constantly shift in color, feeling completely in awe.

"You seem to be admiring my form—understandable. It has taken thousands of years to cultivate. I've devoured many foes in my lifetime, from beings beyond the threshold to gods that would make your greatest nightmare seem like a child's fantasy." He pauses, almost for dramatic effect.

"You want this, don't you? You want to take control of your life? I can respect that. Strength means far more than the opinions of a committee. Once you become strong enough, the rules no longer apply to you." All I can do is nod in agreement.

"Yes… I want that."

The answer sends a wide grin across the dragon's face as his chuckling turns into boisterous laughter.

"Yes, I can see the desperation in your eyes. I knew I chose well. But before we proceed, understand this: there is no going back. You either live, or you die." Taking a deep breath, I stand on my own two feet and stare directly into his eyes.

A piece of paper materializes in front of me, and as I grasp it, a pen appears in my hand. I sign my name at the bottom. I did read it—most of it was beneficial to me. Once I complete what he calls the Jump Chain, I'll have my freedom.

"This seems too good to be true," I say, raising an eyebrow.

The dragon raises one of his own in what almost looks like pride.

"I encourage you to be suspicious of deals like this. But I am a simple being—what matters to me are rare items and getting good sleep. You need not worry about me following you on your journey. I have better things to do. All I ask in return is that you never doubt yourself. Take what is yours, for eternity."

I take the pen and sign my name once more. The contract rolls itself up and then enters my form, along with a small vial.

As it enters me, I feel myself being pulled somewhere else, but before I lose consciousness, the dragon smirks. "I promised you, but I never said you'd remain entirely human. Rejoice and evolve."

My eyes shut, yet I don't feel fear. No… I feel better.

(GENTEK Morgue - GENTEK Building, Gramercy)

"Hey, I knew this guy. He was Blacklight."

"Yeah, well, now he's ex-Blacklight."

"His name is Mercer. Alex J. Next of kin, Mercer, Dana A. So, what do they want us to do with this guy once we cut him open?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. Just hand me the 8-inch blade."

As the doctor grabs the blade and moves his hand toward the body on the slab, the being suddenly opens its eyes and smiles.

"Here's Johnny!"

The figure grabs the doctor's head and slams it into the table before tossing him across the room. The other doctor runs to the opposite side, reaching for the alarm button, but before he can press it, a hand grabs the back of his head and hurls him into the wall.

Standing over the two bodies, I see that both their necks snapped on impact. As the alarm blares across the facility, I calmly walk over, place my hands on their bodies, and rise.

The sound of flesh devouring flesh echoes through the room, accompanied by my joyous laughter.

(To be honest, I was feeling a bit angry today, so I decided I needed to cut myself on some edge without doing so in real life. And if you can tell our main character is beginning his journey in the world of prototype with a drawback making him take the place of Alex Mercer. Honestly, I might treat this one kind of like rage writing therapy.)

(Also feel free to recommend a name for our main character but as a joke I was thinking of calling him Albert Wesker once he was finished with this jump.