Norm In a Daze

I was excited beyond excitement as I ran out of the willow tree house. It was still raining a bit, but I didn't care. We found Freddy alive and well, and I was going to tell Norm the good news.  It should be said that searching for a small animal in a meadow is like finding a needle in a haystack. I was out there for a few minuets calling his name. Finally I saw a movement in the high grass area. I ran over there and found Norm, sitting and staring into space. "Hey Norm."  He cocked his head to me. He didn't respond verbally, but it was good to see some movement from him. "We found Freddy." Norm turns his head away from me. "Didn't you hear me? I said we found Freddy." Norm continues to stare into space. "Are you mad at me? Did you want to find him yourself?" I ask. "No. I'm not mad." "Then what is it. You like you've seen a ghost." Norm turns to me again. This time, however, with wide eyes. "Oh my God." I kneel down beside him. "Where was it?" "Right here." There is a brief pause. Norm lowers his head. "I can't believe I passed out." "Hey, it's understandable. I didn't like them either." "What do we do?" Norm asks. "We go back to the willow tree." "Can they get us there?" I shrug. "Up until a minuet ago I thought they stayed underground." Norm sighs. "That's not what I wanted to hear." "I apologize, but I can't promise that the banshees won't attack us there." "What can you promise?" Norm asks. "I can promise that there is strength in numbers." Norm nods in agreement. "Yeah, I like that. Strength in numbers."

Find a Room

With the bag of ancient candy in my hands I went upstairs with Olivia to the the narrow corridor. I glanced in the room that we were in previously in. Everything looked how we left it. Exactly how we left it. The dresser was out of place and the beds were obviously slept in. Blankets were stretched across the room and pillows were thrown about. I started to make my way in the room, but Olivia stops me. "He deserves better." She says. I nod in agreement and we decide to pick one of the other many rooms. We choose one that is slightly that is slightly ajar. The inside is pitch black. We grope the walls till we find a light switch. Once we flip the switch we can see Freddy, passed out on a king sized bed. He is dwarfed as he sleeps peacefully in the center of the bed under purple sheets. "Oh my God. We found him." Olivia says in a happy whisper. I smile as I turn out the room. "Where are you going?" Olivia asks. "I have to find Norm. This is great news."

Make Him Welcome

Olivia and I had no trouble at all fnding the willow tree. We stepped inside to the cozy , turn of the century kitchen. I made some tea for the two of us, but she seemed distracted . She barely touched her tea. Eventually she spoke. "I feel guilty." "About what?" Olivia stared at me for a moment. "You know." She says. "Yeah, I do." "What should we do?" She asks. "I don't know. You want to go back there?" Olivia shakes her head. "No. I think it's too late for that." I think for a moment. "Well, we can at least make this place more welcoming." "How?" "Maybe we could place chocolates on his pillow." "Like a hotel?" Olivia asks. "Yeah, like a hotel." I smile. I start rummaging through the drawers. I don't see anything at first. Just toothpicks, crackers and canned food. "It was a nice idea." Olivia says. "I can't give up. I'm determined." I continue rummaging through the drawers and cabinets. Pots and pans are being tossed about. The floor is now a mess, but my efforts pay off.(Sort of.) In the back corner of the cabinet I find a plastic bag filled with horehound candy. I proudly display it for Olivia. "What is that?" Olivia asks, confused. "This is horehound candy." "That's an unfortunate name." She says. "It's an even more unfortunate taste. Definitely not one of my favorites." "Well, it's the thought that counts." I smile at her remark. "How right you are."

Norm Continues the Search

Despite the downpour , Norm doggedly continued his search. The rain came down so fast that it obstructed his vision, but he didn't care. He was going to find his friend. Norm trudged through the meadow. The mud was thick and becoming thicker with each passing moment. The mud wrapped itself around his ankles. He found himself stuck in place. He tried to move, but he couldn't, and then the mud sprung up. It grabbed both his arms, and forced him into the  Earth. He used all his might to pull his face out of the mud. However, he almost wished he hadn't. It was at that moment that he saw one of the spectres from the underground. It didn't do anything to him. It did not even screech. Yet, somehow being in the presence of the banshee was enough to terrify him. It hovered above the ground with its sunken eyes and pale appearance. All it it did was stare at Norm. Norm tried to keep it together, but he couldn't, and so he passed out.

