Messiah of the End
#1 of Hell's Gates
In the Babel prison, there is a dividing line separating the two sexes, as a measure of security and as a way to get more funding. Klio, a young human, was arrested and convicted of attempted armed robbery and sent to this hell on earth. From the rumors on the outside, it was a place where the guards were brutal, the food was bland and in meager portions, and there was a unique rumor of a prisoner on the male side who had the entire prison shaking from fear.
Unfortunately, Klio didn't care. She was going to be spending 10-20 years there, so one scary prisoner was nothing to get worried about. She only needed to figure out how to get respect on the female side quick so she could avoid any unnecessary violence.
The bus pulled up to the prison gates, "Prisoner! Stand and walk!" The guard was stern with good reason. The prisoners in Babel usually were considered "unfit" for society, and often had records a mile long. Klio smiled at him and walked off of the bus to find herself surrounded by two walls of guards and a man in a suit, who she assumed was the warden.
"Prisoner. Welcome to hell. Due to our current housing constraints, the women's side is all full up. So, we're gonna put you in Nemo's cell. He's not gonna be using it for a while anyway." The man motioned to his guards, and then they pushed Klio forward.
They walked on a path enclosed by thick fences on each side. On the left, she saw only men. On the right, women. That was expected, but what she didn't expect was that most of the prisoners were sitting on the ground and meditating, "Hey warden, you got a church time or something?"
The warden kept walking and said, "No. This is Nemo's madness. How he managed to gain control over the minds of so many is beyond me. Hopefully, you won't succumb to his stories and end up like him." He lowered his head, and Klio could see the edge of a smile, "I hope he learns that messing with me will only end in suffering."
She was escorted up three flights of stairs on the male side of the prison while doing her best to ignore the calls of the men still behind bars. Eventually, a cell door opened and a guard pushed her inside. It had two beds, one above the other, a toilet, and a mirror, "Hey, did you clean out his cell or something?"
The warden looked down through the hole in the center of this wing, "No. This is how he left it. Never put so much as a scratch on the wall. But, that's enough out of me. If you want to know more, ask your new neighbors." He took a breath then turned to face her, "Now, I will have two guards come here at various times of day to escort you to the female side of the prison for exercise, showers, meals, and duties. If you are not prepared, you will be left here. Your clothing will be given to you shortly." With that, the warden and the guards left.
Klio looked at the room, and was disappointed at how empty it was. She was about to lie on the bottom bunk, but a voice stopped her, "You can't be here. This is his cell."
She turned around to see A tall, muscular ox staring at her through the bars, "Warden said he won't be using it for a while. So I have to stay here until something opens up."
The ox stared at her with his large, cold eyes, "So be it. Do you wish to know of the Messiah's teachings then?"
Klio sat on the bed, "Messiah? I don't think I need to hear about the bible again. Just run along."
"When the time comes, you will look to him for help. He will not turn you away, nor will he aid you. Hell's Gate shall open, and only those with faith will have a chance of surviving." The man bowed, then left.
"Messiah? Hell's Gate? Warden was right, Nemo must have been crazy. Glad he's not here, otherwise he'd try to sell me his bullshit too." Klio fell onto her bed and stared at the one above, "Just five years 'til my parole hearing. Can't wait." The next few hours were uneventful. She was presented with her new clothing, and taken to the female side for lunch. She ate alone, finished quickly, and was escorted back to Nemo's cell.
On the way, things took a turn for the worse, "Hey little girly. Not often that a woman gets the chance to spend some time over here with the men. How's about you and the two of us have some fun?" The guards were looking at her expectantly.
"Uh... no. I think I should just go back to my cell."
The other guard blocked her path, "My friend here made a mistake. It wasn't a question. We're gonna have a good time together. Now lets go to the security room, no cameras in there."
Klio took a step back, but hit a wall, "Hey, no, just leave me alone." The guards quickly grabbed her and pushed her against the wall while groping her, "Hey! Help! Help!"
"Shut up and quit squirming. I promise you'll enjoy this..." Klio screamed and struggled, but to no avail. She may put on a tough act, but she wasn't that strong, "Huh? Hey, asshole, back in your cell!" One of the guards raised his rifle to the ox who talked to Klio earlier.
The ox closed his eyes, "It is the duty of the worthy to only do right. You hold the title of a worthy position, yet you do wrong."
"Shut up!" The guard fired at the man's stomach and he buckled over, "There, that oughta-"
The ox stood up, pain clearly showing in his face, "If it is my life, I shall gladly give it so that He may walk among us again. All doubters shall burn in the holy flames of Hell's-" The guard shot the ox in the head.
Klio screamed as the guard laughed, "Serves him right. That nonsense doesn't scare me. Now, stop screaming!" He punched Klio in the face, which made her fall to the ground.
