War of Judgement

Volume 1 - Survivors

Chapter IV - Freedom

He had always wondered why he had kept his guard up.

Why did he keep people at a distance?

Why did he try to avoid getting closer to others?

Why did he never open up to those wanting to help him?

But now Darius was beginning to understand why, finally beginning to piece together the puzzle. That voice in the back of his head, the unwillingness to get close to others and put himself in situations to rely on others. They were a way to protect himself from being hurt by those closest to him and from losing anyone else.

'I should have never stopped.' Darius thought to himself as he looked out the window and down to the grounds below. The orphanage children including Alex were once again running around, wrapped up in their coats and smiling happily as they were herded towards the gates. It had rained the night before, the ground slick with mud and filled with puddles that they were being held back from jumping into by the workers.

They were going out on a walk.

But he had not been invited.

That was the fourth time in the past few weeks.

There was no knock on his door nor was Rachel Jennings around to personally invite him to join the other children. Not like there had been following his first meeting with Richard Patterson and the following ones including his wife, though those had stopped also.

It was everything he had feared coming to reality once more.

Richard Patterson and his wife, Tricia wanted nothing to do with him or Alex anymore. Their excitement at adopting them and the constant promises went silent meaning nothing as they disappeared.

Rachel Jennings, a kind and caring woman who had tried her hardest to get close to him. A woman he had gotten close to and opened himself up to, the barriers he had put up to protect himself lowering.

Just as Darius felt safe and secure, she too disappeared.

Noah, the orphanage owner said that she had found work elsewhere.

Now he was once more alone, only Alex left.

"Darius." Dr Noah spoke, entering the room with two workers by his side. "It's time for a checkup."

Saying nothing, Darius silently rose to his feet and followed them, guided down the corridors by the workers and Dr Noah walked ahead of them. All the while, Darius berated himself internally for having foolishly believed he could rely on someone else, a fool to believe he could ask for help.

His parents had died.

They were no longer around to protect him, they too were unable to protect him or Alex. The only one who could protect Alex was him and him alone, there was no one that Darius could rely upon except himself. To believe otherwise was just a foolish hope of a child who couldn't accept the truth.

Clenching his fist tightly by his side, Darius moved silently across the room they entered, climbing onto the operating table and laying down, the workers strapping the leather restraints around his wrists, ankles, waist and neck. As he was being strapped into place tightly, Dr Noah moved towards a cupboard, opened it up and pulled out a small syringe filled with a murky grey substance.

"It's unfortunate about what happened to the Pattersons, Richard and his wife, Tricia." Dr Noah said, Darius giving no response to his words. "They were so excited about adapting you, shame that they died in a terrible crash mere days before the process was finalised."

Dr Noah then walked toward him with a smile, Darius keeping his gaze firmly on the ceiling as the needle pierced his skin. "However, their untimely and unfortunate end does allow us both to continue working together." Darius writhed heavily, gritting his teeth as he felt an uncomfortable burning sensation cross over his body, trying not to release any sounds of pain or discomfort. "I keep getting to help you."

Darius jerked violently, straining against the restraints as his body convulsed uncontrollably, veins bulging and pulsing disgustingly underneath his skin, threatening to burst out. Blood seeped from his lips as he bit down on his tongue in an effort to quell his cries of pain, nails digging into the flesh of his palms.

Despite his best efforts it finally became too much, Darius letting out a gagged cry, body arching off the table before collapsing. His eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head as unconsciousness claimed him.

-X-

"Is it done?"

Cessair frowned heavily, looking upon Tirich with a fury rarely seen in the usually calm and collected man. "It is."

"Any complications with the procedure."

The frown on Cessair's face deepened. "We should have waited longer, rather than rushing." He muttered angrily. "Out of the two, Alexander possesses the greater connection. He would have been more suitable as a candidate than Darius."

"It was your suggestion to make Darius the sole inheritor." Tirich pointed out bluntly.

"I know and I stand by that decision, I was the one who made it after all," Cessair replied nonplussed at that reminder. "The reason I made that suggestion was because he possessed an anomaly in his genetic makeup that was not present in Darius'. To minimise risk and meet the deadline, Darius was the only suitable candidate with the timeframe you have given me."

"And the procedure succeeded?"

Cessair nodded his head. "The bloodline of the two brothers has been severely diluted, Alexanders was much purer than Darius. But with the blood provided by the Elder and the Patriarch, I was able to perform the procedure needed to unlock the hidden traits within it. Though considering what we are attempting to accomplish, most of those traits will be focused on combating the beast within him for some time."

Tirich nodded its head, remaining still and yet its form wavering and shifting on the spot. "And once his body has adapted and assimilated with the beast completely?"

"Then the bloodline shall fully awaken."

"When?"

Cessair shrugged his shoulders slowly. "Impossible to tell. It depends on a variety of factors. However, by a rough estimate, I would say eighteen."

"Very well." Tirich then began to sink into the floor once more. "Your task is now done, Cessair. Allow the brothers to go free, let them grow and experience the world. This is a personal request of the Elder."

-X-

"Are you sure we should be doing this Darius?" Alex asked quietly as the two of them opened the door to the orphanage and headed out into the courtyard. It was late, the moon in the clear sky shining down upon them, the lights from the street laid out before them.

All that stood between Darius and freedom was the wrought iron gate that surrounded Noah's Home for Foundlings. The final obstacle between him and an escape from the hell that had kept him contained for too long. 

Once he passed those gates there would be nothing holding him back. 

No workers telling him what to do. 

No medical checkups. 

No therapy sessions. 

Finally, Darius could protect Alex on his own, just like he was meant to do from the very beginning. Yet his body was in pain, the most recent checkup having taken its toll upon him and it took everything he had to keep moving forwards. 

The grip he had on Alex's hand was tight and he fought hard not to let his weakness show. He could not allow his brother to see him frail and weak, Darius had to be strong to make sure nothing could ever hurt his brother again and even as he stumbled he caught himself with one firm plant of his foot. He pushed onward through sheer determination as he fought the exhaustion and fatigue that gripped his body, the pain of the checkup still present. 

But Darius ignored it through force of will. 

He resolutely put one foot in front of the other without so much as a glance back, bringing Alex along with him. 

So, another chapter is done and the brothers finally escape from Noah's Home for Foundlings. Now, if you would like to support me head over to patreon.com/IGG1 or you can head over to https://judgement-day.fandom.com/wiki/Judgement_Day_Wiki. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.