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Act 1: Armageddon

Chapter 2: The Confrontation, The Confession

I just stood there for a moment, stunned, awed by Kiev's sudden confession. Here I was, expecting a couple hours of dramatic confrontation at the least, a standoff between 'law' and 'anarchy', but I guess that I was wrong.

"...Come again?" I finally mustered, though still quite perplexed.

"You heard me, Detective." restated Kiev as he continued to whittle me down with his unflinching gaze. "I killed them all and, should you fail to stop me this day, will continue to kill."

I again remained silent.

"You look confused, Detective, have I said something shocking?" he mused with a grin; a very natural look for him. "If I've taken you by surprise, I apologize, but I must admit to you, I did not come here with any intention of defending my good name. Far from it, in fact; my name is far too sullied and tainted to defend anymore. Ha ha ha, yes indeed, I am no longer able to feign innocence in these matters."

Though I couldn't see it, I could certainly feel my face turning red from rage. Fitfully, I yelled, "Then why the fuck did you come here?!"

With the same damn smile, Kiev lifted one eyebrow jovially as he replied, "That should be obvious, Detective, I came here to see The Negotiator, the famous inquisitor that never fails to get his information. I came here to see you."

"What?!" I shouted in return. "No, you came here because you were captured, caught, apprehended! You came here because you had no choice in the matter!"

"Oh really, did I now?" chuckled the large man. "I'm afraid you are the one who is mistaken. I allowed myself to be captured, caught, and apprehended; all for the sake of meeting with you. If you doubt me, then why not ask your frightened little friend over there? I'm sure he'll have an interesting story for you; one about an anonymous phone call that hinted towards the murderer's location."

This can't be happening! I though we caught him, fair and square, through the fruits of our own efforts and investigation! He didn't just 'allow' himself to be captured!

"Will?" I sneered angrily; grinding my teeth. "Is this true? Was there really an anonymous tip that lead to his arrest?"

Will, backing up even further, eventually hit a wall and was forced to say, "...Someone, we couldn't figure out who, called in and told the 911 operator that they had witnessed a highly suspicious man paying for a week long stay at a hotel. Apparently, he was paying for a several thousand dollar stay, but he was paying entirely in cash."

I turned to face Kiev again, who had yet to drop his overconfident smirk. Calming myself, I asked, "You set yourself up?"

"Why not?" he retorted, shrugging his shoulders. "It makes for an effective and acceptable 'means to an end'. Who would question it? To everyone outside of this room, I was apprehended by the hard working police staff of Saffron City, no one else and especially not myself."

"Are you saying that you killed all of those people, even that child, just so you could get arrested and interrogated by me?!" I trumpeted fiercely; slamming my fist against the wall. "That doesn't make any sense at all! I have an office; you could have visited or dropped me a line whenever you wanted!"

And that's when my opponent's eyes narrowed, full of hate and fire and brimstone, and pierced my soul. He stood up, enraged, and roared, "Who do you take me for?! I do not have such disrespect for the lives of others, nor do I value life so insignificantly or meagerly! Yes, I was captured of my own volition, but the same cannot be said for lost lives of those that I have slain! They are dead now because they were condemned to die! They were infected with an incurable illness, one that threatens to bring about Armageddon and the end of civilization!"

It was so sudden, not even I knew what I had done, but I somehow ended up with my stainless steel firearm aimed squarely at the center of this insane bastard's head.

"You crazy fuck!" I screamed; gnashing my teeth horribly. "You killed all of those people, all of them, because of some grand delusion you had; some imaginary story; a fucking dream?! What was it, too many drugs?! Did more than the recommended dosage of heroin leave you too stupid to tell the difference between reality from fantasy anymore?!"

Either through unflinching bravery or endless stupidity, Kiev continued to stare, his eyes now exploring the darkness of my gun's polished steel barrel. Scoffing at me, the large man laughed, "Pull the trigger, Detective. You may not enjoy what will happen, as a result, once you do."

