Prologue:

Mary hurried through the London back streets, beneath the lamp lights, horridly aware that something was following her. Something big.
She clutched her purse to her chest- whoever it was, she couldn’t get mugged, not tonight! It was the night of her first date! She had to get to the bar! She couldn’t get mugged; this was the guy she was going to marry! She was sure of it! The first date with her future husband had to go to plan!
She turned onto a narrow street with cobbles; automatically aware that this was a terrible idea in 5 inch heels! She heard the crash of dustbins falling over and sped up! She could make it!
Just a little further...
Mary screamed in pain as her heels slipping on the cobbles and her ankle clicked and grinded loudly! She fell to the ground, her purse flying out in front of her. In an instant, the huge dark shadow was on top of her, it’s beady blue eyes glaring at her with hunger, huge fangs protruding from it’s open gums.
“Down, boy. Now, let’s see...” snarled a cruel, male voice from behind the shadow. There was a clanging of chains and the deep, hungry groan from the shadow. “Hm, perfect. You’ll disappear quite nicely. Go, boy! And quick, the moisture from the cobbles it making my eyes go dry.”
The beast snarled and then lunged at Mary, sinking it’s huge fangs deep into her shoulder...

Part 1: Establishing a plot.

Daniel walked into his lounge and over to his desk, ready to knuckle down to some research. He plonked himself down on his blue, office chair, when he noticed something...something wrong! Looking around, he found things had been moved, things had changed, as if someone had gone through his research...
Standing up, he looked around; sweat beading on his forehead, worry rising in his throat and panic shaking his hands. The whole room was wrong! Everything was...was...
TIDY!
There was no dust on the shelves, books were no longer crammed into his book case and just...placed. Ornaments and trinkets lined the mantel piece above the fire and Nicki’s canvas’ on the walls were straight! There was no dirt in the carpet...no ash on the hearth...no papers cluttering his desk...
“What the hell is going on!” yelled Daniel, stressed.
Nicki came skipping into the lounge looking strangely happy and clean. Her usual scruffy, ripped, untidy look was replaced by what looked like some sort of weird replacement Nicki!
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Daniel threw his arms up, gesturing to his alien surroundings. “What the fudge is this?”
“Erm, it appears to be a lounge.”
“Why the fudge is it tidy?”
“Oh, well, I tidied it.”
“Why? WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH DOVASHIIN?”
Nicki giggled and explained, “I quit smoking.”
Daniel stared in shock. “Why? What’s happened? Are you ok?”
“I quit. And I have no job, so I was bored, so I tidied.”
“But why did you quit? Whose gonna put cigarette butts in the ash tray now? I’m not taking smoking up!”
“Silly, you don’t need an ash tray anymore!”
“But there’s supposed to be cigarette butts in the ash tray! And there’s supposed to be untidiness everywhere! I like my squalid conditions and I want them back, along with the real Nicki!”
Nicki looked at him. “I want a job. A real job. To do that I need to change!”
“But you can’t have a real job. You have hayfever. Hayfever puts people lives in danger!”
Nicki held up a little box and shook it at Daniel.
“Piriton? Really. Like that’s going to work.” Daniel murmured, sarcastically.
“Give me a week and I’ll prove it!”
“I give you 10 minutes.”
“Fine!”


Verity watched Clint sat at his dining room table browsing art on EBay on his laptop. He looked hot just sat there doing nothing! How she found a guy like that in London she would never understand!
“You ready? I mean, you sure you wanna meet my friends?” she asked, taking a sip of red wine.
Clint closed his laptop and turned. “Course I do! They’re your life; I wanna be a part of your life. And I’d love to meet them!”
“OK, if you say so.” Verity smiled.
We’re here now, just coming up the stairs.
Georgia’s voice echoed around Verity’s mind. She stood and went to the door, just as the doorbell rang. Verity stepped aside, holding the door for her 5 friends.
She led them to the lounge, where Clint was now stood, looking slightly nervous. “Clint, this is Daniel, Holly, Nicki, Fury and Georgia.”
Everyone smiled and said hi, before Daniel interrupted, “That’s not Nicki, by the way. It’s an imposter. She’s the Nicki that’s quit smoking, which isn’t Nicki as all really.”
Nicki scowled at Daniel and sat, politely on the sofa.
“So, what do you guys do?” asked Clint, pouring everyone glasses of wine.
“Well, I’m a botanist.” replied Daniel.
“I’m a psychiatrist, I work in London city centre.” smiled Georgia.
“And the rest of us are unemployed.” added Fury.
Clint resisted a shocked look that was slowly creeping onto his face and continued with the polite social questions.
Verity thought the evening was going rather well. Daniel and Nicki hadn’t done anything to embarrass her and she hadn’t one spiteful word out of Fury! Georgia, however, seemed incredibly quiet and withdrawn, as if something was troubling her.
Shaking it off, Verity went to get another bottle of wine form the fridge.