Rainy Search

The sky was dark and foreboding as we searched in the meadow for Freddy. It rained lightly, but then gradually picked up. We weren't having any luck. We were just getting soaked. "Isn't that tree house around here?" I casually suggest. "Perhaps." Norm responds. "You want to find it? Maybe he's over there." Norm glares at me. "What?" "I'm not stupid. I know what you're trying to do." He says. "Can you blame me?" I ask. "Just go!" He shouts. "Norm, we're sorry." Olivia says. "Go!" He shouts again. "Go to your comfort and your shelter."  Olivia and I stand still for a moment. We are speechless. "You really should go." Norm loweres his head. "I'm sorry." Olivia says again. "It's fine, but you should go. You'll get sick." "What about you?" I ask. "I'll be fine. I'm a raccoon. Now find the tree. I'll meet up with you."

Really Gone

I watched the life leave Sgt. Rodgers eyes. A harsh came to me at that moment. Sgt. Rodgers was dead, we were alone in this godforsaken city, and Freddy was missing. "Fuck." I said under my breath, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. "She really dead?" Norm asks. "Yes." I reply. "Wow." "What did Sgt. Rodgers give you?" I ask Olivia. She holds up the yellow globe with the heart trapped in it. "And how is that supposed to help us?" Olivia shrugs. "I have no idea. Maybe we need to break it open." "Ok. Let's do that." I say. "No. We're not smashing anything. Not till we find Freddy." Norm says. I somberly nod my head in agreement. "You're right. Any idea where we should go?" Norm scratches his head. "Well, last time we found him in the meadow." I nod again. "The meadow it is then."

Rodgers Down

The devilish smiley face cast a cold, dark shadow over the city. It stretched several blocks. We looked up in horror as it inched closer to the Grand Tower, opening its mouth wider and wider. I had never seen it do that before. I had never seen it come so close to the Grand Tower. The smiley face opened its mouth wider still, and before I knew it it swallowed the Grand Tower whole. The smiley face then turned into a thick, yellow mist that lingered for a few minuets before passing. When the mist dissipated the Grand Tower was transformed. Every single door and window was boarded up. It appeared as if it was uninhabited now. Curiously, we walked towards the building. There we saw, near the entrance Sgt. Rodgers down. She had been shot in the neck and was bleeding profusely. She looked up at the three of us. "Never thought I'd see you again." "Which one of us were you referring to?" I ask. "Does it matter?" She says. "I suppose not." "Where's Freddy? " Norm asks, cutting to it. "I don't know. He was afraid. So he took off." "Because of the bombs?" I accuse. Sgt. Rodgers squints her eyes at me. "I'm dying and you're going to get nasty with me?" "Did you bomb them?" I ask. "You're damn right I did, and I don't regret it either. How else were we supposed to win?" I shake my head. "Doesn't look like we are winning." Sgt Rodgers half smiles. "Maybe not now, but we will." "But how?" Olivia asks. Sgt. Rodgers removes the yellow globe with the pink heart trapped in it from her pocket and hands it Olivia. "With this." She says with her final breath.

It's Back

We ran as fast as we possibly could, desperately trying to arrive at the Grand Tower before dawn broke. Of course our efforts were in vain. Before we knew it, the giant, yellow, menacing sun barreled in. It's much bigger than any of us realized. The last time I saw it I was on the top floor of the Grand Tower. Now I was on the street, looking up at this devastating creature. It hovered above the city, taking up several blocks. We stopped dead in our tracks because it looked like it was coming our way. Norm, however, pointed out that the thing never looked down. Meaning it wasn't coming for us. It was coming for the Grand Tower. Slightly comforting, but still scary. "She has to be around here somewhere." Norm says. We continue to walk forward, but we are extra cautious. We try to make minimal sounds. We don't want the yellow thing, or Sgt. Rodgers to be scared away. Then after a few moments we hear a gunshot. "She did it!" Norm shouts. "I don't think so." Olivia says, pointing at the sky. Norm shrugs. "I guess she missed. "

Wandering Till Dawn

"How do you expect to find him?" Norm asks. "I don't know. We'll wander. That's what we do." Olivia says, and that is exactly what we did. We Wandered all night in cold dark till the sky put on its evening show. "What time is it?" Norm asks. "It's gotta be five or six a.m." I reply. Norm gasps. "Dawn."  "Yeah. Dawn." "That means that Sgt. Rodgers is getting ready to shoot that thing down. Freddy might be with her." He says excitedly. "He might." Olivia replies. Norm appears dejected. "You don't think he's with her?" "I didn't say that. He could be, but this would be a dangerous situation we'd be going into." "I know, but we have to try." Olivia rests her hand on Norm's shoulder. "You're right, and we will."