That was more than enough incentive for me, much more. I squeezed the trigger and let fly a lightning fast piece of lead, carrying with it my direct wish for him to die. However, by the time I'd heard the bullet crash, Kiev had vanished from my sight and something was suddenly restraining my firing arm. I looked to see who had grabbed me and locked eyes with my initial target, in all of his massive girth, clutching my wrist tightly with both of his bound hands. Somehow, but still quite unknown to me, Kiev had moved from his seat and grabbed my arm, all in less than a millisecond. Not only was this astounding feat of raw physical speed impossible for almost everyone and anyone in general, but unthinkable for a member of the Snorlax Clan. The Snorlax are a family of enormous, slow, sluggish, sloth-like creatures; not in any way capable of faster-than-eye movement. And yet there he stood, still gripping my arm, completely alive and totally unscathed.

"...What?" I murmured silently, stunned.

"I was hoping to explain the situation to you, not show you by force." sighed Kiev as he casually let go of my wrist. "Now, Detective, are you willing to listen to what I have to tell you, or would you like to try that again?"

I shook my head slowly. I wasn't about to challenge something like that, not on my best day. And this certainly wasn't my best day.

"Very well, then please be seated." said my mysterious foe as he calmly seated himself. "And you over there; you might as well seat yourself too. Having seen that little display, you are now a part of this as well."

Will, still trembling, carefully slid a folding steel chair over to the table and joined us.

"Good." chuckled Kiev lightheartedly. "Now, let us move on to the matter at hand."

With an effortless twisting motion, Kiev snapped the tiny chain connecting his metal bracelets and set free his hulking arms. Seeing as how he'd disarmed me while still 'restrained', it was almost as though he'd done it with the sole intent of mocking our feeble justice system; not that I was going to voice my opinion at this point, but we really should have used better handcuffs. He smiled for a brief moment, then motioned for me to look towards the tinted window that allowed the interrogation to be viewed by a third party. It suddenly occurred to me that the guards had yet to burst in and subdue my large friend, even after watching him magically evade a gunshot and forcible relieve me of my standard issue sidearm. This perplexed me quite a bit and my confusion must have shown clearly on my face because Kiev was quick to explain the mystery.

"I have placed a veil over this room, a simple hypnotic illusion that will safeguard our conversation from prying eyes and ears." stated the giant. "The window itself is acting as a filter; your friends can see only what I want them to see."

"You have the power to do that?" I sighed. Very little surprised me at this point, or so I thought.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kiev stood up and strolled casually around the room. He scratched his head and stroked his chin for a moment, before opening his mouth in preparation for an explanation and then immediately closing it in realization of his lack of information. My question seemed foreign to him, as though I should have expected such magical powers from him.

"We are all capable of such things, though some are more gifted than others." Kiev replied, pointing at me. "From birth, every sentient denizen of this world has the power to manipulate, bend, and even change the ever unstable laws of nature. You, for example, are blessed with the power to command and control all existing forms of electricity."

And he wasn't wrong, per say, but wasn't exactly right either. Every person born into this world is born with a gift or two, though it's been three or four generations since these powers have manifested noticeably. While there are a select few who still possess abilities that transcend mortality and earthly understanding, the number of these people inhabiting the entire planet can be counted on a single hand. The Raichu Clan, of which I am descended from, was one of the original clans to inherit the power to manipulate lightning; a skill that I've never been able to wield myself, but wouldn't exactly frown on having. However, my foe here was a member of the Snorlax Clan, and outside of raw physical strength and stamina, they have no real history of such 'magic'. Nothing, not a legend or myth, has ever hinted towards Kiev and his ancestors possessing powers like teleportation or the ability to forge illusions.

"Yes, I'm quite familiar with the old stories." I growled angrily. "After all, I taught that shit to my students each and every day, every week of every month, for six years."

Having been a history professor and an archaeologist a decade ago, hearing this man tell me things that I already knew felt a tad bit insulting. Apparently, he knew this too, and didn't hesitate to sink his claws in deeper and then salt the fresh wound.