“He seems nice.” smiled Georgia as Verity went to the door to see them off home.
“Thank you. Are you ok, Georgia? You’ve been very quiet all evening.”
“I...I’m fine. I just have a head ache.” Georgia smiled despite her anxiety.
“Right, hope it gets better. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Verity smiled and closed the door, leaving Georgia to follow the others out of the building.
Well that had been disturbing! For the past hour, it was as if Georgia had entered a bubble of static! It was all she could hear and she’d not been able to block anyone’s thoughts! She’d had to endure an hour of Clint ogling at Verity, private thoughts and all, and hear what Daniel was going to have for his midnight snack!
And what was even more disturbing, was that everyone apart from her seemed to be incredibly taken with Clint. As in, more than a normal person should! The way they all just sat there, listening to his unimpressive stories and gazing at him on ore...
Something wasn’t quite right.
Georgia strolled down the street, Holly at her side, while Blur, Nicki and Daniel made their way back to Daniel’s house.
“So, Verity’s done well there! Did you see his six pack?” Holly giggled like a little girl.
“No.” Georgia didn’t want to risk a sneak peek inside her mind, but instead asked, “What do you find so interesting about him?”
Holly sighed. “His dreamy looks, his awesome life! Did you hear his story about the gig where he crowd surfed, whilst playing a ukulele?”
“Yeah, I don’t see how that’s impressive.”
“Oh Georgia! You just can’t see an amazing guy when he’s sat right in front of you, can you!”
“Apparently not.”
Holly skipped to the apartment door and hopped from foot to foot, impatient for Georgia to open the door. She then skipped inside, making straight for Georgia’s laptop, giggling.
“What are you doing?” asked Georgia, raising one eyebrow.
“I’m going to add him on Facebook, and then I’m going to make a YouTube account and like all of his videos.” She paused and gazed into space, smiling. “Maybe I could comment! I could say how talented he is!” she giggled and looked back towards the screen.
“Well, I’m going to bed. Night.”


Bryce let out a high-pitched evil laugh, looking down on the humans trapped inside the warehouse, with no way out!
“Soon, my army shall be big enough. I may need a bigger warehouse!”
The Beatle sat next to him, slobbering and panting, looked at him, eagerly.
“All I need now is enough magic to be able to give these humans Beatle characteristics and have them do my bidding. Now, I’m off to oil my skin before it starts to peal; take care of them, Tiny.”
The Beatle just stared at him, it’s tongue lolling on it’s chin.
Bryce smiled, showing his yellow teeth “Tonight, we collect.”


Part 2: Ear Allergies

Georgia was floating high above a crowd, walls of darkness closing in on them! People screamed in pain as thick, blue substances burned their skin! Georgia tried to save them, but she couldn’t! All she could do was listen to screams and whispers and one, male voice yelling...
“Save us!”

Georgia awoke from her dream, feeling like she’d just been body-slammed by Rancid!
“Shit!” she mumbled, getting up and going to the bathroom to wash her face. OK, this was getting stupid now, what the fuck was going on with her powers! First of all she can hear everyone’s thoughts and not be able to block them, secondly, she’d never had a dream that intense!
She heard Holly, snoring softly in her room and went to the phone.
Georgia drummed her fingers on the table until she got a reply.
“What?” murmured a sleep Blur Fury.
“Blur? Where’s Nicki?”
“She’s asleep, like a normal person.”
“Asleep? But she never sleeps!”
“She’s on her normal person diet of 8 hours of sleep and not smoking, remember?”
“Oh yeah, well, you’ll do then. Something weird is going on! I can’t control my telepathy!”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, if I knew that I wouldn’t be calling you.”
“OK, ok, we’ll figure this out. I’ll meet you tomorrow morning in town.”
“No, I want to meet now! I don’t want another dream like that one!”
Blur sighed. “Fine, I’ll be over in a minute.”
“Ok.”
Blur hung up and Georgia went to dress.


