What is this place? I can’t feel my body, but my mind?

    It’s me, Christian.

    Lady Guardian? Wh-what happened?

    I had to intrude into your head.

    Why? What about the war? Rather, do you kno-

    I know all about the war, Christian.

    Does it concern you?

    It does, Christian. 

    Explain then.

    The environment of the war, it will cause another Crosswalker to be born.

    How? Why?

    A crosswalker is formed when the pent up feelings of an individual reaches a-

    A boiling point. That day, that night, I gained my powers not because of the Midnight Killer… but because of me?

    Somewhat, yes. But partly due to how society pressures one such as yourself. It’s all the feelings, frustrations, strain upon the mind, that converges in one point, and realises one such as yourself into a Crosswalker. Impressive that you pieced it so fast.

    I’m in my own head, there’s nothing else to do but think. So, why crosswalks?

    Now, now. One by one. As to why another Crosswalker forms right now, it is becau-

    I got that already, it’s either the mayor or Penk, perhaps both, because of how emotionally invested they are. Now tell me why is it all related to cross-

    I’m afraid I don’t have the time. There is only so much I can tell you.

    Then be faster about it!

    So… it is… because…

    Why are you doing this? Is it, perhaps, that you don’t have any idea yourself?

    No Christian, I do. It’s just… because…

    I got it, you don’t know or won’t tell. Let me out of here then.

    Are you not curious as to how I managed to get inside your head?

    The responsibility started to weigh heavier and heavier on my shoulders, thus I started to see the crosswalk being formed. Which is perhaps because of those two fighting and its forming in their ‘honour’ so to speak. Basically, the crosswalk forms so they can become a Crosswalker. Got that right?

    Indeed. You can go then, since you seem to know it all.

    Did I upset you Lady Guardian?

    No, no. It’s just that, who needs a Guardian to tell them how to stop a war, when you know it all already.

    Stop the war?! I do not possess such knowledge.

    Oh, is that so? If only there was someone who could help…

    Fine! I apologise, I should’ve let you do the explanation. Now tell, I beg you, how do I stop this?

    Just listen carefully…

     

    Present day

 

    “Ouch,” my head hurts really bad. I’m also hungry and extremely thirsty. I’m…in my bed? And a note by the side, ‘Christian, while I admire your devotion to the cause, I can’t have you faint amidst the war. Please take care and don’t come back unless you’re better. Love, Penk. P.S. A kind man led Bezz to where you live’. “A kind man he says, who would that be?”. More important, I must drink and eat something!

 

    1 hour later

 

    *As the self-proclaimed  Mod-Punks continue to rain fire upon the elderly houses, it doesn’t seem likely the opposition can retaliate. Further, the Mod-Punk side showcase new weapon-*

It seems like I missed about two days worth of war. The reinforcements for the mayor haven’t arrived yet, or they won’t show up. “Looks like Penk managed to stall in order to develop their bomb,” but it also means that the mayor has completed his own. “He would’ve deployed it at any cost by now though,” so it must mean that the reinforcements are necessary to activate it, maybe something else, but seems most plausible.

 

    “Now, should I do it?”. Stopping the war bears great benefits… but the cost is unfathomable… “Shit! Dammit! God fu-”

 

    1 hour later

 

    I’ve exerted myself. I should be able to do it now that my care for my own life is at an all time low. “There must’ve been another way, something else to end this war with,” she must’ve done it out of spite. “No. The more I look at it, the more it makes sense,” GOD DAMM-

 

    1 hour later

 

    Let’s see. Back into the battlefield. This gas mask better be its cheap worth, for this is some scenery I can see from behind the bushes. It is as they say, they rain down fire constantly. The Mod-Punks are now more as well, about fifty, changing in a rotation schedule so they can continue the assault. Those houses have a fresh coat of translucent white paint. 

 

    Now, the issue at hand. I must stop either from launching their bombs. Penk probably has his almost completed, so it’s only a matter of hours, maybe less, until it will be deployed. I have to find a way to get inside the mayor’s house without being caught by the Mod-Punks, by being seen or shot down. So how do I-

 

    “Sup bitch,” the midget. He scared the crap out of me, they’re to my left… camouflaged in white plastics. 

 

    “A-are you here to g-get drenched?” What a preposterous question from the chubby one!

    

    “By approximate estimates,” this fake nerd, “the Mod-Punks will launch their COM Bomb in about an hour.”.

   

    “COM, Bomb?” What is that?

    

    “Condom Originated Matter Bomb,” I see.

 

    “Did they tell you that in an hour they will deploy it?” There is no way artificial neurons over here has any math skills.