"An educator, were you not?" spouted Kiev smugly. "A helping hand in the construction and reinforcement of our ignorant youths and their unknown future. You taught several high school courses and were well on your way towards a solid position as a college professor; and at such a young age as well. It seemed like such a promising career, but if I remember correctly, you resigned and retired. Why is that, Detective? Why did you quit when you were so far ahead?"

"What don't you know about me?" I mused sarcastically.

"Very little." he answered bluntly. "I have made it my business to know nearly everything there is to know about you. Everything and anything, so long as it was enough to allow me to protect you from afar and meet with you today."

"That's just it, why do you need to meet with me?!" I exclaimed; slamming my fists against the table. "If you can fool people with hypnotic suggestion and teleport on a whim, then what could you possibly need from me?! What can I do that you can't?!"

Squinting his eyes, Kiev stated grimly, "Darkness is spreading and threatens to eclipse the sun, eternally eliminating all light. You, Detective, and you alone, can save this world from the evil that is infecting it. Just as I was destined to realize my potential, seek you out, and deliver you to the battlefield's forefront; so too are you destined to realize your potential and deliver this world from the encroaching darkness."

I jumped up from my chair and sharply pointed my finger. I was more than prepared to protest such an exaggerated statement, but found that no words could correctly carry across my feelings of utter shock and confusion. Kiev simply continued to stare, knowing full and well that I had nothing at all to say. His eyes studied and calculated, coldly observing me and predicting my next move. Sitting back down, as I'm certain he knew I would, I sneered and gripped the sides of the table. My fingers almost dug into the brittle wood. Regardless of how greatly I felt like screaming and shouting, I had no idea of where to begin or how to even go about making my case.

"Though you might still question the strange and mysterious feats that my body is capable of performing, you will soon come to accept your own powers and how vastly superior they are to my own." he added. "I am merely a devout disciple, guided by the Book of Evolution and blessed ever so slightly by the gods. You, however, are a Metatron tasked with the job of representing the gods here on the mortal plain. In comparison, I am as nothing."

"...And all of the people that you've killed?" I finally mustered. "Earlier, you said that they were a danger, that they absolutely had to die. Not that I believe a word you've said, but should this all be miraculously true, will I be expected to kill as well? Will I, your sacred hero, be tasked with mass murdering just like you? Because if that's what you're telling me, that I have to become a heartless killing machine, then I'll just have to disappoint you and let the world die."

As shameful as it is, I lied. He'd steadily begun to draw me into his impossible story, word by word, each paragraph slowly warping my perspective on all that seemed probable and sane. I was simply afraid, my shaking and clattering knees hidden beneath the table. I worked as a cop, or as close to being a cop as you can get without actually being one. I've never been the 'trigger-happy' type and didn't even want to imagine having to use my sidearm against any innocent civilians, pedestrians, or bystanders. I'm supposed to protect people, even some of the criminals that I'm often working against, not kill them.

"Well?" I continued, pushing him further and further with my words. "Your answer?"

Kiev, who was pacing back and forth at this point, immediately stopped. He turned his head and grimaced, effectively answering my question.

"Those poor souls were already beyond saving. By snuffing out their flames, I saved their souls and allowed them passage to the promised land." he said, emotionless and distanced. "In killing them, I staved off the events that are soon to come, but only by the slightest of margins. There is no preventing it permanently. My friend, I have not the power to perform miracles, only cheap parlor tricks."

"What do you mean?" I asked sarcastically. "I think I've already seen a few things that fit the description quite nicely. Or maybe I'm wrong and faster than light movement has become commonplace; it's hard to say."