“So, tell me, what’s going on?” asked Blur, her hands in the pockets of her floor length, leather coat.
Georgia strolled next to her, wearing her classic suit. “I’m not able to block everyone’s thoughts, it’s like they just echo around the room! Yesterday, I had to endure Verity and Clint’s hanky panky!”
Fury chuckled, but stopped when she saw Georgia’s face.
“And apart from that, I had a really intense dream. I never get dreams! I’ve never had a premonition in my subconscious! And if I ever had, I’ve usually forgotten it, because its in my sub-fucking-conscious!”
“Ok, ok! Don’t lose your blob! We’ll figure this out. If you want my opinion, I think you’re going insane.”
“I’m a psychiatrist! I’m not allowed to go insane! I have to help the people going insane!”
“You’re just having an off day. It’ll get back to normal!”
Georgia fell silent, as a piercing headache blurred her vision.
“Georgia?”
She was once again floating above the crowd of scared, helpless people! The darkness had receded somewhat, revealing the walls of what looked like a warehouse! She looked around, searching for a sign, anything at all to suggest where it was or what was going on! Again, the vision disappeared in a cloud of screams, whispers and a single voice, yelling two words: “Save us!”
“Twitch, you ok?”
Georgia looked around, her feet back on the ground, her mind readjusting to reality.
“Yeah, a vision. The dream again.” She mumbled, as her headache cleared.
“Good, coz we got company!”
Georgia looked up, to see Fury staring in horror at something behind them. Georgia followed her gaze and saw a Beatle! It was a few yards up the street and hadn’t seen them; Fury pulled at Georgia’s arm, slowly pulling her into the shadows.
“When did he show up?” Georgia gasped.
“When you were having your little premonition!”
“Is that Alice?”
“No, she’s only got one eye, this has two.”
“Please tell me you brought guns!”
Fury turned to Georgia. “I didn’t exactly plan for this to happen! I don’t go out every day expecting one for these to show up! I’m not psychic!”
“Oh, and I am? Oh, wait, I am!”
“So, we’re safe, as long as it hasn’t-”
Fury turned, to see the Beatle towering over her, it’s teeth bared, hungrily!
“Run!” yelled Georgia, as Fury grabbed her arm and sped down the street.
“OK, it’s coming for us!” cried Fury, as the Beatle started to gallop towards them, it’s eyes wide and playful, it’s tongue lolling at the side of it’s mouth.
Georgia threw her arms up and a glass window from a shop shattered and exploded into the air, the shards soaring towards the Beatle’s face. The Beatle burst through the glass, speeding up.
Georgia raised her hands, trying to freeze the Beatle with her telekinesis, but no matter how hard she concentrated she couldn’t quite hold it!
Fury was suddenly speeding towards the Beatle, leaping over it and down the other side, confusing the Beatle. I t stopped and stared after Fury, who had disappeared and re-appeared next to Georgia. The Beatle turned, looking all about itself.
“Is it me, or does it seem like it’s not very intelligent?” murmured Fury.
“Stop! Beatle! To me!” yelled an unfamiliar voice from a nearby roof top.
Georgia and Fury looked to where the voice came from, to see a short man with greasy hair gazing down at them. The Beatle bounded over to the base of the building and looked up, eagerly.
“Do not harm them, although the stench of their femininity is setting off my ear allergies, , but, nonetheless, leave them. They are key players in the game.” He spoke to the Beatle.
“Who the fuck are you?” shouted Fury.
“I am Bryce. Remember my name. We will meet again.” And with that, he disappeared from the edge of the building, the Beatle paused a moment, and then bounded up the street and around the corner, leaving only the sound of a car alarm after it.
“What the fuck was that?” Georgia stared after it, completely bemused.