Reunion

Olivia and Norm walked in a daze staring at the rubble and delapadated buildings. "You think we're the last ones alive?" Norm asks. "Don't say that. I don't want to think that." Olivia shouts. "You're not the only one looking for a friend." Norm says quietly. "I'm sorry." "It's fine." "You think he's still with Sgt. Rodgers?" Olivia asks. "I don't know." They walk for a while in silence until they see a figure. Olivia takes no risks. She fires a pink heart at the figure before it can step any closer. That figure turned out to be me. I felt the heart sink into my chest. It was  warm and I smiled briefly as I continued walking. Olivia put up her hand. "Stop. I'll shoot again." "It's me."  I say calmly. Olivia puts her hand down. I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her. "It's really you." She says with teary eyes. "It really is." I reply. We are about to kiss, but Norm interrupts us. "Good to see you." He says. "It's good to see you too." I say genuinely. "I don't suppose you've seen Freddy." He asks. I shake my head. "I have not." Norm lowers his head. "We'll  find him." Olivia says, trying her best to cheer him up. "Yeah, how? If he's alive he could be anywhere." Olivia takes a deep breath. "He's alive, and we will find him."

Concrete Tunnel

Olivia's patience was wearing thin. She was about ready to give up and go through the window when she saw a large concrete slab fall to the ground followed by Norm. Norm coughed as he emerged from the tunnel. "Are you alright?" Olivia asks. "Yeah. Just catching my breath. What do you think?" "Well, is it wide enough?" "Wide enough?" Norm repeats. "For me." Olivia says. "Oh yeah. It's much bigger than it looks." "Are you sure?" "Positive. Come on." Without waiting for a response, Norm dashed through the tunnel. Olivia takes a deep breath and squeezes in. The tunnel was half a mile long, and Olivia ended up bloodying her arms and legs, but in the end she was happy to see the light of day. Even if that light shined on an ever further decayed city. Olivia whistled at the destruction. "I know. It's a nightmare, isn't it?" Norm says. "It isn't great."

Blocked

• Leaving the apartment complex proved to be more difficult than either Norm or Olivia anticipated. Huge, fallen slabs of concrete blocked the one and only door. "So much for that." Olivia says. She starts to walk away. "Where are you going?" "This way is blocked. I'm going back to the window." "Fuck that. I ain't going back there." Norm replies. "Then what do you suggest? We can't go through there." "I can. There's a little opening. I can squeeze in there." "And what about me?" Olivia asks. "I didn't forget about you. I'll go in and then I'll remove the concrete." "But that has to weigh a ton." Olivia says. Norm flexes his muscles. "I'm strong." Olivia sighs. "You don't believe me, but I am. I'm very strong. " "I don't know. Why can't we just go through the window?" Norm shakes his head. "You don't want to do that. Trust me after an explosion like that there's no way that fire escape could support us." Olivia looks down. "I guess you're right. Just please be quick." Norm gently kisses Olivia's hand. "I'll be like lighting." He then scurries through the tiny opening.

Parting

I glanced over my shoulder constantly as Jones and I  backed away from the Grand Tower. I kept thinking "Now is the time when he strikes. "  It didn't exactly happen like that, but how were we to know? "Where are you gonna go?" Jones asks. "I'm gonna find Olivia. I miss her. It's been a while." "You think she's ok?" "I know she's ok." Jones knowingly nods. "You can come with me." I add. "I can't. My work isn't done. I have friends that are down. I can save some of them." "But how?" I ask. Jones shrugs. "There's got to be a medical bag around here somewhere." "But do you know how to remove a bullet or bandage someone properly?" "I can figure it out." He says confidently. I smile. "That you can." Jones puts out his hand. "Until next time." I shake his hand. "Until next time." I look at Jones in the eyes. We both know we probably won't cross paths again, but we leave it at that and we both go our separate ways.

