Chapter 13

***Chapter 13 ~ War***

***Ares Colt***

***~***

***Detroit, Michigan, United States of America***

"So what yah in for again?" My cellmate asked me, for about the hundredth time.

"For the same things you asked me last time; B & E, arson, drunk and disorderly/underage drinking." I yawned, really bored of his questioning.
"Rok, you're like twelve."
"I'm nineteen, you ignorant swine."
The cellmate scowled at me but didn't push the subject anymore. To me, prison was boring. Most exciting thing was when the newbies came and we got to toy with them, but no one took me seriously since everybody thought I was a kid. I leaned back against the cold steel table in the yard and scanned the area; guards kept an icy watch while on their route around the barrier. The other prisoners sat in their groups, with hushed conversations to avoid being overheard. They all had this sour look on their face as if they were ready to start a fight, risking a one way ticket to the box. The surrounding air was tense and stale, reeking of sweat and blood.

“You want in or not?” The cellmate asked. What the hell was with this guy and questions?
“Hmm?” I mumbled, not really giving him my attention.
“You know what, smart ass.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I brushed off with a shrug.
This fruitless plan was a riot, and these brainless chimps had been going at this plan for the last three months. I didn't usually add to their idiocy but considering how god damn bored I was, I could use the excitement.

“This isn't something you just shrug off with a ‘whatever’, this is big. Just need to wait for the signal and we’re home free.” I watched him turn around and nod to one of the groups off in the corner.
I guess the dominoes were all stacked up in their rows and were just waiting for the starting push. The group started to separate, keeping a watch on the guards above them. Just like I though, the dominos came a-crumbling down. The smaller group had started an uproar in the yard, all with a single punch. The fighting grew and grew until the point where it had gone beyond the point of stopping I had my own share of fun in the midst of it all, a few punches here and there. Guards ran down from their posts to try to pull apart the feuds, shouting orders over the over the roars. Everyone was so caught up in the action, I didn't even see the escape plan;it was like they just wanted a fight rather than freedom. In the midst of the chaos, I kept on seeing one of the prisoners creeping towards me. He would be there one moment then gone the next, shadowed by other prisoners fighting in his path until I lost complete sight of him. With him out of my sight and out of mind, it gave him the advantage, he grabbed hold of my shoulder and shoved something sharp into my side, just above my hip. When he pulled out and let go, I collapsed into a heap on the ground in a pool of my own blood. My world was fading and spinning away, sending everything in slow motion, voices being muffled and distorted. I tried to shout, but no sound came out. I tried to put pressure on the wound, but I didn't exactly have enough strength, the world grew darker and quieter until there was nothing left. It's not like I had anything left in that world anyways.

“Fiery one, aren't you, Ares?” A voiced teased, laced with an accent I heard all too much in the prison. I groaned at his sound. I’d grown too used to his tone, so it didn't bother me too much, but it still wasn't comforting.
“Just….what?” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Not the brightest either? Brawn over brains, I would assume.”
“How about you show yourself, then we can see if you're still such a hot shot,” I snapped.
“Very well then,” He said slyly, and out from the shadows a man stepped in all black from his hat to almost floor length jacket. The brim of the hat covered his eyes and basically half of his face, leaving his know-it-all smirk. A orangish looking jewel hung from his neck,
“Who the hell are you and who the hell is ‘Ares’?” I asked coldly. The pain in my side had died down, but that didn’t mean I wasn't overall pissed at the moment.
“The Essence is all you need to know, and as for Ares, you’ll find out soon enough.” He said smoothly.
“What are yah, some shrink?”
“If that is what you wish to call me, then yes,” He replied, opening half of his coat to pull out an old looking piece of paper. “Consider this...early parole.”
I took the paper and looked it over, not understanding a word it said. I eyed him skeptically; this wasn't how parole worked and I knew all too freaking well that I wouldn't qualify for early parole, like, ever.

Blood that was on my my hand from the stab started to roll up the grains in the paper like a stream towards the black line. As soon as it reached the line, the fake therapist/parole officer yanked the paper from my hands. He rolled it back up in a tight wrap and returned it into the pocket. I barely had time to notice the necklace have a little spasm and change from the rusty orange to what looked to be a pale purple looking color before he turned on his heel suddenly and was gone, just like that.