“Nicki, are you sure you don’t want one?” asked Daniel, waving a packet of cigarettes in front of Nicki.
“I am, thank you.” She looked away, trying not to think about smoking.
Daniel gave up and dropped them onto the table. “So I may have lost a bet about the sneezing, but I still don’t think you’ll be able to hold out.”
“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” Nicki mumbled, looking up at Georgia.
Verity, Holly and Fury were also sat in the lounge, ready for Georgia to begin.
“A guy named Bryce decided to give us a visit last night. He control’s a Beatle and he said we’ll meet him again. Don’t know about you, but this has the Scarlet Lady written all over it!” Georgia explained.
“It certainly smells like it.” added Fury.
“So, what do you suggest we do?” asked Verity, sceptically.
“I had a premonition. I think that and Bryce are somehow connected.” Georgia explained.
“What was it?” asked Verity.
“I was in a warehouse, and there were people trapped inside. They were scared. Like something bad was about to happen.”
“So, how is that connected to some randomer that the Scarlet Lady sent after us?”
“I’m not so sure that Bryce was after us.” Fury added. “He didn’t fight us, didn’t try to kill us or anything.”
“So maybe he had other things on his mind. I still don’t see how the two things are related. Anyway, Georgia, how do you know that this warehouse thing is actually going to come to pass?” Verity crossed her arms, stubbornly.
“I don’t know, but I have a hunch it’s ongoing. I don’t know why.”
“Oh, you have a hunch, do you? Oh, well then you must be right, because you have a hunch!” Verity spat, annoyed.
“OK, let’s forget the hunch! I just think that, now that we know that there is a Beatle loose on the streets, we should try and find it and kill it!” explained Georgia.
Verity was silent.
“OK, it’s settled. We find it, kill it, and then interrogate this Bryce dude.” Fury said, firmly.


Part 3: Beatle Hunt

“OK, the plan-”
“Daniel! We’re not having another one of your crappy plans!” Fury interrupted Daniel, before he tried to explain. Everyone was gathered, once again, around the kitchen table, suited up and ready to go. The sun was about to set over the trees and the streets of London would soon go dark- perfect!
“We’ll split up and due to Georgia’s little power problem, I managed to steal these from an ex-employee at Paracorp, so this is how we will stay in contact.” Fury threw 5 small ear pieces onto the table. Once everyone had taken one and secured them in their ears, Fury continued, “Once one of us finds it, Bryce won’t be far behind, so we’ll have to lure the Beatle to this courtyard, near Daniel’s estate. Georgia, you will be stationed in the courtyard ready to aid. The rest of us will make our way to the courtyard to aid in the killing.”
“Sounds like a plan.” chirped Nicki.
“Let’s go!”


Verity stalked the streets of London, her bow in one hand, a quiver of arrows on her back. Of course, she thought this whole idea was bollocks. This likely hood that one Beatle and some deranged Scarlet Lady minion and a vision Georgia happened to have are related is very small! Nonetheless, she kept an eye out for the Beatle, remembering what happened the last time they decided to split up separately. At least they weren’t going right into the lion’s mouth this time.
“I got nothing.” murmured Daniel through the earpiece.
“Me neither.” added Holly.
“Er, I found some blue slobber on Clifton Avenue.” Nicki mumbled.
“OK, Verity, get to Clifton Avenue. The rest keep looking.” Fury ordered. Verity sighed and turned on her heels towards Clifton Avenue. Of course, Imperia with all her magical psychic powers wasn’t around so Verity had to endure Fury’s demands, no matter how hard she tried to ignore her.
Verity rounded a corner onto Clifton Avenue. No sign of Nicki.
She carried on up the street, until she came to a car, covered in the familiar blue substance of a Beatle, fumes slowly rising from it.
Verity looked around for some sign of Nicki or the Beatle, drawing her bow. A while of stalking the darkness and Verity was ready to give up on finding Nicki, when a pillar of flame shot out into the sky from behind as line of houses!
Verity sprinted through an alley way into a residential estate, to see dragon-Nicki shooting flames at a fat-looking Beatle.
Verity stayed, unnoticed by the two in the shadows and attempted to snipe the beast; she aimed an arrow at the weak, vulnerability of it’s eyes. The dragon paused when the arrow suddenly appeared before her and the Beatle screeched in pain, clawing at it’s eyes.
The dragon opened it’s almighty jaws and clamped it’s neck, squeezing tight. The Beatle pined, unable to breath, feebly clawing at the dragon, who wasn’t letting go. Blue goo started to ooze from the dragon’s teeth, the Beatle going limp and eventually, stopped fighting. The dragon opened it’s jaws and watched the broken body fall to the floor, dead.
Verity looked up at Nicki’s huge, yellow eyes.
Job done.
She was about to turn around and contact the others, when, “You... You killed him!” wailed a high pitched, male voice. “You murderers! You angels of death! How could you? HOW COULD YOU?”
Verity was ready with her bow and looking around for the voice, the dragon behind her letting a small growl form it’s teeth. She tensed as the voice continued to wail and cry like a child would when they’d lost their pet dog.
There, knelt in the middle of the road, was a guy with a tangle of greasy curly hair.
“Who are you?” Verity spoke, her voice echoing off the street. She noticed, behind him, several people stood concealed in the shadows, facing them with vacant expressions on their faces.
“I am Bryce, it is my job to ensure the Beatle army is built and ready to destroy the human race!” he spat, standing. “And now, you have just prompted your immediate downfall!”
Verity spoke into her ear piece, “Guys, issue, need assistance!”
“On our way.” Replied Fury.
Bryce let out a high pitched laugh. “By the time your assistance gets here, the pair of you shall be dead!”
“Yes, but sadly, by the time they get here, you won’t have gone through puberty either.” Verity said, sarcastically.
“Why, you bitch! I shall have you know, my hormones are in direct conflict with my bodily fluids and excretions!” He paused. “Now you die!” he turned and disappeared into the shadows, being replaced by 4 normal looking people, each with a look of vacant wrath on their faces.
Verity backed away slightly, as they continued to close in. The four of them paused slightly, and then suddenly jerked forwards, there was the sound of growling and Verity found herself staring up at four, hungry looking Beatles, closing in, fast!

