Aiden Cross, a young boy in his middle school years, slept peacefully in his room on the second floor of a two-story house. Outside, the sound of police sirens and helicopter rotors drifted in from afar. It started out faint, barely noticeable, but with each passing second, the noise grew louder. The commotion woke up the young boy. Still drowsy, he turned his head toward the clock on his nightstand. It was just after four in the morning, with no sign of the sun yet. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes before looking at the window beside him.
"What's going on? It's so loud."
He shut his eyes and yawned as he ran his fingers through his messy black hair. When he opened them again, he parted the curtain, squinting as he observed the scene outside the window. In the distance, helicopters cast their spotlights onto the streets below, but they were too far away for him to tell what had caught their attention. Moments later, over a dozen police cars sped past his house at more than fifty miles per hour, making him wonder if something bad was happening outside.
"Police? Seriously, what's going on out there?"
Aiden swung his blanket aside and got out of bed. He walked over to the nearby armchair, where his middle school uniform was neatly laid out. After getting dressed and slipping on his shoes, he headed downstairs to ask about the situation. As soon as he stepped into the living room, he found his father, Jonathan Cross, seated on the couch, watching the news on television with a can of beer in his hand.
Somewhat drunk, Jonathan commented on what he had just heard from the news reporter. "Oh, man! Stadium Town! I can't wait for an opening so we can live there!" He drank the rest of his beer and set the empty can down on the small table next to him. "Imagine getting to watch championship games for free! Football season is starting soon!"
Aiden turned his attention to the television after hearing his father speak and saw the news reporter standing in front of one of Stadium Town's large entrances. Behind her, security personnel inspected a vehicle while she patiently awaited her cue to speak.
After a brief pause, she raised the microphone to her lips and began her report. "For those who may not be aware, Stadium Town is encircled by a colossal concrete wall, towering sixty meters high. That's right, the wall that surrounds this entire town is nearly two hundred feet tall. I'm currently standing in front of one of its entrances. As you can see, it's spacious enough to accommodate even the largest of vehicles."
Jonathan felt jealous as he thought about those fortunate enough to enjoy free access to the Grand Stadium. He mumbled to himself, resenting their privilege, and complained about the expensive ticket prices for non-residents. However, Aiden didn't really care about his father's complaints. After all, the young boy only had one thing in mind.
"Dad, why are there so many helicopters and police outside? Have they said anything in the news?"
Instead of answering Aiden's question, Jonathan threw the empty beer can at him. It struck the boy's forehead, causing him to instinctively put pressure on the spot where he'd been hit. Even though Aiden did not cry, tears began to form in his eyes as he lowered his gaze.
"Does it look like I care?" Jonathan responded, clearly irritated. "Go get me another beer."
Aiden did as he was told and walked toward the kitchen. But his mother, Madison Cross, stopped him before he reached it and handed him a can of beer.
"Here. Give it to your father before he gets mad."
"Why is he always like that?"
Annoyed, Madison crossed her arms and explained, "He wasn't like that before you were born. You turned out to be quite expensive just to raise. We did all we could so you could attend the same private school Senator Monroe's daughter goes to, but you couldn't even befriend her."
"Why would you even want me to become her friend?"
"Isn't it obvious? If you were to become her friend, your father might have a chance to befriend the senator. I'm sure many doors would open for us if that were to happen. So many opportunities…" Madison looked excited just thinking about it, but she quickly snapped out of her delusion. "It's not too late, you know. You still have until the end of the school year to become her friend. What was her name again? Lydia?"
Aiden clenched his fist but refused to raise his head. "No way. I don't want to be her friend. We don't get along at all."
Madison glared at her son. Neither of them said another word until she snatched the beer from his hand and walked past him. "You turned out to be nothing but a disappointment. I wish I never had you."
Aiden didn't react to her harsh words. He just stared at the floor as Madison handed Jonathan the beer.
"I sent the kid to grab me a beer and he can't even do that?" Jonathan complained. "How worthless can he be?"
Madison laughed as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. These two parents were definitely among the worst. Realizing that Jonathan wasn't seeking a response, she turned her attention to the television and asked what he was watching. Jonathan increased the volume so that she could hear a different news reporter's broadcast more clearly.
"It appears that Mayor William has finished building the wall around his city. The sheer number of automated weapons built into the wall is impressive. Although, it has drawn some scrutiny from the public," the news reporter said while standing outside the entrance of a fifty-foot-tall wall of fortified steel. "Not only is the wall made of fortified steel but it's also fifty feet tall and ten feet thick, allowing security personnel to be stationed atop the wall. According to him, the wall is there to further monitor criminal activity. In other words, criminals will be snuffed out at each of the four entrances to his city."