Time of Caution

The players were in their usual spots. Davies stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, Todd worked furiously at the desk, and Eagle Eyes stood by the widow, glancing down at the empty city. "Why did you turn them away?" Todd asks. "What was that?" Eagle Eyes says,still looking out the window. "I said why did you turn them away? We have room for at least two more." "That we do, but now is a time for caution." "How right you are sir." Davies chimes in. Eagle Eyes sighs. "Look at chaos down there." "It's a tragedy." Davies says. Eagle Eyes turns to Davies. "It's a shame. That's what it is. Shows an utter lack of imagination." Davies squints his eyes."I beg your pardon, sir." "Ms.Rodgers basically had reality in her hands with those yellow globes. She could have created anything she wanted, but what did she do? She made bombs." "I suppose that's all she could think of." Davies says. Eagle Eyes inched closer to Davies. "Are you defending her?" "No sir, but I don't she could dream any better."  Eagle Eyes takes a deep breath then turns back to the window. "You might be right,but I don't like this one bit." "I don't either sir." There is a brief pause. "What shall be the next plan of action?" Davies askes."I want you to stand next to me. Dawn will be here soon. Guard the window. No one is stopping us from leaving this place."

Turned Away

I was pretending to be a hostage again. I was doing the same exact plan that didn't pan out so well the last time. Was I crazy? Was I having a masochistic moment? I looked at Jones and I felt pity. It was tragic, but I should have been looking out for myself. At any rate we marched up to the Grand Tower with his unloaded rifle aimed at my back. He made sure that the gun was clearly visible so no snipers would take me out. When we finally got to the tower it was quiet. Eerily quiet. Normally before one would get anywhere near the door a guard would spring out to "greet" you. Not this time. Jones pounded on the steel door. A moment later a recording of Eagle Eyes' voice played over the intercom. "We're sorry, but we can't grant asylum to anyone at this moment." Jones, unsure of what he heard, banged on the door again. "We're sorry, but we can't grant asylum to anyone at this moment." The recording repeated. "What? That can't be right." Jones says. He bangs the door a third time and the recording plays yet again. "What's going on?" "They've turned their back on us." I reply. "Maybe on you, but never me." He snaps. Jones furiously pounds the door. This time we can barely hear the recording. I have to pull him away from the door. "They won't let us in." I say firmly. "Why not?" "I don't know, but they've made up their and there is nothing we can do to convince them." Jones stares at me like a lost puppy. "Jones, we're not welcome here." "But why?" "No, forget why. Why doesn't matter. Why isn't important right now. All you need to know right now is that they don't like us." "They don't like us?" Jones says, confused. "Exactly. They don't like us. Right now they're probably watching us with their scopes so we need to get the hell away from here."

Death and Destruction

Pure desolation. Nothing but destruction and carnage around every corner. I see countless piles of mangled soldiers. Most are dead. Some desperately clinging to life. It's hard to deal with, but even harder for Jones. Some of the soldiers he knew well. Some he considered friends. His face was red. I could see he was chocking back tears as he spoke to me in a quiet rage. "That bitch. That bitch did this. I'll kill her. Give me my gun." "No." "What do you mean no?" I sigh. I remove the ammunition clip and hand Jones the gun. Jones laughs to himself. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" I shrug. "Give me my ammo." He screams. "I can't do that." "What do you mean you can't?" "Jones, you're unstable right now." "Who the fuck cares if I'm stable or not. I want revenge." "Jones, look around. This was done by one person. You really think you can stop her?" "I can try." "Jones, you're no match for her." "Fuck you." He shouts at the top of his lungs. I take a deep  breath. "You're the last soldier. Why don't you go home?" "I have no home besides some of these soldiers we can save. We have to go to the Grand Tower." "That's the worst place to be right now." I say. "More reason for us to defend it then." "Jones, even if I wanted to I couldn't. They'd shoot me as soon as they saw me."  "Not if you showed up with me." He says holding up his rifle. "But there's no ammo in that." "They don't have to know that." I pause to reflect. "I was a prisoner once." I say. Jones nods. "Yes, but this time will be different." I know it won't,and normally I don't help the enemy, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Jones. So, I went along with the plan.

Smokey Apartment

Olivia and Norm knew it was time to leave the studio apartment. Olivia carefully removed the mattress from the window only to have a thick cloud of smoke waft in. They coughed and gasped. Their eyes tuned red. "We need to get out of here." Norm gasps. "Yeah, but not through the window." Olivia stumbled over the door. There is a huge bookcase blocking the way. She pushes it with all her might , and the shelf comes crashing down. Norm is amazed by her strength. "Come on. We can't stay in here." Norm scurries over to the door and they both promptly exit the smokey apartment.