Georgia heard Verity’s plea in her ear and immediately made her way to Clifton Avenue. She wasn’t far away, when she heard the child-like laugh and then the silence. They’d either dealt with it, or there was another problem. She made her way through an alley way, suddenly remembering the combat rifle she held in her hands that Fury had insisted she take. The thing was heavy and scary- she hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.
She stepped out onto Clifton Avenue, when a vision gripped her mind, throbs of pain poking at her vision. The warehouse again, and the voice, this time yelling, “Go! Run! You can’t save them!” the people below her were agitated, scared, stressed...
Her vision returned, although she could still hear the guy’s voice echoing around the street.
There was no way she was leaving. Georgia could only watch as she got closer to the four Beatles. She lifted her combat rifle, ready to fire, when a pillar of fire leapt to one of the Beatles, along with a salvo of arrows. Georgia lifted her hand and the fire and the arrows shot towards her and stopped in mid air, falling to the ground. The Beatle before her was reduced to a pile of ash and the other Beatles were suddenly becoming angry. One of them leapt towards the dragon, but was batted away into another Beatle. Georgia took her chance and fired on the two Beatle who fumbled on the ground. Although slightly battered by recoil, Georgia was satisfied when the two Beatles were suddenly motionless.
Turning to the other Beatle, Georgia found herself beneath it as it leapt onto her! She screamed as she was squished between it and the ground, the foul-smelling ooze pouring down around her. The thing screamed on top of her, in pain and jerked, jerking Georgia with it! The Beatle suddenly went limp and covered her completely, blocking out the light from the street lights.
There was a moment of silence.
“Georgia? You under there?” came the muffled sound of Nicki’s voice.
Georgia moaned and answered a stiff, “Yeah! Get it the fuck off me!”
“Step back.” She heard Nicki say, before the Beatle was pushed into the air and came crashing down on top of a car.
Georgia stood, looking around at the wreckage.
“That’s why you play Halo!” Nicki laughed, looking from the two dead Beatles, riddled with bullet holes, to Georgia as she picked up her combat rifle.
“Now, just who is this Bryce kid?” asked Verity, slinging her quiver over her back.
“I’ve no idea, but he’s captured loads of people and if this is what he’s doing to them, we need to stop it.”
“OK, let’s get back.”