"Miracles can be performed only by gods and daemons." Kiev stated, his eyes sorrowful and watery. "I am neither..., but the same cannot be said for my foe. He is a daemon, in every sense of the word, and has more power in his right hand than I do in my entire body. The people that I killed; their minds were overwritten and conquered, dredged like the bottom of a lake and wiped clean. All that they were; their personalities, their memories, their hopes, and their dreams; every last piece to the puzzle and fragment of the whole suffered the same hellish fate. He entered their minds through the use of his unearthly psychic powers and transformed them into obedient slaves. Every single one of them, completely without freewill or individuality, serving under his banner. I killed them in order to whittle down his army, if only by the smallest degree."

"They were pawns?" I inquired uneasily. It sounded like the plot to a science fiction novel. "Well then, what about the brands that you applied on the victim's bodies? What was the purpose in doing that?"

I was desperate at this point and was searching for something rational to cling to. Maybe he was just a psychotic murderer and the heat brand used during the killings simply served as his signature; a psychopath's autograph of sorts.

"You've read the Book of Evolution? Yes?" Kiev asked quietly.

"I have." I answered; equally as quiet. The atmosphere was slowly beginning to suffocate me. "The holy tome of the Temple of Creation, right? My former wife had me a firm believer at one point."

Facing away from me, he spoke slowly, "The Greater Flame Deity, Entei, is heralded as the patron god of redemption and forgiveness. I burned his image into their body's in hopes that they might somehow be forgiven; that their sins might go unpunished."

An awkward and merciless silence followed, threatening to drive me insane. I pulled together some more thoughts and prepared my next few questions.

"So, what, is this guy after the world itself?" I said, breaking the cold quiet. "Creating peons and foot soldiers through mind-control and ordering them to topple society; what else would he be after other than global conquest?"

The larger man shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. His eyes narrowed into vengeful little slits; hate and anger completely comprising every word that followed.

"You fail to understand, Detective." Kiev replied morosely; driving one of his massive fist into an unfortunate wall. "He does not seek world domination, he seeks world destruction and ultimate anarchy. Though both scenarios are similarly catastrophic, at least we would be alive to suffer through his tyranny."

Not entirely certain that I'd heard him correctly, I politely asked, "Please say that again?"

Kiev's voice took on a calm and quiet quality that eerily chilled my bones as it stated, "He seeks only destruction. He is a daemon. He is purely evil. And he wishes eternal damnation upon all that live and breathe."

My jaw fell to the floor. This guy wants to destroy the world, just wipe it out? Why? What could bring a man to that decision? From my experience, plans as grandiose and drastic as 'ending all sentient life' usually end up being the last resort, not the first step!

"You're kidding me." I stammered weakly, just before getting cut off by something unexpected.

An enormous explosion shook the entire building violently and sent long cracks speeding across the concrete walls. Paint chips fell like raindrops as the fluorescent lighting flicked for a moment, eventually failing entirely. Shortly after the roaring aftereffects of the loud blast subsided, the sounds of harried panicking could be heard echoing from every direction. With the room's chilling ambiance effectively shattered, I snapped out of my frightened trance and immediately headed for the door. As I opened it, the smell of smoke quickly filled my nose. Obviously, something REALLY bad had just happened. I glanced back behind me to ensure that both Will and my suspect were unharmed, but found that despite being thick and portly, Kiev had mysteriously vanished. Will, however, having just finished cowering in a corner, ran to my side and unsheathed his rarely used weapon.

"The rest, Detective, is for you to decide!" echoed a disembodied voice; Kiev's voice. "Should you choose either salvation or destruction, it matters not, as I can sway you no longer!"

"Damn it, you fat bastard!" I yelled furiously. "Get back here and explain this whole ordeal a little clearer! Where'd you go?! What am I supposed to do?! What the Hell is going on?! Who's behind all of this?! You left out a fucking sizable portion of the story!"

"I can say no more!" replied the distorted, booming voice from the sky. "Some day, some way, may we meet again!"

With a slam of my fist and a crack in the wall, I cursed my former suspect's name. How could he explain things up till this point, explaining them vaguely mind you, and then magically vanish once the situation worsens? Isn't there some sort of universal or cosmic law against shit like that?! Oh well, that's what I get for placing my trust in a mass murderer, right?