 

    “They announced it aloud, dumbass,” can’t be mad at him for this one.

 

    “What else do you know?” they must have something on the old man as well.

 

    “Th-the mayor will la-launch it at the same ti-time,” this timing seems a bit too much of a simple coincidence. Meaning, the old leather belt over there plans to bring down both of them!

 

    “Why are you still here then? If I am to understand, the blast radius will cover a large area, you might get caught up into it,” and they pull up a camera, of course.

 

    “We have a blast shelter as well, shitface,” holy water cannot purify that vile tongue. They pull up from behind a sort of large turtle-like, transparent plastic carapace. Seems to be made pretty sturdy, so they might actually resist the blast.

 

    With all that being said and done, I guess I should start off my-Lady Guardian’s plan. While I don’t like these kids, they prove to be much more useful than my money bought them for. “So, kids,” their attention is on me. “I want you to buy some stuff and bring it to the mayor’s house,” I hand them a list from my pocket, “and I want to know how you get into the house safely.”.

 

    10 minutes later

 

    The backyard, stupid of me not to think of it. And it cost me an additional ten percent of my salary. Let’s see, the windows are covered at the back as well, couches, pillows, a bunch of stuff. But something seems to weigh heavier from behind, pressing them against the windows. I make my way silently, there’s that dog cage over there to my right, but seems abandoned. And now I’m against the back wall of the house. The door is just to my right, only a few steps away. Although, now that I think about it, how comes none of the Mod-Punks used thi-*swoop*. 

 

    Covered traps, of course.  ‘We wo-won’t tell you t-the details, wi-without another ten percent’ I guess I should’ve bought that info. Now I’m upside down. The door starts opening. “Well, well, well,” this is not how I envisioned it. And of course he has a bloody spear. “Would ya look at that. My cute dear trap, caught a fish on land,” is this the best he got?“Tell me youngun, why shouldn’t I fillet you top to bottom?” besides the fact that that’s murder, you mean. “C’mon speak up, or you’ll have to use your fingers to talk in a few moments,” I bet he thinks he’s some sort of hunter in his mind, that doesn’t have to abide by the law. But now that it came down to this, I guess there is no reason to hold back.

 

    “I’m here to confess,” his face is puzzled. He doesn’t know what to make of it, but that’s fine, it will all be clear soon enough. *Swish* and the rope is cut, my face hits the grass straight on. 

 

    As he holds the spear with his left hand, he squats down, looks me in the eyes. “Whom have you sinned against, son?” against God I suppose, that’s besides the point though.

 

    15 minutes later

 

    “I see, it all makes sense now,” the mayor says, him on his couch, me on a sofa. There are only candles litting up the room, a couple of elderly peeking through the blinds, analysing their surroundings. To the sides of the couch, two old ladies holding crossbows ready to shoot if I make any sudden movements. There’s also that obvious hole in the floor that they try to hide with a rug. Are they blind to it or did they not have time to cover it? And what is it for? “You’re wondering what the hole is about, aren’t you?” 

 

    “Yes, actually, if you don’t mind,” I’m surprised he didn’t cut my limbs off by now.

 

    “Those bloody punks,” he says, almost spitting to the name, no longer though. Not after my confession. “They’re going to launch their COM Bomb from above,” a plane, I see. “We, however, don't have the means to defend or attack against aerial assaults,” makes sense. “We had to dig. And dig we did,” that seems hard to do, especially given their age. The distance is not that great, but it would require a large effort, which those old bones don’t seem able to perform. “More appropriately, to say, our grandchildren did,” the reinforcements!

 

    “Wait a bit. If you dug towards them, how did you plant a bomb large enough to end that side of the war, without physically harming them?” mental damage will be done, so no need to wonder about that. 

 

    “Ah, you see son, we didn’t plant a bomb, we planted a trap, dug a pit deep below and filled it up, surrounded only by the membrane of a condom,” wha-how could that be accomplished in such a short period of time, with just shovels?

 

   As we were talking, from below the rug, lights started to shine through. Then, one by one, a group of about thirty people of my age, perhaps even younger, emerged equipped with digging equipment. In their hands…modern machinery. No, not even modern, I never saw something like that. “I thought… you only used ancient warfare? What are these machines,” the intricate, solid and delicate designs of, what I can only describe as, hand drills was appalling.

 

    “I did, my son though,” I guess he means his actual son. “Sent me some of his ‘toys’. He works for a construction tech company, you see?” No, I don’t. These kinds of resources allocated for this, only makes it worse. “And I won’t let principles get between me and a victory,” although this is no victory, it’s the ‘if I go down, you come with me,’ mentality.