Part 4: Bryce Hunt

“So, what do we know?” asked Fury, pacing the lounge.
Georgia sat on the sofa, looking up at her. “He’s based in a warehouse. He’s captured at least 200 humans and somehow, I’ve been getting visions from someone, telling me where they are and telling me to save them.”
Verity glanced at Georgia, Daniel twiddled his thumbs and Holly was perched on the window sill.
“Are you sure it’s not just your power mumbo jumbo going screwy?” asked Nicki, stood in the corner.
“No, you saw Bryce and you saw those people! And I know what I see.”
“It sounds to me like someone with a power like yours is communicating from inside the warehouse. Like an SOS.” suggested Holly.
Everybody stared at her.
“Ok, so that makes more sense than it should.” mumbled Verity.
“So, I just have to find the guy who’s giving me these SOS calls and talk to him, somehow.” Georgia spoke more to herself than to the others.
“How?” asked Daniel.
“I will sit and think.” She replied.
Georgia leaned forwards on the sofa and closed her eyes. The others merely watched, intently. She was aware of their eyes boring into her, but she didn’t let that stop her. She rifled through her memory, coming to the vision of the warehouse, and subconsciously forced herself to relive it. This time, she focused on the man, on his voice, on his position, the echoes around the walls and the people. It took time trying to block out their incoherent whispering and focus on his clean voice, but the distant throb of a headache was threatening. She kept on going, however, managing to block the people out completely and turn to where he was stood.
He wasn’t especially tall, but tall enough and muscular enough to be good-looking. He face was thin and scared and pale. He was stood there just stood, not fumbling like the others, not staggering or limping around like the other zombies. In fact, he seemed to be the only sober person in the room! His face was one of confusion and fear and as soon as Georgia uttered the thought ‘Hi’, his face became terrified!
Wait! I didn’t mean to scare you
Who are you? You’re in my head! Get out of my head! What are you?
I’m a friend! You’ve been sending out an SOS haven’t you? You’ve been giving me visions!
What? Wha... What the fuck! I’m going insane! Like the others!
You’re not going insane! Wait, you’re a psychic aren’t you?
A...a what?
You don’t know?
Know what? You’re a voice inside my head! You don’t exist!
A daunting realization came over Georgia. No, I’m a person! I’m a psychic! I’m here to help you. Just tell make where you are and I’ll come and save you.
Who are you?
My name is Imperia. Trust me when I say you’re in danger.
No shit, Sherlock! And, anyway, how can I believe you? I could be a Skitzo for all you know.
Trust me, you’re not schizophrenic! I’m a psychiatrist. Now, where are you?
He paused, in a feeble attempt to get her out of his head, but when he realized that she was there to stay, he complied. Are you really here to help?
Yes.
OK. The last thing I remember, I was being taken to the Docks Retail Park.
That’s the one that’s not in operation.
I’m telling the truth!
I believe you! It’s the perfect place. We’re on our way!
Wait! Don’t leave me!
I won’t! I’ll be here the whole way! We’re coming.
We?
Yes, I have friends. Talented friends, who want to help you.
So, you’re like superheroes?
Georgia paused and laughed to herself. Yes! You could say that!
“The old Docks Retail Park! That’s where they are!” Georgia cried, making everyone jump.
“OK, did you talk to the guy? Before we jump the gun here.” Verity asked.
“Yes. I’m still linked to his mind. He doesn’t know he’s psychic! It’s like his subconscious was sending out SOS calls for him.”
“OK, I think we’d better get a move on.” suggested Fury. “I’ll go on ahead and see what we’re up against. You guys go in Georgia’s car; I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

Georgia pulled up outside of the retail park. The gates were tall and rusty and the place looked deserted.
Imperia? You there?
I’m here! You never told me your name.
Jake.
Ok, so, Jake, I’m gonna need your help.
What?
I’m gonna need you to get people out, ok? When the doors open. No matter what you see, no matter what happens, just get the people out.
How? Most of them are just, zombies.
We’ll help you.
OK.
“Georgia, we ready?” asked Nicki, getting out of the car.
“We need to wait for Fury.” replied Georgia.
Daniel, Holly and Verity stood by the gates looking nonchalant, Georgia stood staring into the park and Nicki kicked at the ground with her feet.
There was the sound of hurried footsteps from within and out of the darkness came Fury. With one leap, she cleared the gates and landed next to the Mini.
“OK, so I found the warehouse,” she explained. “but it’s guarded by human Beatles. So, I’m thinking a nice, big distraction from Nicki here and the rest of us flank the building, get in, get out.”
“Sounds good.” Smiled Nicki. “Can I kill them?”
“Yes, Nicki, you can.”
“Yes!”
Daniel glanced at Nicki, for a moment seeing the old Nicki peak through.
“Once we’re in, someone’s gonna have to take care of Bryce.” Georgia murmured.
“Consider it done, mate.” Spat Verity. “That guy needs teaching a lesson.”
“I’ll help.” added Fury. “The rest of you, get them out.”


