I don't know how long I walked the streets or even where I went, with the past occupying my present mind.
'What did I ever do to deserve losing everything? What cosmic being did I piss off.'
By the time I came out of my thoughts of self-pity, the sun had set and was about to rise. I had somehow wandered into an area of abandoned warehouses I didn't recognise. As much as I hated my life, I'm not naive to think walking around the stabbing capital of England at this time was smart, especially in an area like this.
As I turned on my phone to navigate my way home, I suddenly heard sobbing from one of the warehouses.
"Uncle Samuel, please, I don't know where they are. I promise I don't have the gem or my daughter," a young male voice begged whilst crying. "I have nothing to do with this. You have to believe me, Samuel. I only left because I was scared you would think I was the one who had taken my daughter. I would never go against you or the Golden Dawn. My family has been in your service for generations; please, you have to believe me."
"Jack, my boy, you disappoint me and my intelligence if you think I will fall for this charade. You truly believed we wouldn't find you here and that you could lie to me?" an older male voice said with laughter hanging at the end of every word. "I have lived in this disordered world since 1854. I have been betrayed and lied to in more ways than your primitive mind could ever invent. Don't presume to be on a level to even inconvenience my plans."
There was a pause before the older voice, who I presumed was Samuel, addressed another man. "Joseph, make sure it hurts and be quick. We need to find the Drop of Dawn and the child for the ritual to work. We can't afford any more delays as it is almost first light. Tell the men to search the surroundings. I know Jack; he wouldn't have hidden them far. Do not harm the child, but you have permission to kill anyone who may get in our way. Soon, the culmination of over a hundred years of breeding and our most prized possession will allow the hermetic order of the golden dawn to come out of the shadows and control all within the light. Our dreams will be reality, Aurora Aurea!!" Manic laughter followed by screams of pain and 50-plus people chanting "Aurora Aurea" flowed out of the warehouse doors.
I quickly moved behind a broken-down car I could see in a side alley. With the distance gained, the chanting faded to an almost chilling whisper.
'What the fuck is going on? Did that guy say he was born in 1854? What the hell is the golden dawn? Are they torturing someone? It's probably just some weird cult, right?'
Hundreds of different questions were rapidly firing through my brain. I was so confused and shocked at what I had heard.
'I can't do anything. I need to get out of here as quickly and quietly as possible before those nut jobs see me. This has nothing to do with me.'
As I turned to carefully leave the area and get as far away as I could, I suddenly heard movement coming from the boot of the car.
'It's none of my business; just leave it alone Ambroise, and carry on with your life; maybe you can finally move on and reach out to the people that care.'
That's what I should have done, but I'm an idiot filled with curiosity. I moved to the boot, and with a heavy push on the rusty handle, it opened. Only to have a small child jump out and punch me in the nose.
"Ouch!! What the fuck, kid? That hurt. What is your problem?" I whispered harshly in pain whilst holding my nose.
I looked up from my hands to give the offender an additional bollocking but quickly calmed down when I saw that the child in question was shaking with cuts and bruises and had wide golden eyes filled with fear.
I had surprisingly received a broken nose from what seemed to be a 3 or 4-year-old half-Asian girl. She was dressed in beige monk-like robes covered with holes and grim. That would've been the most noteworthy part of her ensemble if not for her glowing gem necklace that eerily matched the colour of her eyes.
Instantly I knew that the necklace and the girl were what those freaks were after.
'Shit, I can't leave her alone to be some form of sacrifice to a weird cult. Why does my life have to be so complicated? I'm a fucking cripple; give me a break, universe.'
"Hey, kid, I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm not a bad guy, I promise; I just wanted to see what was making that noise." I said gently to calm her down whilst cleaning up the blood on my face. "That was one hell of a punch for a three-year-old, who taught you to hit like that."
"My daddy showed me, and if you come near me, he'll beat you up." the young girl whispered with false bravado hiding the apparent fear on her face.
"I'm sure he would. Do you know where your daddy is?" I asked whilst looking around to ensure the freaks hadn't come out.
"N-N-No but-t-t he said-d-d he would be back, and d-d-daddy never lies." She replied with hesitation and a trembling lip.
I had a feeling that the man I heard screaming was her father. But I wasn't going to tell her that.
"Why don't you come with me somewhere warm, and we can leave a message for your father here." I said quickly, noticing the sounds of people in the distance.
"Ok-k-k, but if you hurt me, I'll hit you again." she said hesitantly.
