Prelude to Anguish
Delta was walking down the street. She was walking along a desert. She pulled out a map. There was a location circled. She was without her armor. Wearing a black unitard cut off at her knees and going up to her neck. Over it she wore a white top and over that was her blue, white patterned sweatshirt. It was tattered, dirty, and had bullet holes in it. Her hair had grown out. Long hair on one side, and the other side her hair was shorter. She was holding a bag of food. All vegetables and fruits. As she stepped, thoughts ran through her head.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Apollo stood in front of the group of girls, with Delta in front. She looked up at him. The sun shined on him, he was holding his bow.
Apollo: This place is for the divine only! And you let her die…
Apollo grew quiet. He started mumbling.
Apollo: Leave this place.
Woman: Wha-
Apollo: Leave now! Or die!
Delta's mind shifted again. To her fight with Terra. She felt her throat tightening as before. Her mind wandered over to the aftermath of her and Terra's fight.
Artemis: You are a failure! You spent your entire life to die to a zero!
Delta: I-I can explain mom. Let me kill her! I'll do anything! I just got this armor! This power. I deserve it!
Artemis slapped Delta across the face.
Artemis: When I'm finished with Empyrean, you'll get what you deserve. Actually, come with me. We're leaving in five minutes.
Artemis stepped out to prepare. Delta broke down. She screamed and cried. Slamming her hand on the ground. She grabbed a picture on the wall with her and Artemis in the frame and threw it across the room. She heard a crash. And her heart sank. She shouldn't have done that.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Delta stumbled upon a run-down hotel. She walked over. A couple potheads at a room cat-called her.
Man: Look what the cat dragged in!
Delta kept walking.
Another man: Come on! Don't be shy! You think you're too good for us.
Delta turned. And started walking towards them. She dropped her food.
Man: Yeah. That's it!
Delta jumped on a guy and started making out with him. They moved inside. A couple seconds passed. And the same guy she made out with screamed. She let him fall to his knees. And she ripped his head off. Two other guys ran out of the room.
Drunk man: Holy shit! Grab the fucking car! Quick!
Another man: She just ripped his dick off!
Drunk man: Yeah? You wanna be next?
They jumped in the car and sped off. Delta walked into the street and picked up a rock. She threw it as hard as she could. The car's tire popped and it smashed into a rock. Delta heard the smashing of glass. She walked towards the car as the men dragged themselves out.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Delta walked into a motel room with her groceries. She was covered with blood.
About twenty-five girls stood around the room. There was barely any room for Delta to move.
Delta: I have brought food!
Delta dropped it on the bed. The hungry ones of the crowd came over and took food quickly. A girl saw the blood on Delta. Her name was Hannah.
Hannah: Delta. Where'd that blood come from?
Hannah had some heavy duty armor on. It covered her torso, arms, shoulders and waist. Her legs were open. She wore a black unitard from her feet up to her neck. She had blonde hair in a ponytail.
Delta: I killed a pack of guys. There are some things I like about the real world.
Hannah: You all hear that!? Delta slayed a pack of men!
Everyone cheered and beat their hands on their chests and held them out for a second.
Delta: Thank you Hannah. They actually listen to you.
Hannah: Just because I got some shiny armor doesn't make me that big of a deal.
Delta: Here it does. And that's all that matters.
The TV turned on. Delta pushed some people out of the way and looked at it.
Newswoman: Popular celebrity and progressive entrepreneur Jilaya Springer has pleaded guilty to multiple crimes. Including human trafficking, unlawful imprisonment and other crimes. She has been arrested and labelled a terrorist after the attack on San Francisco that was caused by her. Here we have the video conference of her pleading to her multiple crimes.
Jilaya sat in front of a camera in an empty room.
Jilaya: I, Jilaya Springer plead guilty to unlawful imprisonment, Lying to the government, destruction of U.S soil and landmarks, possible genocide against metas and mutants, unlawful experimenting with humans without their consent.
Jilaya kept going. The newswoman came back and put on the president,
Newswoman: ...we have president Jayden Borden in a press conference.
President: This is a tragedy. I can't believe I let this slip under my nose.
Delta stepped away from the TV. She envisioned Terra's face in her head. And her smashing it to bits. Some more of the day passed. The girls laid the beds in the motel out longways across the room and they turned on a movie. Delta was laying in the middle of two random girls. One of them had been snacking on some candy.
Delta: Don't eat so much sugar. Everyone here has to stay in pristine form.
Girl: I get you care. But I didn't ask.
Other girl: Don't act like you're above us. You walk five miles to get food everyday just like we all do.
Delta took a breath and kept watching. And it ran into the night. Everyone was asleep, Delta was close to the door. She snuck out. She stood in the middle of the parking lot. And started shadow boxing. Starting slow and ramping it up with punches and kicks, throwing in elbows, knees, flying kicks and punches. Delta started running, and running until she made it into the middle of the desert. She screamed into the darkness. And heard wolves howling back at her.
Delta: Terra…
Delta took out her map from earlier. She circled New York City. But it was across the country. She thought about Hannah. She had the armor. And a gigantic axe.
Delta: I could bash her head in with that axe…
Delta thought about Terra. Her defeat against her. Artemis's death. All of Terra's wins. And all of Delta's losses. She remembered when she saw Apollo.
Delta: Hey! I thought I was going to be the next Artemis! It was supposed to be me!
Apollo: Ha! We have a better candidate. Do you remember Terra Lorenz?
Delta flashed back into the present.
Delta: She caused this...I already have so many bodies on my hands. What's a little more?
She thought about Hannah, leading everyone to victory. And getting new armor from Apollo.
Delta: That should be me...
Delta stood up and ran across the desert and back to the motel. Delta saw a man who got out of his car.
Delta: Hey!
The man looked at her,
Man: Hello? Isn't it sleeping hours.
Delta: I'll give you ten thousand dollars if you kill five people for me.
Man: What? You think I'm fucking insane?
Delta: I know men like you who come here are scum. You all are…
Man: Look. I'm not killing anyone for you.
Delta: Do it. Or I'll kill you!
Man: Look, I don't want any trouble.
Delta pushed the man against the car and held his chin with one hand.
Delta: I could snap your neck with one hand.
Delta squeezed his neck and pushed his head against the car.
Delta: Do you believe me?!
Man: Yesyesyes! Just stop! I'll fucking do it! Just leave me alone! Never talk to me again!
Delta: Good.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Delta: Go.
The man went in with a knife. He had to make it real. So he slit the throat of the four first girls, and then he got to Hannah, he swiftly killed her. Delta quietly grabbed Hannah's axe. She picked it up and let out a war cry as she swung it. The man tried to move. But fell over on one of the girls. The axe stabbed straight through him. Cutting him in half like butter. All the girls awoke.
Girl: Delta?! What happened?
Delta: He killed Hannah, and four other warriors. So I took justice.
Most of the girls prayed for the dead and then they all stood up.
The girl from earlier Delta yelled and stood up.
Girl: I guess we were wrong about you Delta.
Some of the other girls agreed.
Another girl: In favor of Delta as our new leader, and taking after Hannah?!
Everyone bowed to Delta and beat their hands on their chests and held them out for a second.
Delta: For Hannah!
Everyone: For Hannah!
Delta smiled to herself.