Nicki strode up to the three Beatles stood at the main door to the warehouse. They gazed up at her dragon form, immediately scared and shocked.
Nicki smiled and took a deep breath and blew...

Georgia heard the explosion coming from the front of the building and made her way to the back, followed by Daniel and Holly. She searched for a back door, doing this listening out for any signs Bryce was back here.
Imperia, what was that?
It’s Dovashiin. She’s ok, she’s creating a distraction. Is there a back door to the warehouse?
Yeah, wait, I’m coming to it!
Georgia stood back and waited for a second, before Jake spoke again.
It’s to the left! Or your right of the building! Go! They guy who captured us is at the front! He’s fighting!
That’s good. One second!
Georgia moved to the right, searching for the door. Finding it, Daniel stood next to it and vines burst from the Gravel ground, taking the door with them right off the hinges!
Georgia stepped inside, to find the blond, scared face of Jake.
“Jake?”
“Imperia?” he paused, staring right into her eyes! Georgia paused too, momentarily unable to move.
“Ok, move, go, and get everyone out!” Georgia moved aside and started to round up the people. Jake did the same, along with Daniel and Holly.
The people, she noticed, were hardly responsive at all! They only moved when Georgia sent them in the right direction and only mumbled, incoherently. A rare few were conscious enough to help, but other than them, it was like everyone were zombies!

“Your pet may have killed 7 of my army and my best friend in the whole world, but you shall never kill me!” yelled Bryce, staring at Verity and Fury.
The dragon sat behind them snorted smoke.
“Oh, did I hit a nerve? After all, aren’t you just another version of my beloved Tiny? Or are you just another Beatle soldier, waiting for orders?” he spat. Nicki stood, crouched, ready to leap and let out a snarl that sent shivers down Verity’s spine.
“She’s not taking orders!” snapped Verity. “She could kill you right here, right now. But she’s not just some monster you can provoke into attacking you!” verity glanced at Nicki, warningly, resisting the urge to stamp on her toe, for fear she may be crushed. “Unlike you, who’s taking orders from the Scarlet Lady!”
Bryce paused. “Well...well...you smell!”
“And I think you need to grow up and reach puberty!” and with that, she let an arrow fly, letting it land right between his eyes.
“That was ridiculously easy.” Fury mumbled, uneasily.
Nicki snarled again, but this time, it was with fear.
Fury looked into the entrance of the warehouse. Verity followed her gaze.
Sat in the entrance was a Beatle. Not the playful, unintelligent Beatle, nor the half-human, half-Beatle Beatles. Alice!
“You!” spat Fury.
“Me.” She smiled, cruelly.
Alice’s Beatle form took up the entire entrance, her hard, blue armour covering the fleshy, vulnerable parts; a lesson learned, no doubt from previous battles.
“Die, bitch!” screamed Verity, letting fly an arrow at her good eye, but The Beatle had learned. It leapt beneath the arrow and leapt forwards, into the air and soared into Nicki. They tussled to the ground, Nicki roared and snapped with her jaws. Fury flanked them, shooting bullets at The Beatle. Verity tried to get a good aim on The Beatle, but failed. The dragon pushed into the air, letting a cloud of flame tower down on The Beatle, but The Beatle’s armour prevented it from burning! The Beatle reached up at the same time, looking at Fury, who was about to fire. The Beatle pulled down on Nicki’s leg, causing her to plummet to the ground. Just before she hit the floor, Verity slid an arrow, flying beneath Nicki, towards The Beatle’s underbelly. At the same time, Fury fired a bullet, hitting Nicki in the wing joint, the equivalent of her shoulder!
The dragon cried out and Verity knew her arrow had lodged itself in the armour. Fury gasped and ran around the back of The Beatle in milliseconds, jumping on top of it. Verity reached into her quiver and took form it a detonator.
“No you don’t, Bitch!” snarled Alice, pelting towards Verity as she was about to hit the button. Nicki suddenly leapt into the air and knocked The Beatle off course, but falling forwards, on top of Verity, the detonator going flying. Fury, managing to regain balance, leapt onto Alice’s head and stamped on her good eye. Alice didn’t cry out, but jerked her head upwards, sending Fury flying back into Nicki. Alice grasped Verity’s body in her claws and, at the same time, used her many other talons to restrain Nicki and Fury.
It seemed as though they were to be crushed! The three of them readied themselves, when the four of them froze. Unable to move, The Beatle struggled against an invisible grip!
Out of the darkness of the warehouse, came Georgia, behind her came Daniel and Holly and an army of people. Georgia picked up the detonator and stared an epic death star at Alice, who cringed in fear. Georgia held out her hand concentrating on The Beatle. The grip on the four of them disappeared and Fury, Verity and Nicki scrambled away, while The Beatle remained lying there, her body convulsing and jerking in pain. Georgia shut her eyes, concentrating hard and The Beatle screamed.
“Stop! No...No! You...can’t...do this...”
“Oh, but I can. Bitch!” mumbled Georgia, preparing to detonate the bomb on the arrow.
“No...really...you can’t...hahahaha!” The Beatle let out a mechanical laugh and began to dissolve into blue mist!
“No!” yelled Georgia, trying to get a hold on her, trying, and failing. Failing that, she pressed the button on the detonator, but the arrow only exploded into blue mist! The Beatle had gone.
Once again, a small victory, but an important one.