Jonathan opened the beer can Madison had given him and offered his perspective. "It looks like that stupid wall we always have to drive through when we take Aiden to school is finally finished. They've been building it for how long? Two years?"
"I'm pretty sure it's been longer than that, dear," Madison replied.
"Oh, whatever. First, it was Stadium Town. Now, it's the Golden City. How many more towns and cities are going to end up with their own walls?"
"I don't know, but isn't Stadium Town dangerous these days? I know that you want us to move there eventually, but I've heard what's left of Cleo's gangs moved there last year."
Jonathan burst out laughing. "Cleo's gangs? Do you mean the Spades of Egypt? We'll be fine. Cleopatra's empire crumbled years ago after her generals betrayed her. Don't get me wrong, they're still dangerous, but they can't oppose the government anymore. If anything, she was the reason they became so powerful. She was the one who brought many criminal organizations together. Cartels, gangs, you name it."
Madison felt relieved after hearing Jonathan's explanation. She remembered the days when merely mentioning Cleopatra's name in public could lead to serious consequences. Criticizing the Spade Empress often resulted in a death sentence. The fact that she was named after a pharaoh only added to her legendary status among those who both feared and respected her.
Since Jonathan seemed to know a lot about the Spades of Egypt, Madison wanted to know if a certain criminal organization had ever been part of Cleopatra's empire.
"What about the Yakuza? Did Cleopatra ever get to them?"
Jonathan rubbed his chin as he tried to recall what he knew about them. A few seconds later, he had his answer. "Oh, them. The Yakuza actually planned to join the Spades of Egypt, but they never got the chance. Their leaders got killed by some dude."
"They got assassinated? Who would dare go after the Yakuza?" Madison asked, wondering who'd be so reckless.
Jonathan remained quiet for a while. As soon as he remembered the man's name, he snapped his fingers. "That's right! Kenshin! That crazy bastard! Not just the Yakuza, either. He's done that shit to plenty of other criminal groups."
Despite being considered a maniac, Kenshin became a legend for taking down various criminal organizations. He was feared by many, and some even compared his reputation to Cleopatra's. But one day, he vanished without a trace. Some believe he tried to go after the Spade Empress herself and failed, but no one really knows what happened. While Cleopatra was officially known as the Spade Empress, Kenshin eventually came to be called the Desolator.
"Kenshin? Who is that?" Madison inquired, unaware of Kenshin's identity. "I doubt one person alone would be able to do such a thing. Has he ever been mentioned on the news?"
"Are you calling me a liar?" Jonathan responded, clearly offended. "It was all over the news several years ago. How do you not know who that is?"
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by loud banging against the living room window, causing all three of them to turn their attention to the front door next to it. Jonathan was the first to speak. "Who the hell?"
"It might be our next-door neighbor," Madison guessed. "He borrowed your screwdriver yesterday, remember? He might be returning it."
Jonathan glanced at his watch, then back at the window. "This early? He should've waited a few more hours. The sun ain't even out yet." He approached the window and pushed aside the blinds. Just as expected, it was their neighbor, Jerry, but something seemed strange. "Wow, Jerry, are you okay?"
Madison joined him at the window, her concern growing as she noticed Jerry's unhealthy appearance. "Honey, I could see the veins underneath his skin. Is he sick?"
"Maybe so. His veins look black. Something is definitely wrong with him."
Jerry's odd behavior made Aiden nervous. Even though he wasn't standing near the door, he took a few steps back out of fear. "Dad, something's wrong. He's acting strange."
"Shut up, kid!" Jonathan blurted out as he hurried to the door. "Madison, call an ambulance."
Madison's hand trembled as she held the phone to her ear. The ringing went on and on, but nobody answered.
After opening the door, Jonathan called out to Jerry, trying to get his attention. "Hey, Jerry, come on in. We're calling the ambulance for you. Where's your family?"
Jerry slowly turned his head toward Jonathan and started walking in his direction. His movements were wobbly and awkward, like someone who was drunk. As he got closer, he let out a series of low, rough grunts, sounds that Jonathan couldn't ignore.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Are you drunk?" Jonathan asked, now unsure whether he should let him in.
While Madison and her husband were preoccupied with Jerry, an emergency alert interrupted the news broadcast. The alarming sound made Aiden look at the television, but he didn't fully understand how serious the situation was just yet.
"We interrupt this program. This is a national emergency. Important instructions will follow."
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS ISSUED A NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY WARNING
THIS IS NOT A TEST
EFFECTIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
"This is a nationwide emergency alert from the federal government. Dangerous viral outbreaks have been reported in various states throughout the country.
Symptoms of the virus include aggression, darkening of the blood, and cannibalistic behavior. Do not attempt to approach or confront anyone exhibiting these symptoms. Please stay indoors and avoid contact with others until further notice."