I was a bit worried at how easy she agreed but decided to ignore that for now and held out my hand to help her get down from the boot. "So what's your name, kid." I asked her once she was on solid ground.
"I'm Dawn, and I'm four, not three!!" She said grumpily with a smile in reference to my earlier assumption.
"My bad, Dawn; it's nice to meet you." I chuckled whilst surprised that she didn't seem fazed by my scarred visage.
"My name is Ambro.."
A loud bang and a sudden sharp pain in my chest stopped me from finishing my sentence.
I looked down to see a spot of red growing in size on my shirt.
'Huh, did I have ketchup today?'
Fun Fact: The Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn is a real life defunct “Magical Organisation” that was active in London during the late 19th and early 20th century. The organisation is a large influence on the concept of magic today and even had the infamous Aleister Crowley as a member.
Falling on my knees, It took me a second to realise I had just been shot in the back.
'Di…I real..ly just get shot, is t..is the..end?'
My thoughts quickly began to slur as my consciousness started to fade.
A sudden scream halted my departure from the land of the living. Weakly looking up at the source, I saw Dawn with tears running down her face.
"I found her!!" shouted a voice behind me, followed by the sound of running feet in our direction.
I knew I couldn't let them get to her; who knew what those freaks would do to a child.
Using all my willpower, I forced myself up and grabbed her quickly.
I could see a small park gate at the end of the alley and knew that if we could get to it, we might be able to lose our pursuers.
"It's going to be ok, kid; we will both be ok." I comforted Dawn with gritted teeth as I carried her in a limping sprint towards our only possible hope.
I attempted to ignore the blood loss and bullets peppering my surroundings. However, I was immediately relieved when the shooting stopped.
"Stop firing you incompetent fools; you might harm the child!!" screamed a man I recognised as Samuel. "As it seems I can't trust you, imbeciles, I will deal with them myself."
A disturbing chant quickly followed his reprimand. " VI DEAE AURORAE MANDO TIBI CADERE."
We had almost reached the gate when I felt my legs suddenly buckle and my body slam onto the floor.
'Why now? Why did my body have to fail me now.'
Footsteps slowly made their way towards us as I lay bleeding on the cold ground with Dawn in my arms.
I looked up and saw an impeccably dressed man in his late forties placing a staff against the alley wall. He arrogantly dusted his shoulders before looking down at Dawn and me with eyes devoid of warmth.
"I do apologise for this unseemly business, young man, but nothing can stand in our way, not even pesky morals. My brother-in-law once stated that "The universe is a machine for the making of Gods". And unfortunately for you, you went against the universe tonight." The man, whose voice I recognised as Samuel's, said in a pitying tone.
"He..nri…Bergso..n?" I managed to whisper out with confusion.
'Wasn't he a philosopher from the 19th century? Is this man really over 100 years old?'
"Ahh, a cultured man, I see your pitiful appearance hides a sharp mind. Why yes, indeed, that was his name. My brother-in-law would've been pleased to see his words live. Though, there is some irony in that statement as you lay dying before me" Samuel chuckled in a friendly manner as if we were having tea. "How rude of me not to introduce myself, I am Samuel Mathers of the Golden Dawn, and you have something of mine."
He looked towards the distraught Dawn as she hid further in the crook of my arm.
"As much as I am enjoying this conversation, I am running out of time, and you serve no purpose. Come now, little Dawn, time to fulfil what you were created for." Samuel commanded as one hand gestured her over, and the other took out a pistol and aimed it at my head.
'It seems my life will once more change for the worse in a side alley, this time permanently.'
As I embraced my approaching death, I began to think of the life I once had. How I could've been a part of my favourite show, the boys, and should never have pushed away those who cared for me.
'If another life exists after this one, I will value those around me and maybe I could become an actor again in a significant role like soldier boy.'
Just as Samuel was about to pull the trigger, a small ray of light streamed down from the sky. The sun had risen, and the first light of dawn fell upon my dying body, the child and the gem covered in my blood.
The gem seemed to absorb the ray, my blood and the tears that fell down Dawn's face. It began to pulsate before rising above us and exploding into a blinding shower of golden light. I could no longer feel or see anything but the light.
"You think you can take what's mine." Samuel smugly yelled before proceeding to chant towards the gem. "MEUS ES TU IN NOMINE DEAE AURORAE!!"
The light dimmed for a second before exploding in strength as if offended that any being would try to stop its will. It grew brighter and brighter, causing me unimaginable pain. I screamed inside my head, having never experienced anything so intense and mind-numbing.