"Dammit Chuck! They're no fun when they don't fight back."
The other guard rested the rifle on his shoulder, "She's still awake retard. Now pick her up and we'll have some fun." Klio was in immense pain, both physical and emotional. A man just died trying to help her, something she had never experienced before. And now, even with the interference, she was no better off. She shut her eyes tightly as a guard grabbed her arm.
A tear rolled down her cheek as the grip on her arm loosened, "What the... impossible!" She slowly opened an eye and saw a gray cat, standing tall not ten feet from them, "How did you... you should be in lockdown!"
The cat scanned the area, briefly locking eyes with Klio, then kneeled down over the dead inmate, "In this life, you had done everything to repent for your sins. Your soul shall rest for eternity in Paradise. Now, please pardon me while I finish this task. Hm?" He looked over at Klio, "You are right. I apologize for my doubts. Now rest." He stood up, "I cannot allow you two to live for your crimes. Prepare yourselves!"
Chuck aimed his rifle at the cat, but he was too slow. The cat had dashed forward and hit Chuck with an uppercut. Klio didn't have a good look at how it connected, but it must have been painful. However, she couldn't quite tell why Chuck didn't fall back. Then, she saw blood pour down the cat's arm onto the ground. He tugged on his arm and Chuck fell to the ground, with a hole just below his ribcage and a smaller one just above his eyebrows.
The other guard yelled out and started to run, but the cat somehow stepped in the way, jumped up, and kicked the side of the guard's head. Klio couldn't see the damage again, but this time, she didn't want to see.
She did her best to crawl away through the blood soaked ground as quietly as possible, "Please stop. I mean you no harm." She turned to face the cat, who was offering his hand to help her up, "You need to have that injury looked at."
Klio grabbed his hand, though she couldn't keep her body from trembling, "W-who a-are y-y-y"
The cat helped her to her feet, then put her arm over his shoulder to support Klio, "You must forgive me, that man was a good man. It is a terrible loss for this world. I am known as Nemo, though some may have referred to me as Messiah. I assure you, I am not." They walked to an open area, where all three floors were visible, "Listen to me! If anyone so much as lays a finger on this woman, I will tear you to pieces!"
After his little outburst, Nemo walked her to the medical area, where a doctor examined her, "Yeah, you'll be fine. Could've been worse, had Nemo not intervened. I've seen some pretty bad shit in here, but this is nothing. There, you'll need some ice on that and some painkillers. I'll write up an order so you can come down here."
Klio was feeling better, but something was bugging her, "Um, he just killed two of your people. Shouldn't you be angry about that or something?"
The doctor laughed, "You'd think so, but to be honest, I... believe in Nemo. The things he says, the things he does, and yeah, it does get scary to think about, but I'd like to believe he can save us. You just got here, so you might not know much. Got any questions?"
Klio thought this man, and by extension most of this prison, was insane, but curiosity got the best of her, "Yeah, what the hell are you talking about?!"
The doctor leaned back in his chair, "Well, the short of it is that Nemo says that Hell's Gate will soon rise up and flood the world with demons. Also, only those who have repented their wrongdoings will be able to survive the initial slaughter. Then, he says he has a plan, but the demon's will never go away completely. I know, I know, it sounds stupid, but you've seen what he can do. You can't say that a normal man can do that. Hell, I've seen him resting on an electrified fence without showing any signs of pain! He has to know something."
Klio was promptly escorted to the women's side for dinner, but she couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious Nemo and his cult following. As she sat down, a group of female prisoners surrounded her table and faced away, "Uh... can I help you?"
One of them spoke, "You are under His protection. We shall see to it that you will not suffer any harm." Klio was concerned that she was now a part of the cult, "Fear not, He will come to you again and He shall explain all."
"Alright..." Klio was curious again, "How did he get out of that lockdown thing?"
Another prisoner spoke, "He is mysterious in his ways. That is why he is pure, unable to be led astray. He has bound his flesh and soul to the demon's essence so as to learn how to stop their threat." Klio nodded, then stayed silent during the rest of her meal. The last thing she needed was more nonsense.
After she was escorted back to her cell, she noticed Nemo lying on the top bunk, "Hey, what's the deal with everyone worshiping you? It's really annoying, and why did you have to drag me into it!"
He chuckled, "Why? Because, you are the final key to the puzzle. You are a pure, untainted woman, just like the ones sacrificed in ancient times."
"Sacrificed?! Untainted?!"
He turned to look at her with his deep yellow eyes, "You will not be killed though, do not worry. As for the untainted remark, I think we both know what I mean." He laughed loudly.
Klio was scared. He was the prisoner that had the entire prison shaking. However, it wasn't fear of violence, but the future and the unknown. This was Nemo, the Messiah of the end.