 

    “Are you still going to enact your plan though, after what I told you I would do?”

 

    “Only if your idea works. If they don’t stop after that, I will let that skatepark sink under the condom,” I guess he will make full of the promise Penk made towards him, in his stead.

 

    “So you’re not going to take your revenge on me,” although it’s deserved after all the chaos I caused.

 

    “Why would I, son?” he puts his hand on my shoulder, looks me in the eyes as if I am his actual son. “You tried to do good, your heart was in the right place. Even though you cost me and that kid something like hundreds of thousands of bucks,” that’s a bit of a stretch. It’s not like I told you to go this far. “In other words, I forgive you kiddo,” a sort of bonding moment forms between us as he hugs me. Even though it feels more like something he wanted to say to his son, but does so to me instead. I accept it nonetheless.

 

    The kids arrive as he holds me tight. They want to speak, I shush them, let the old mayor enjoy his moment. A few moments pass, and still hugging. A few more… still hugging. A few more…stil-he fell asleep?! “Grandpa must’ve been tired. He hasn't fought a war since seventy years ago,” how old is this guy?!

 

    After I let the old man softly on the couch, I approach the kids. “Have you found everything?”

 

    “That hoe only gave us stuff for kids,” as much is to be expected. At least everything is here. The wig, clothes, makeup maybe is a tad bit too much. He shouldn’t be able to tell, not from within the war tent.

 

    “I ho-hope you drench in it and d-die,” the fat one keeps worrying me. He also says it without malice. He just wants to see people die or something I guess.

 

    “By my calculations, there is only three minutes left until they will launch the COM Bomb,” we can all see the clock smartass. I shouldn’t be mad at him though. It’s just that what will undergo, will be cemented in history, and my face will be plastered all over it. I simply cannot be calm knowing all that.

 

    The mayor's grandchild puts his hand on my right shoulder, says “I understand what you will do. Admirable, even if you’re the one responsible for it,” he slaps me. Then hugs me, “So I accept you as my brother,” piss off please.

 

    “Well, there is no more avoiding it. Two minutes left, the plane must be on its way by now,” the all look at me. Young, old. Hopes and dreams. All resting on my shoulders to end this war, this… war of condoms.

 

   “W-we have something to d-do elsewhere,” the fat one says. “G-good luck though, m-mister,” at least he’s not morbid this time.

 

    “Piss off you f****** -” I don’t need to hear the rest.

 

    “You have thirty seconds to go before it’s too late, by my approximations,” that’s true. They look at my back, I glance back, trying to resist the urge to run away. The kids leave through the back, close the door. I sigh, and listen to the outside. They don’t shoot anymore, they know this is about to end.

 

    I twist the knob, press my foot forward, slowly. Not because I want to take it slow, but because of how I must look. Dressed as the old man, I must move like him. I stand in the front yard, where it all started from. I look ahead, the war tent, Penk looking through, talking to a radio. I see the plane, slightly adjusting its course. Then, as I drop to my knees, I take off my wig and makeup, and let Penk see me. He is confused, alarmed, a bunch of men holding him back from trying to save me. It’s fine Penk, I accepted my fate. Let it all be over.

 

    I sat there, spreading my arms, looking at the sky. The sun was covered for a moment by the plane, then something continued to cast its shadow. The  COM Bomb. Time started to move slowly. The large condom was bearing condensed amounts of ***. I don’t know how they managed, but it was truly a marvel of engineering. Why am I appreciating it though? Is it to cope with the fact that I will sacrifice my dignity to become a martyr? Is it the prospect of being violated by this abomination, what makes me appreciate it? I don’t know. I can’t feel, I just let it-*SPLASH*

 

    2 days later

 

    *The internet is still taken by storm after a video was released where an individual, whose identity is still unknown, sacrificed themselves to the, what the former Mod-Punks called, COM Bomb. This act, with seemingly no prior motive, put a stop to the War of The Condoms. No commentaries were made by either side, as all seemed to en-*

 

    They will never know who it is that saved that whole neighbourhood, that sacrificed for their good. “That doesn’t mean they should’ve known that someone did sacrifice!!” those damn kids. When I will go to pay them, I will also pay them a couple fists to the-*bzz, bzz, bzz* my phone. It’s boss. I didn’t go to work for the past couple of days, the smell is still lingering about. I tried to ignore his call from yesterday. I don’t want to interact with anyone, I feel defiled. But I guess I should answer, reap my rewards. *Beep*.