#amarak

This is the time of dressing up as monsters and ruining your teeth. Looking in the mirror and studying his reflection he can’t help but understand his makers expression when he’d announced he’s going out. He looks like a bad cliché. But hiding in plain sight had always been the best cover. With his long black coat with a high collar, blood red vest and various plastic chains that look decorative but don’t even jingle he resembles what an eights grader might think is a vampire. He shoved plastic teeth into his mouth and concentrates on not biting it into a unrecognizeable plastic mess.

The best part however is the medicine bag he’s carrying. It’s genuine and the blood packs in it are the same but no one would suspect a thing. To be on the safe side he stuffed two filled with tomato juice beside the real ones. To his eyes they have a slightly brighter hue and the texture of the fluid looks strange.

He strikes a pose flashing his teeth at the mirror then turns away from it oblivious to the shadow that had been lurking and waiting for its chance.

He draws breath to call for his maker but falters, what should he shout? “Agent Black” sounds too formal, “Kiwi” too personal and “Master” makes him tingly just thinking about it. He had been told a word once.. what was it. He turns around in thought and paces the bathroom. He could just walk out and look for him until he finds him but that seems weird now that he knows he forgot the very first lesson. He feels like a failure. He turns on the tab and splashes water on his face – he doesn’t need makeup to look pale.

He lets his forehead fall forward until it collides with the smooth and cold surface of the mirror. He had fully intended to raise his head immediately again, but feels unable to. Panic thrums through him when he can’t move any of his limbs and it skyrockets when suddenly he’s moving his head but it’s not him doing the moving.

Something cold creeps through his head, fingers scratching and hurting his very brain and he trashes against the hold, managing to startle whatever keeps hold of him into letting slip just a second. His fist goes flying into the mirror but it doesn’t even hurt.

Just as he thinks he’s won he’s suddenly feeling like he’s falling, his stomach going up and his mind going down and dizziness makes his eyes cross. He blinks.

“Finally.” He hears and he tries to regain conciousness but the dizziness still clings and he doesn’t see more than blurred darkness. “You sure are feisty, aren’t you?” Sitting up Jackson can feel coldness seep up to his waist. He’s sitting in water? Looking right, he sees himself but somehow he’s cut off and split into tiny shards. It’s his mirror he realizes. He cracked it and now he’s looking through.

“This does feels.. weird, though. Are you sick?” He can see himself sway and grab for the sink. “This is.. this is..”

When she asked him if he had the urge for something new tonight he had expected a different place to spend the night drinking.

He hadn’t expected – well, it was a different place. And thankfully none of those Vampire Clubs that seemed to be hunted by pale unhealthy teenagers and the odd mom.

He could have said no. But he’d been interested why she seemed so excited and nervous about dressing him up for this club. He had never seen her care so honestly about something so simple as going out to somewhere else than the club they both fancied.

(He should have gotten suspicious at the leather pants.)

He saw the streetlamp flickering at the other side of the road. Cars were few but cabs dominated the street at this time of the day. Nothing suspicious had approached her home yet. He wouldn’t know if it was his presence lurking nearby in the shadows or if this part of the city was generally free of thugs and midnight jogger.

He had been told to use these nights to “make the city his” in every way that felt natural. He had spend precious hours wandering the streets before he got restless and did what he had wanted to do ever since – he had parked himself outside Darcy’s (and his) apartment block and glared at everyone walking past.

That night he had seen a shadow in the night, waiting and measuring him up. That cemented the need to stand guard over his girls even more. Tonight it was Amara’s turn but so far the streets seemed to be deserted.

Once he was safely out of range from his maker he pulled out his trustful own nokia and dialed his currently favorite number.

He will go to the club, drink, dance and possibly fuck. Which embaressingly means that he will need blood. He couldn't have grabbed himself a bottle when his maker had been watching. There would be questions. Questions he doesn't want to answer.

He pushes his phone to his ear and waits, listening to the ringing. Eventually though, she picked up.

"Hey, it's Jackson. Are you doing something tonight? I'm going to check out the clubs, I'd like you to accompany me."

Shuffling through the saved SHIELD contact files on his borrowed phone he comes upon Amara's Number first, which is why she is called second.

She probably heard of the shooting in the halls. He doesn't think they would have even realized he'd been shot.

Well, maybe if he died. But then he had died, but his mind shies away from thinking about it too long.