Part 5: The saddening Conclusion.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Jake, gazing at the hundreds of Zombies stood in the warehouse, gazing at the Warriors.
A couple of ordinary people had escaped during the fight, one had stayed to help, but was unfortunately, frozen to the spot after witnessing Nicki go from being a dragon, back to a human.
“Georgia, is your power back now? Can you help them?” asked Verity, out of breath.
Georgia looked at the people. “They have no higher brain functions. The extent of my help is to give them one goal and they will carry it out, even if it kills them. They can’t stop. They can only keep going. Whatever the Scarlet Lady did to them, I can’t undo it. I can’t give them back a mind, or a consciousness.”
“So, if you tell them to go home...”
“They’ll go to whatever home they once knew. But what good will that do? They’ll go home and their families will only get a zombie on their front door. An empty human that doesn’t recognise them.”
“What about if we take them to a mental hospital?” asked Fury, supporting Nicki.
“And have a few hundred brain dead people turn up suddenly on the headlines?”
“What if we kill them?” Nicki asked.
Georgia looked at her, noticing something different about Nicki all of a sudden.
“No, Nicki.”
“What if I take care of them?” asked Jake, suddenly.
Georgia looked at him.
“I can but the retail park. Seriously, I got shit loads of money after my parents died. I can keep them here, look after them. Sam, here will help me, won’t you, Sam? After what you’ve seen?” he looked at the one sane human, who cowered beneath everyone’s soft gaze.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I mean, I got nowhere else to go. Got no qualifications. No home. Nothing to do. I only got shit loads of money to live on. And maybe I can get government funding for opening this ‘Home for the Brain Dead’. Or something.”
Georgia just looked at him.
“And, you say I got a psychic ability, it’ll give me time to tame it, or something. And anyway, they won’t need much looking after. And if you ever need an army of zombies, you’ll know where to come.”
Georgia stared, dumb-founded.
“That’s great. Now, can I have medical attention? It seems I got used as a human shield.” mumbled Nicki.
“OK, Jake. I trust you. And if you ever need help, you’ll know where we are.” Georgia said.
“Sure thing, Georgia.”
Georgia paused. “Hey, I never told you my name.”
“What? Oh? Guess I’m psychic.” He winked.


Epilogue.


“Now, Nicki. We’re doing this because we love you and we want you to get better again.” explained Fury, holding a spliff.
“I won’t do it!”
“Don’t be unreasonable, Nicki.” Fury held the spliff up to her mouth and lit the end.
“You can’t make me!”
“Well, yeah we can.”
Georgia held out her hand, ready to take control, but Nicki yelled, “Fine! Fine, I’ll do it! Just don’t do that!”
“Good dragon.” mumbled Fury.
Nicki took the spliff and put it to me mouth. Breathing out the smoke, her body instantly relaxed. The whole group breathed out.
She took another drag.
“Now, do you want us to throw these away?” asked Fury, holding up a packet of Piriton.
Nicki stared at it. “On your head be it. I may have been a little insane these past few days, but...oh my God.” Nicki paused, looking around the room. “WHY IS TIHS PLACVE SO TIDY?”
Fury laughed.
Georgia didn’t relax, however, noticing something of a change in Nicki’s eyes. Something was stirring. Something big. And something...bad.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 24.08.2012

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