"I'm sorry, Alan, but that was just a little too mush for me to take in and register, at least during one sitting!" cried and exacerbated Will as he readied his P232 Stainless. "That psychotic guy's story wasn't true, was it?! Please tell me it wasn't!"

I was still fervently irate from Kiev's sudden disappearance, not at all in the mood for Will's 'frightened schoolgirl' routine. Grabbing him by the collar, I shoved him up against a wall and yelled, "Will, now is really not the time to be losing your cool! I know that you're squeamish and easily startled, but I need you to focus! You're a fucking cop, so bite your lip and shake off your chills! Something bad just happened, something really bad, and it sounded a Hell of a lot like a bomb! Now, from past experiences, I've pretty much gathered that terrorists are usually the ones who throw bombs and explosives around! I don't think that I can take down a team of terrorists, not alone, so I'm going to need you to pull yourself together!"

"You want me to be your wingman?" stuttered the young man as he gripped his gun tightly.

"Yes." I replied as I peered around the corner and down the hallway. Though I couldn't see anyone, I was still almost certain that we were being surrounded. Call it a hunch.

"What about all of that stuff we just heard, all of that crazy shit about gods and daemons and prophets?" whimpered the young man; his fiery tail burning weakly between his legs from fear. "Murderers, rapists, terrorists, other criminals; they're all pretty scary but they're all pretty ordinary as well. They're all problems that apply to this world, the world that I'm from and the world that I'm accustomed to. And I can handle the ordinary stuff, life's little trials and obstacles, but I don't know anything about the supernatural or the spiritual. Those kinds of problems aren't from my world, they don't obey or abide by the natural laws of my world. They bypass those laws entirely, and that's something that I can't handle. I need those laws to remain strong and unbreakable, otherwise I'll feel more helpless and alone than a kitten caught in a rainstorm."

Will's words hit me hard and brought me back down to the ground. I hadn't thought about the situation from his perspective. Kiev claimed that I had some kind of miraculous power within me that could save the world, an inner strength that would protect me from harm, but Will was just an ordinary bystander forced to tag along. Nothing was said about Will or his fate in all of this, so it's understandable that he would be afraid. Hell, I may look ready for a fight right now, but I'm still shaking in my boots. I'm more afraid and on edge than I've ever been. I turned around and placed a hand on my ally's shoulder, feeling for myself exactly how much he was trembling. If Will had any chance at all of surviving this horror movie's coming attractions, then it would be up to me to motivate and inspire him.

"Will, I don't know about you, but what I heard was a bomb." I said calmly. "It wasn't magic; it wasn't sorcery; it was a bomb. Now, although I can say for sure whether or not we'll find ourselves pitted against an army of daemons in the future, I can assure you that we won't be right now. If I were a daemon with the pure power needed to kill absolutely, I'd probably do it with something a little less conventional than a bomb. These are people, just people, that we're up against. Do you think you can handle it? If you can't, just tell me. If you're not up to it, it's alright, you can just stay behind and guard this room. But if you think you can handle it, if you think you can keep your cool during a firefight against other mortal men, then follow me and watch my back."

The young Charmander swallowed a deep breath and slammed shut his eyes. He was gathering all of his courage and trying his hardest to summon it forth.

"No, I'm fine now!" he exclaimed sharply. "I'll do whatever you tell me, just don't leave me behind!"

"Alright, then watch my back and cover me during the advance!" I barked; brandishing my Desert Eagle MK19 and jumping out from behind the protective doorway.

More than likely, we were ill prepared for whoever or whatever it was that had detonated the explosive charge. I didn't want to tell Will and risk frightening him even more than he already was, but judging by the concussive force that I'd felt surge through the floor and the sheer audible volume of the blast, the station itself was the primary target. Were were, with absolute certainty, heading into a battlefield occupied by an unknown enemy. That's fucking great...