Once the song and light show was over, Arcade tucked the microphone under his arm to clap. Every bot around him turned their speakers up on high, playing an applause track until all the clapping died out. And the spotlight fell on Arcade.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the first annual Murder Games!" he laughed out loud before the bots laughed with him. But with a sharp hand motion, everything stopped at once. "Oh, I know, I know what you're thinking. 'Murder Games'? Why doesn't that sound like -- Yes, yes, so I got a little inspiration! So I ripped off a rip-off of another rip-off, but you know what makes MY rip-off the greatest? Everything! Allow me to elaborate...."

He began to pace, his hand flapping and flourishing with every word. "This world - Murderworld, if you will - has been designed specifically to test the body and the mind. I've dealt with your kind before, a special case named Phillip. Philly taught me a few things. Namely, you don't have to be a mutant or a super to give these old bones some new excitement. But, the point is, I've come up with the best environment for you all to battle and die in and make it a very exciting show! 

"I'm sure you've already noticed the maze; I didn't blind any of you, after all. It's quite simple, really. Hidden in this maze, in it's center, is a tunnel. That tunnel will lead you to safety, but here's the catch - it'll only allow a random amount of you through. It could be set to only allow one, it could be set to allow all four. Who knows? I sure don't, I set the programing to go unscripted so it's completely randomized! So, in other words, not only is this a race for survival... it's a race against your friends."

Arcade stopped in his tracks and grinned. He threw his arm up towards the four screens around him as each flashed a different image of the agents - one for Ashe, one for Amara, one for Jackson, and one for Lizzy. "This is your competition! These are the agents you've worked along side and will have to defeat in order to survive! These are the friends you'll have to kill!"

He stopped and let out a roaring laughter. "Oh, but you don't think I'm that dumb, do you? I know your type - so full of pride and loyalty. You won't kill your friends. Which is why I have these...."

The platform around Arcade made a complete circle of a spin. Each corner of the covers hiding the floating objects was attached to it so the motion tore them off, revealing four look-a-likes of each probie. Their right eyes all began to glow an unnatural color before fading back to normal, leaving nothing left to differentiate them from their human counterparts.

"And this is where the fun begins. An unknown amount of perfect copies are lingering around down there, waiting, wandering. You're all unarmed but you'll find various items like crowbars and pipes and, if you're lucky, a gun and ammo. Take as much as you want, kill as many of my Chameleons as you find but you better be sure who you're aiming that gun at," he snickered before the platform began to raise. The four floating Chameleons lowered themselves into the center of the maze, disappearing from each agents' sights just as Arcade vanished into the ceiling.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," his voice echoed in the room as the glass doors opened for the agents to enter the maze. 

"Welcome to Murderworld."

Notice of Assignment to Active Field Duty

Date: 03/07/2013

Location: Stonington, New York

This memo is to inform you of your newest assignment, under Agent Clay Quartermain.

Agent Quartermain has requested assistance in breaking down and dismantling the Dee-Lite Amusement Park. You are to travel there by 10:00 AM today to assist in this operation. Please dress in tac-suit, your usual uniform may not hold up to spec. 

One thing of note -- there have been reports of a suspicious figure lurking in the park, and junior agents are requested to stick to groups of two or more while dismantling equipment. Senior agents have encountered this figure only once, below is the best description available.

Should you run across this figure, your orders are NOT to apprehend! Suspect is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Maintain radio contact at all times, and identify the suspect to your handler and the Agent in charge of the secured site.

Again, do not pursue and apprehend, suspect is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Notice of Promotion to Field Work:

This memo is to notify all agents that the following have been promoted to probationary field work. Should you encounter these agents, they are to be accorded all protection and instruction afforded to junior agents in the field as per page 456 in the SHIELD manual regarding lower clearance level operatives on a secure site.

The following are cleared for light duty and instruction in the field:

Agent Amara Kota

Agent Ashe Matsumoto

Agent Jackson Hood

Agent Lisa Timberstone

Clearance level appropriate handlers are to be on site to monitor performance. Should no handlers be available, the probationary agents will report directly to the commanding officer in charge of securing the site.

The code of conduct for a live weapons patrolled site is strictly enforced. Insubordination will not be tolerated. Should the probationary agents fail to comply with orders, they will return to headquarters for re-evaluation of their elevation in rank.

This is in accordance with bylaw 17-b in the SHIELD handbook regarding elevation in clearance rank.

Any questions regarding an increase in clearance level may be brought directly to Jasper Sitwell between the hours of 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.