Shame in Shades: Chapter 1 – Burning Down One’s Life’s Work

Chapter 1 – Burning Down One’s Life’s Work

In the streets of a city on a cold, dark, and rainy night, I walk out from a church, born again with new conviction and purpose for my life. Three superhuman criminal scum follow me and whisper to one another behind my back. Knowing what they want, I intentionally divert course from my main objective to deal with them.

Ducking into a pitch-black, dead-end alley, turn around, and say, “Turn around. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

The ugly bastards laugh at me. One of them says, “Says the man who’s trying too hard to look cool. Do you even know where you’re going, Mr. Sunglasses?”

“You walked into a dead-end, idiot!” another says.

The three superhumans show off their powers. One makes flames come out of his hands, a woman turns her body into steel, and the other man turns his arms into blades.

“Tch,” I say as I take my sunglasses off. “What a pathetic set of powers. I’ll say this one last time. Walk away.”

“We’ll tell you this one last time. Give us everything in that big coat of yours, or we’ll tear you to pieces.”

I sigh and say, “What a waste of my time.”

Opening my eyes, I activate my superhuman reflexes, draw my pistol, and kill each of the scum in one shot. I put the pistol away, put my sunglasses back on, and continue walking to my original objective. It’s then that I remember that I should cross myself for the pathetic souls that I’ve sent to be judged and do so. I’m still new to this way of thinking, but I shouldn’t stupidly forget the basics. Still, I also shouldn’t forget to be so demeaning to others and myself. That’s how I got myself into this mess and wasted my life.

Arriving at the Coronamento Corporation compound, I look at it as if it were my own child, one I had designed to my specifications. I come back like a murderer in the night, to strangle it so that it doesn’t wake up to do any more damage to the world. Throwing aside my grievances, I swipe my card, enter the gates, and walk to the generators of the compound with the blasé of a man simply returning to work. Entering an elevator, I see my reflection. A blonde man with fair skin, sunglasses, a long gold and black jacket, and a leather black shirt, pants, and shoes. Red veins are showing near my hands in my pockets that I try to hide, and around my left eye. I take off my glasses and look into my gold and black eyes, trying not to hate the man in front of me and doing my best to bear the sight of him.

The elevator dings, I put my sunglasses on, and walk through the generator room. Sure enough, there’s an ambush of superhumans, robots, and heavily armored and armed men waiting for me. Evangeline, a woman whom I knew but hoped to never see again, pushes her way through the security forces and stares me down. She wears her usual yellow and red lab coat and medical uniform, and the sins of my mistakes show on her body. Half of her face is crimson red, and her left arm is mutated, with multiple eyes on it that stare at me.

“Huh. I expected a man like you to have anticipated this. What’s the matter, Aubert? Have you lost your foresight along with your senses?” Evangeline asks.

“I wanted to talk to you,” I say.

“Talk? What could you possibly say to prevent me from ending your life?”

“I have learned in my studies that there’s more to life than great works to be remembered by.”

“I know that. I am your apprentice, after all. I wouldn’t have anticipated your betrayal and next course of action if I didn’t follow and worship your every word and move.”

“If you are following me, then you should follow me in what I’m doing now. Everything we’ve done for the Coronamento Corporation in the dark was for nothing because it was all done through evil means.”

“We’ve experimented on and killed the enemies of humanity’s progress. What’s evil about that?”

“The torture we put people through to achieve our ends. The faith that we held to was a fraud of the true one, and gave us excuses for our actions. I’m not going to tell you again. Follow me, or you’ll be left behind. I taught you to know better.”

“You did. That’s why I have to be against you.”

Drawing our weapons, Evangeline and I fire our guns, both of which are pistols meant to kill, pacify, or put to sleep superhumans that we designed. A bullet hits me, but my bullet hits the primary generator control panel, causing an electrical malfunction to make the entire place start to explode. My wound quickly heals and spits out the bullet in me back at Evangeline, who dodges it, only for the bullet to hit another major electrical system and cause more major, irreparable damage.

“You still have a lot to learn,” I say.

“Should’ve known that you wouldn’t create a weapon that could kill you, but then again, you wouldn’t have inspired me if that were the case,” Evangeline says as she charges toward me.

As my former apprentice and I fight, the security forces that were backing her up flee for their lives as everything blows up and burns. We throw punches and kicks at one another at inhuman speeds, so much so that by the time we catch each other’s attacks, a gust of wind blows back the flames around us.

“I’m having trouble believing your motives. Why betray the Coronamento Corporation and the Dominion?! Why destroy everything we’ve created?!” Evangeline asks.

“Hasn’t it been obvious? We’ve been working together since the Coronamento Corp was bigger than the Dominion. All our research into turning all of humanity into superhumans came at the expense of the undue suffering of others. It has all been fruitless!”

“No, it hasn’t! Look at me!” Evangeline knees me in the ribs, causing me to let go. She then kicks me through a wall into another room. “I am the next step in human evolution, immune to most forms of damage and diseases. The years we’ve spent experimenting on people have taught me that what we were doing was right and that we should go through turning every single man, woman, and child into superhumans. The Dominion wouldn’t have conquered the world without the fruits of our labor!”

“When I look at you, I see an ugly mistake,” I say as I get up.

“I can touch up my appearance when all is said and done. That was probably the only flaw of our creation, how unappealing it may look at times.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. I see myself in you, and my own reflection is the last thing I want to see.”

“Then don’t see it anymore. There’s no use fighting you here since your objective is complete. Go live in the middle of nowhere while I continue our research in places that will now be on the lookout for you. Goodbye, Aubert. I guess it’s true about what they say about not meeting your heroes.”

Evangeline walks away from me through the flames. In turn, I run through the flames, up the emergency stairs, and out the building's doors. Before I can put any distance between us, the generators explode, propelling me back into the city and smashing through the windows of a nearby office building. No one is around, so only the computers, chairs, desks, and the window I broke are destroyed. I’m not hurt at all, nor is my outfit burned or damaged by the explosion. Luckily, I made regenerative clothing, so the bullet that hit me has healed through my skin and clothes as well.

With the view that I now have, I watched the compound I worked at for years burn and blow up. Would it be strange to me if I felt worse at watching this than the taking of innocent lives? Maybe for other people, but it shouldn’t surprise me. Maybe that’s not what I’m feeling bad about. Perhaps I feel pity for Evangeline. I led her to where she is today, and has done and said the things I would’ve if I were in my old state of mind and her situation.

If there were a life I’d feel guilty about taking, it’ll be hers. What a shame that it will have to happen. I walk off the edge of the office building, run down, and walk nonchalantly as soon as I hit the ground, as if I were walking that way the entire time. I still can’t take my eyes off the compound. The authorities are trying to put out the fire, but their efforts are futile. It was designed so that if the generators were destroyed, the entire facility would go up in flames, destroying its secrets and production to keep it from the hands of others. Oh, that’s right. I cross myself for the lives lost and cross myself again for the lives I’m going to take. I guess it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.