"Nooooooooo!!! That was meant for me!!" A voice distantly wailed in confused anger alongside repeated gunshots. "I will find you wherever you go!!"
The pain retreated, and a comforting warmth took its place. My sense of self began to dissipate until all that was left was the light.
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Suddenly, I felt myself settle into my body, and my identity slowly return. The light was gone. However, my relief did not last, as the previous horror was now replaced with overwhelming fatigue, a constant coldness and the tightness of restraints holding me up.
Trying to string together thoughts proved immensely difficult as an odd-tasting gas constantly filled my lungs through a mask. Pushing past the gas's attempt to force me to sleep, I began to try and understand my situation.
'What the fuck is going on? Didn't I die? Why am I in restraints? Am I in a hospital? What was that light?'
Starting to panic, I strained to open my eyes or move. However, I failed even to twitch, and I quickly gave up.
Focusing on the one sense that truly remained, I was surprised at how much information I could hear.
The first thing I heard was people possibly speaking Russian, followed by machinery, vehicles and numerous other everyday noises.
'How am I doing this?'
The sounds began to overwhelm me as my brain tried to process more and more information. Severe pain began to spread throughout my mind, and I internally screamed.
'What's happening to me!!!'
I could no longer hold onto my consciousness and didn't even want to try with the pain I was experiencing.
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I don't know how long I slept before my mind gradually awoke. Still feeling immensely weak and exhausted, my sense of hearing had surprisingly become controlled during my time unconscious. I could hear that the activity in my surroundings had decreased significantly. With my newfound control, I utilised the sounds in my vicinity to create a mental image of where I was.
I was able to ascertain that I had been moved into some form of metallic chamber within a weirdly familiar lab.
'Did that Samuel guy take me here to do weird cult st…?'
My thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of breathing inside an additional chamber towards my right. Wherever I am, I am not alone.
As I previously could not control my sense of hearing, I didn't notice the weak breathing of a child-sized person inside a second chamber. I could already feel my will to stay awake leaving me; however, I needed to know if it was who I thought it was.
"Da..wn?" I brokenly whispered
I heard no response to my query and had unfortunately used the last of my strength to whisper her name.
My consciousness once again began to fade.
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I flickered in and out of awareness too many times to count. It could have been days, or it could have been years. In a way, it was a blessing that I couldn't stay awake to endure this torture of isolation.
Each time I awoke, I managed to hold on a little longer, but not once did the person I assumed to be Dawn respond.
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An abrupt explosion followed by the sound of gunfire and blaring alarms pulled me away from my most recent journey within the realm of drug-induced sleep.
'What the hell does a dream about being a kid getting grilled by an old man for flunking out of boarding school even mean.'
Very quickly, I could feel the eerily realistic dream I had experienced slipping from my memory with every passing second. After a minute, I was left with only the knowledge I had once more dreamt of something that felt important.
"BOOM!! BANG!! BANG!!"
'Huh, it seems the people fighting the Russians are doing an alright job.'
I didn't even bother trying to "see" what was happening, as I had no doubt that I would be back asleep soon. The number of times I had awoken to false hope at escape was too numerous to imagine. It's weirdly often that these Russians have internal battles over the compound. Either way, I have never been released, no matter who wins. I have long given up on leaving this dreadful prison any time soon. Not until I could deal with the annoying gas that made me so weak.
However, my nonchalance disappeared very quickly when the front of the chamber was ripped away, damaging some of the tubings that supplied the gas I had slowly been building a tolerance to.
With the gas no longer being pumped into my system, my eyes opened wide with a gasp, and immense strength flowed back into my body. For the first time in a long time, I looked at my surroundings with my eyes and not my ears. It took a few seconds for my eyesight to adjust, and I began to see a mesmerising mist dancing around me.
As the mist cleared, I noticed a group of familiar-looking men staring at me.
I locked eyes with the closest one, who oddly looked a lot like Karl Urban.
"Soldier Boy." the Karl doppelgänger whispered in a butchered cockney accent.
Those words triggered a cruel cascade of pain, unlike anything I had ever experienced. It wasn't the agony coursing through my mind that made it so cruel, but how it changed who I was forever.
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Authors note
So the MC is finally in the boys universe and things are going to be fun to write from here onwards. I'm not too sure who to make the female lead/romantic interest. So please leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll take them into serious consideration. If one character is unanimously preferred over others I will choose them.
Fun fact: The Boys comics were actually a lot more graphic and the show was required to reduce the amount of violence, sex, drugs and profanity.
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