My whole body started to ache and burn as if I was getting my ass handed to me in a fight, but I couldn’t see anyone using me as a human punching bag. The anger I had raging inside my mind; the screams and shouts and orders were being bottled up inside until I collapsed onto the ground, gripping my temples.

And just as soon as it came in, it was gone; all the pain and anger was replaced by peace and quiet. I opened my eyes slowly, honestly not really sure what was expecting to find, but it definitely wasn’t to find myself in the middle of a god forsaken forest. This had to be a dream, there was no other explanation for it; it all seemed real enough, but it just couldn’t be. Leaves crunched under heavy feet, and the sound kept on getting closer, so maybe I wasn’t alone here after all. I readied my stance once I stood and prepared for a fight when the figure came into view. He couldn’t have been too much older than me, with snow white skin and ash black hair that went to about his shoulders like mine. He was basically skin and bones in a black messy suit. We stood there in silence, just staring each other down.

“Name.” He finally said, with an accent that rang absently through my memory.
“You first, buddy.”
He just glared at me, but complied. “Grave.”

“Ares.”
“Welcome to the Island, your new home sweet home,” He said plainly, with an obvious hint of sarcasm.
“Wow, I really....just wow, you must be on the welcoming committee, kudos to you for that.”
Before he could make a returning remark, more footsteps echoed our way. Through the trees stepped a girl, younger than me, with long black and purple hair and the same eyes as Mr. Bones over there. Overall she wasn’t hard on the eyes.

“Hey,” I said smoothly.
She looked at me with pure disinterest and looked towards Grave. “Another?”

“Another, that makes twelve in all,” He muttered back.
“Another what?? I’m not in the loop here!” I interrupted, waving at them to get their attention.
“You make twelve. Twelve people to be on the island. And they appear just as you did. Got it?” He explained, not really enjoying my tone.
“Well this is going to be a blast, are they as funny and outgoing as you two, Grave and…?” I clapped my hands together and looked to the girl for her name.
“We’re not that close yet.” She brushed off my question and looked to the man, who gave her a brisk nod back.
She approached me swiftly and grabbed me by my wrist, turning it over roughly, though she did peek up at me quickly to gauge my reaction. I shrugged my shoulders slightly in defeat and confusion. When I turned my gaze back down to my arms, I found two shield looking objects, one on each wrist, branded into my skin in front of a bow and arrows.

“Go tell Twister, I’ll handle him,” Grave all but ordered to the girl, who nodded her acceptance before running off into the trees.
“After you-” I motioned vaguely towards the path the girl took, assuming blindly that we’d follow.
He just nodded with a tired look on his face, but that just seemed to be his default setting. I followed him blindly down the path, casting my glance at any movement around me for a grasp at understanding where I was. Nature was alive, no doubt: bird and animal calls rang out, but if anyone should have been screaming, it was be me. I didn’t even bother trying to pry any more questions from the human safe in front of me. He definitely looked like there were a thousand better things he could be doing now instead of playing tour guide.

He didn’t make a sound or acknowledgement as a series of cabins came into our view. I continued after him, eyeing the various designs around the wood paneling along the sides.

“This is yours.” Grave stopped me in front of a normal cabin It didn’t seem too out of the ordinary, except for the brand on the door -- two shields, two bows, and several arrows.
“Yeah, sure.” I nodded and stepped forward, pushing the door open further.
I had absolutely no idea what to expect what to find, so you could say my expectations were slim to none. It actually wasn’t too bad, a lot of brown and black with weird orange curtains over the windows.

“You must be Ares! Welcome!” A cheerful voice snapped me from the room and I knew for hell that it wasn’t Grave.
Standing by Mr. Happy Face was a new man, bright blonde hair and tanned skin than the other. Just from his personality, it wasn’t hard to pick the golden child between the two.

“I’m Twister, just thought I should come by and make sure you found your way around. I see that Grave got you to your place, that’s good,” He continued, his voice dropped slightly.
“Wasn’t too bad, the place is fine,” I shrugged it off. “Thanks though?” I added as an afterthought.
“Well make yourself at home and we’ll see you around, it’s not had to find someone on our little patch of nowhere.” He flashed me another polite smile and started back out with Grave behind him.
I went back to looking around and my smirk grew when I found a faded looking dart board hanging up on my wall. Raising my hand up, I made what looked like a gun with my fingers and aimed at the board.

“Bang.”
A gunshot sound rang through the cabin and a hole appeared in the bullseye. Now this was going to be interesting.