Fear Of Smoke

My muscles were tense and my mind was troubled. A new fear was running through my body. This one was not of existential dread, but more on what I would see. A massive explosion went off. One that Jones and I could feel miles away. The city was already in terrible shape. I could only imagine how it looked now. As we got closer, we could see could see only thick smoke. You'd think it would dissipate by the time we arrived. "This is all your fault." Jones says, shielding his eyes from the smoke. "My fault? How is this my fault?" "Don't give me that. Your people did this." "My people?First of all we have no way of knowing who did this." Jones stops walking and turns to me. "I have a way of knowing because I have a brain. Your friends did this, and so that makes you a terrorist." "I'm a terrorist now?" I angrily blurt. "Yes you are, and I'm going to do something about it." Jones says as calmly as he can though his voice trembles. "What? Are you gonna shoot me? Maybe just arrest me?" "Not yet." Jones says, placing his rifle on the pavement. "I'm going to fight you." "What?" "I want to feel my knuckles crack your jaw." "Jones, this is stupid you-"  Before I could finish my thought, Jones slugs me in the face. I turn slightly to spit blood. "There, now its your turn to take a hit at me." He says, excitedly. "Jones, this is hardly the time." "That means you forfeit your turn." Jones quickly punches me in the stomach. It causes me to bend over in an attempt to catch my breath. Now I'm mad. I ball my hand into a fist and give Jones an uppercut. "That's it." He shouts, clasping his jaw. "Are we done now?" I ask, impatiently. "Not on your life." Jones tries punch me in the face again, this time I duck out of the way. However, he is more clever than I realized. He sweeps my legs. I fall down hard. I grope the floor furiously until I find his rifle. I turn sharply and point it at him. "Are we done yet?" I ask again. Jones stands motionless. "I understand you're angry, but you fighting me isn't going to help right now. A bomb just went off which means that there are many, many people who probably need our help right. I know it's scary, but we have to go into the smoke right."

Explosion

Olivia and Norm boarded up the windows and doors to the studio apartment. No one was getting in. At least not easily. When they were done with their work, they both wearily plopped down on the floor. "So, that's it, huh?" Norm says. "I guess so." Olivia replies. "Anything to do in here?" Norm asks. "There's no T.V., but there are a  bunch of old books scattered about." "I don't feel like reading right now." "Me either." Olivia lays down on the floor. "How long do you think we'll be here?" Norm wonders. "I have no idea. About as long as it takes." Norm is unsatisfied with the answer, but he too lays down on the floor. He stares at the ceiling. They stay like that for a few moments until they are interrupted by a loud explosion that shakes the whole apartment. "Holy shit. Did you feel that?" Norm asks, jumping up. "No, I didn't feel that massive explosion that just happened." Norm grits his teeth. "No need for sarcasm." "Sorry, but yes, I did feel it." Olivia goes to the window. She removes the mattress slightly so she can look out. "You see anything?" Norm shouts from across the room. "Just smoke." Olivia covers the window back up and walks over to Norm. "I think we have to go out there." "Now you want to fight?" "I don't want to, but I have to." Olivia clarifies. "Why is that?" "Our friends are out there.This is bad." Norm pauses to take in the information. "You don't have to go, but I am." Olivia says. Norm takes a deep breath."I'll go too."

Onward

For a while the plan seemed to be working. I walked with such an air of confidence that Jones believed I was taking him to a secret lair. However, after marching through several neighborhoods he eventually spoke up. "How far is she?" "Pretty far. Come on, keep walking." But Jones stood still. "Why would she come out this far?" He asks. "You don't know?" "No, I don't." "It's obvious really." Jones frowns. "Indulge." "Why would she set up a base near the Grand Tower? Don't you think she'd be asking to get caught?" "I suppose you're right, but how can she attack from way out here? I mean are we even in the city limits anymore?" "She's wiley." I reply simply. Jones shakes his head. "That she is. Well if there is nothing left to discuss let us go onward. Let us not lose daylight." We continued walking in silence for a few moments until we heard a loud explosion. It shook the ground, and knocked us off our feet. "What the hell was that?" Jones shouts. "Probably a bomb." I say not thinking. "A bomb. Did you say a bomb?" He says dusting himself off. "It's what I said. I don't know what it is." Jones aims his gun at my face."Bullshit. That was your friends that did that." "But that could have been anything." "It could have, but it wasn't. We're marching back there right now because unlike you I don't leave my friends behind."

