A man with a well kept beard entered a dimly lit room. On the far side were monitors, showing multiple animal enclosures. A tired looking woman watched the screens with little interest. That is until she heard the electric open up. Immediately, she straightened her back and did her best to look professional. The man gently put a hand on her shoulder.
“Long night, Rosa?”
“Yeah, little Damien keep me up all night before arriving.”
The manager nodded with understanding. “How is your little one?”
Rosa involuntarily yawned. “Sorry Mr. Sprez! I…”
Raymond Sprez put a hand. “It’s Raymond to you. I may be your manager but I’m also your friend.”
Rose took a sigh of relief. “Damian is having trouble sleeping still. He’s having bad dreams again. I have him on medication, so please pray that they work. Thank you for asking Raymond.”
“You’re son will be in my prayer, Rosa. Now, what did you call me down for?”
The thought hit her like lightning. “Oh yea! You wanted me to let you of anything weird happens, right?”
He nodded so Rosa continued on. “Well, you know know the plastic flamingo from hippo containment?”
Raymond chuckled. “Of course, they love that thing.”
“For sure. Apparently the eagles love it less.”
“The Eagles?”
Rosa knew she should get to the point. “The flamingo is somehow in the Eagle exhibit.”
Raymond frown. “That’s peculiar. How did it end up there?”
Rosa sighed. “That’s the thing. I have no clue. The security from the last few hours shows no way it should be there.”
Raymond pulled up a seat next to her. “Show me the feed.”
Rosa activated the archives, pulling up footage from the last few hours. Rosa then isolated the feeds from the hippo and Eagles exhibits, giving those priority screen. She showed footage from 10:00 pm to 2:34 am. The Pink Flamingo stayed in its place.
Raymond notes this. “Seems everything is fine so far.”
“For now. Keep watching.”
She rolled the old footage, at 2:36 am something happened. The flamingo now rested in with the Eagles.
Raymond had a concerning look. “What the hell?”
Rosa we was thankful she wasn’t crazy. “You see my point. There’s no way it got over within two minutes. They’re on opposite sides of the park.”
“Yes, the better is who moved it.”
Rosa turned to face him. “Should I report this to corporate?”
Raymond stood defiantly. “I’ll handle it.”
Without another question Raymond strode out of the office. He walked down a dark, quiet hallway. Passing rows upon rows of portraits. Once he exited into the park itself, Raymond made sure he was completely alone. When he was confident he was, Raymond closed his eyes and focused.
His right arm became mangled and spikes perturbed from grey flesh. Veins of fire were visible amongst cracked skin. His fingers extend into long and sharp talons. Raymond groaned in pain.
“Now let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
He walked with purpose across the empty zoo. Hatred and curiosity filled his eyes. In little time he stood in front of the expansive eagle cage. The birds approached him until seeing his right arm. Hence they squawked and flew away.
Raymond used a key card to unlock the front door. The moment he entered the containment, Raymond felt off. As if something was watching him. In the dark branches, no Eagles watches.
With bravery Raymond walked better into the containment, in pitch darkness his eyes glowed orange. He walked in silence, the darkness around him yet oppressive. Eventually, he made it to the end of a straight path.
Before him the plastic flamingo rested on a clean cut stump, three candles were lit around the figurine. Casting a ominous glow around the area. Raymond snarled a beastly growl at the figurine.
“There you are. Now what trap is this?”
The flamingo remained still as Raymond approached it, with his claw at the ready. With efficiency, he stabbed into the flamingo, upon impact it flowed a light blue. A enteral scream escaped as Raymond slashed through it. The scream increased in volume, filling the space around them. Until, Raymond cut it in half, ending the screams.
He took a deep breath, slowly is skin transformed to normal and his eyes last their glow. He glanced worryingly at the lit candles.
“Now, what the hell was that? How lit those candles? Seems things are just getting started.”
Raymond walked away with new purpose.
“This is it, grab your popcorn Ryline.”
My companion watched the end of a world with a little to much joy for my taste. I, on the other hand didn’t take joy in our called destiny’s. My companion, Taline must seen my facial expression.
He frowned at me. “Well if you’s aren’t going to enjoy the show. Least you can do is take some observations.”
Around us stars twinkled and shined from eons ago. The one part I enjoyed was the scenario. Even before I was a Doom Watcher, I’ve always again a great affinity to outer space and the wonders they held. Taline dragged me back to reality.
“Ryline, the end is here. Get your vision ready.”
I directed my attention to the small Asteroid in front of us, where a mental projection created by Taline was shown. See, that’s why he and I are partnered up. He can create projections and my mental link with the hive can cast the results to headquarters.
I closed my eyes and focused my messy mind. Upon opening them again, they flowed pure teal. My vision tinted to shades of teal and blue. Already feeling fatigued, since this was our fifth world of the day I looked to the projection.
Taline eagerly watched the scene unfold. “Hmm the ground shakes. What do think is coming? Sub creatures, aliens, maybe a natural disaster. I really hope it’s not a natural, that’s boring.”
I needed to shut up if he wanted a good cast. “Shhh, I need to focus!”
Taline threw up his hands. “My bad, do your thing.”
The world before me was definitely doomed. The sky was blood red, and a large winged beast flew towards a rising mount. Meanwhile, A gigantic and molten hand erupted from the mount. Lava flowed from the beings out stretched fingers.
Taline nodded to himself. “Ahh the classic deity fight. Poor mortals. What do think caused their scuffle?”
I knew he wouldn’t shut so I might as well answer.
“Could be a number of things. Power, land, people’s, maybe one is just pissy with the other one? It’s hard to say.”
The winged beast reached its long talons towards the hand. Now a wrist was seen spurting from the ground. What I assumed were humans ran from the inevitable collision between the Titans. Taline noticed what I just saw.
“Hmm there is an... aura radiating from the flying one. Wonder what that’s about.”
Sometimes it sounded like Taline was recording is first destruction.
“I think we’re about to find out.”
The molten fingers collided with the talons, instantly a wave of heated energy shot out from the collision. Incinerating all life besides the Titans. Both Titans pushed against each while the winged one roared loudly at the hand. It’s six, black eyes looked beyond the hand
“Definitely a power struggle. If not the winged Titan would have back off by now.”
Taline nodded in agreement when the end continued. The Winged Titan over powered the hand, pushing with force back into the fissure the Earth Titan created. In victory it flew on four wings and roared towards the sky.
Taline looked confused. “Well, that was lame. Where is the world ending part.”
I pointed to the ground. “It’s not even close to being over. Look.”
The ground shook and rumbles when a monstrous growl erupted part of the ground. Shooting rocks, dirt, and plant life into the air. The Winged Titan flew higher and eyed the ground. A molten leg shot into the air, ripping apart the ground covering it. In its wake, rivers of lava flowed to the surface. The Wiinged Titan couldn’t react last enough and was knocked towards the original fissure, when a arm shot out of the ground towards it.
The Winged Titan was slammed into the ground a long distance away from the Earth Titan. Finally, the Titan rose to its full height. Nearly reaching into the stratosphere. The Winged Beast flew into the sky to meet its foe. The same energy from before flew around it.
They viciously ran at each other, hate motivated them both. Their collisions created the an explosion of cosmic power, sending heat waves across the globe. The last thing the Watchers saw was both Titans staring each other down.
Tilane looked pleased. “Well damn.”
Even I whistled in appreciation. “Ha, damn indeed.”
Tilane out a hand on my shoulder. “Well brother, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tilane teleported away. I was felt with mixed feelings.