Maze

I am not fond of Sgt. Rodgers in the slightest, but I couldn't lead Jones to her. Not if I thought Olivia was with her, and I did. I needed my wits for this one. Fortunately, I find that you can convince anyone of anything as long as you present yourself as confident. I led Jones down allleys, through gangwsys, and up sidewalks. The city was starting to look more and more like a maze with every twist and turn, but he never let on to even a hint of frustration. In fact he found it exciting. He knew I was taking him to a secure, secret area. He did, however, ask to stop once he spotted a park bench. Something I thought was most peculiar. "Aren't you a soldier?" I ask, watching him catch his breath. "Captain." He corrects. "Well, as a Captain shouldn't you be used to this?" "I am, but that doesn't mean I don't get tired." "I guess, but what about Eagle Eyes?" "Eagle Eyes isn't here. Nor is anyone else." There is a brief pause. Jones scoots over and ushers me to sit down. I shake my head no. "Why do you want to find her so bad?" "Aside from giving myself a name I guess revenge. She put a knife in my leg. I won't ever forget that." "That was fucked up." I reply. "No, it was very fucked up. " I take a deep breath. "What if she isn't there when we get there?" "Why wouldn't she be there?" "Come on. You worked with her. You know how she is. She's probably on to us. So she won't stay in the same spot for long." Jones nods slowly. "You have a point, but we might as well try." "Onward?" I suggest. Jones stands up. "Onward."

Ambitious Captain

"What makes me so untrustworthy?" I try to ask as innocently as I can. Jones furrows his brow. "Really? I just watched you attempt to escape." "That was an accident." "I'll say. You left your gun behind. Now you are unarmed." He says menacingly, pointing his rifle at me. "What do you want from me?" "I want you to take me to Sgt. Rodgers. I want the glory of finding her before anyone else." "You're ambitious. That's good to see, but I wouldn't have a clue where she is." Jones jabs me with his gun. "I'm not afraid to use force. I'm not afraid to place you back in the torture room." I let out a sigh. "I may have a few ideas." Jones  smiles. "That's what I thought."

Bad Marching

I am not a soldier. I am not one for following orders. That being said, I'm having difficulties marching with the other soldiers. However, it is my lack of coordination that could be my saving grace. I first slow my pace. I bump into the soldier behind me. He angrily shoves back. "Move along will ya?" That was a good start, but I know I need to go bigger. I trip over my own foot. This causes the soldier behind me to fall down, and the one behind him to fall down, and so on an so on. It was a dangerous stunt I pulled, but I was curled up before anyone fell on me. I squeezed out of the dogpile, hoping that now I'd be home free. Now I'd be able to run away. Unfortunately, I was apprehended as soon as I got out of the pile. I felt someone gripping my shoulder. I expected to see Davies, but when I turned around I saw Jones. The young, fresh faced soldier. "Jones." I said in relief. "That's Captain Jones to you." "You were promoted?" "You're damn right I was. It's because Eagle Eyes respects me." "He doesn't respect you. He's using you." Jones squints his eyes. "I can see you are jealous-" "I'm not jealous!" I interrupt. "It's fine if you are. It's better to be jealous than a traitor. That was a nasty stunt you just pulled." "It was an accident." "Bullshit." Jones pulls me to the side. "Where are you taking me?" I ask. "I can't trust you to march with the other soldiers so I'm keeping a close, personal eye on you."

The Veteran's Speech

I stuck to the plan. I repented like I said I would, and now I found myself  holding an assault rifle, preparing for battle while a grizzled, old man with a cane spoke to me and my new friends in arms. "There is an ever present threat looming in on us." The old man says, addressing the audience of soldiers. "We sent out a handful of men to snuff out the problem." The old man reflects for a moment. "Unfortunately, as of yet no one has been able to locate the problem." "That's because they were all pussies." A random soldier shouts. The old man is slightly thrown off by the interjection, but he continues none the less. "I assure you, they were all able bodied." "Then what was the problem?" The  soldier shouts. The old man angrily eyes the soldier. "It wasn't lack of discipline. That we know. Get him out of here." The old man says, spitting venom. Two big guards push themselves through the crowd. One of them hits the soldier over the head with a billy club. The soldier goes down in an instant. The guards then drag him away. The old man goes back to his speech as if nothing happened. "As I said there is an ever present danger. We have not located the problem yet, but I believe in strength in numbers. We will win. We will be victorious, and this will never happen again." The crowd cheers. "Now got out there each and every one of you. Do you duty. Defend the hive. These are strange times, but no one will take us down. No one!" The crowd erupts into mad cheers again, and I wonder, just how am I going to get out of this one?