A Beast with no Bounds: Decimation, #2

By Alexios Salvador

The second book in the Decimation series.
The desire for power and control translates to all life forms.
The hybrids are way ahead of humanity in the war, ready to secure the victory and with their new "Up-hand" ability, they are now in control.
The supreme leader of the hybrids, the great winged ape, Horde the Great has now been revealed and leads the hybrid clans as a 'god-like' figure in the hyper advanced castle known as the Brandis. The hybrids are divided into clans, with each leader reporting directly to the Alpha hybrid.
They worship and follow all of his orders until a vicious leader from one of the clans, Drako the Rebel, wants the power for himself.
A revolt breaks out against the hierarchy of powers within the hybrids, and they erupt into a supreme and destructive war against each other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexios Salvador
• Release date: Jul 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223158295

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Alexios Salvador

All rights reserved.

No one is permitted to reproduce or transmit any part of this book through any means or form, be it electronic or mechanical. No one also has the right to store the information herein in a retrieval system, neither do they have the right to photocopy, record copies, scan parts of this document, etc., without the proper written permission of the publisher or author.

Copyright © (2022)

Alexios Salvador

––––––––

Pizza Publishing

PO Box 5027 Reservoir VIC 3073

ABN 20 662 173 257

www.pizzapublishing.com.au

ISBN-13: 978-0-6456129-7-4

Disclaimer

All the information in this book is to be used for informational and educational purposes only. The author will not account in any way for any results that stem from the use of the contents herein. While conscious and creative attempts have been made to ensure that all information provided herein is as accurate and useful as possible, the author is not legally bound to be responsible for any damage caused by the accuracy as well as the use/misuse of this information.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexios Salvador is a middle-grade fantasy author. Alexios got his first brush with wisdom and warfare among the folklore and remnants of ancient fortresses while growing up in Athens, Greece, and nurtured his interest in mythology and story-telling ever since. He has always had a fascination with science, robots, and adventure.

Alexios draws a lot of inspiration from his routine of watching cartoons every Saturday morning. His books feature magic, vivid worlds, and heart-pounding adventures.

Alexios is an avid fan of the Collingwood Magpies, motorsports and frequently attends music festivals. He now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his beloved pet Xbox.

A person sitting on a bench Description automatically generated with low confidence

CHAPTER ONE

THE RED BLOOD SKY

(Explosion)

(Silence)

The rest of the team ran and stood behind Rose as he stood and watched if Drako was still alive. He kept aiming his gun in Drako’s direction, waiting for the smoke of the bomb to clear off.

(Smoke gradually fades)

The smoke cleared, leaving Jeremiah to notice Drako hovering above them and shooting his spikes at him. The rest of them moved back as Drako landed on Jeremiah, smashing his body into pieces.

No! Rose shouted.

Drako shot his spikes repeatedly at the female staff member amongst them, leaving her dismembered from her head. While all of this was happening, Grace and her family kept mute in the car, hiding, breathing heavily, and scared for their lives.

(Gunshot continues)

The rest of the team continues to shoot, but there's no effect on Drako. In anger, The Bronx ran towards Drako.

Die! he roared.

(Shooting)

Foolish, Drako’s deep voice echoes, and being unbothered by Bronx’s actions, he hit him hard with his tail and threw him towards the car Grace and the kids were hiding in.

(Car thuds)

Kevin: (Whispers) What was that, Mom?

Grace opens the door slowly and sees a body lying dead on the floor. She shut the car's door quickly. Young Pearl had peeped to also see what had hit the car, but Grace pulled Pearl closer.

It's going to be alright, Pearl. Just stay quiet, she told her daughter.

(Shooting continues)

We have to go, Rose, Peter, one of Rose’s soldiers shouted.

It's not dying, he added.

(Rose in tears and running)

(Drako runs after them)

(Shooting continues)

Peter knew there was no way Drako wouldn't catch up with them. So, he stopped running and stood still. Drako, confused by Peter, also stops to watch him closely. Rose and the rest noticed Peter had stopped running.

(Peter looks back)

You have to keep running. He is not going to stop till he kills us all, trust me, they’re killing machines, Peter said, showing Rose the C4 explosive in his back pocket and a lighter in his hand.

Hey, beast! Leave my friends alone. Your fight is with me, Peter shouted in a confident tone.

Rose knew Peter was about to sacrifice himself for the team, so he told the rest of the team to continue running.

He is right; he is not going to stop till he gets us all. We have to go, guys!

(Rose starts running away from the scene, the rest follow him)

Grace and her children had quietly gotten out of the car and ran off in the opposite direction. Rose and the rest of the team followed.

You think you can kill me, human? Drako spoke loudly.

I already have, Peter replied.

(Shoots at Drako)

(Shooting stops)

What's the problem, out of ammo? Drako said, looking funnily at Peter.

Come get me, fool, Peter shouted as he tried to run away. Drako curled his tail around him as he tried to run and pulled him closer.

Let me see you run now, weak human, Drako said.

(Peter holds up his lighter)

(Flicks it lit and puts it into his back pocket)

(Explosion)

Rose and the rest of the team heard the explosion from afar but kept running. Grace and the kids were able to catch up with them.

Please help! Kevin shouted from behind.

(Rose looked back and saw Grace, Kevin, and Pearl running to meet up with them)

(Rose stops running)

Wait, I know this woman. You were the lady in the room next to mine at St. John’s, Rose said.

Yes, that's true. Please help us. We have been running from the hybrid back there, Grace pleaded.

She is the lady who ran away with the kids, boss, said one of the team members.

Why should we help you? You ran away from St. John’s. You do not deserve our help; you’ve had your chance, the voice added.

I know what I did, but how else am I supposed to react? My friend, Pamela, was murdered by God knows who, and you still expect me to stay there with my two kids. My daughter is just seven, and all she knows how to do is run away from a hybrid, she lamented.

It’s fine; you can come with us. You are going to have to walk faster than that. It might still be onto us, Rose said as they walked faster.

************************

BEN IN THE BUNKER

MIDNIGHT

Ben was still struggling with the old landline. He discovered that there were small door spaces at the four corners of the bunker. He went to one of them and opened it, seeing stacks of wine bottles. He went to another and found beverages of different brands. He dropped the landline, uncorked a bottle of wine, and drank till he was filled. He also ate a can of tuna and fell asleep. The bottle of wine rolled over, hit the shelf, and something fell off. It was the batteries to the landline. The sound woke Ben, and he saw the batteries. He got up in excitement as he placed the batteries inside the landline. The landline didn't come on, not until he had hit it more than once. He pressed the code on the landline, and it was ready to work. He dialled the security code of the White House instantly.

(Line ringing)

(Ringing continues)

************************

CARLOS

LOCATION STILL UNKNOWN

8:45 pm

(Carlos watching TV)

(Goes into deep thought)

(TV goes off)

(Carlos jumps from his seat)

(Looks around)

(Runs upstairs and locks the door)

The guards weren't aware of what was happening, and they couldn't question him directly because they were scared of what he might do. The sudden action of turning off the TV and running upstairs was still surprising to them, but he wasn't the one that turned off the TV. The guards had no idea because they knew the remote was with him, so that was the only probable explanation for the TV turning off all of a sudden.

(Light turns off)

Boss needs to stop this; why is he messing around with the electronics, one of the guards said.

Ehm...I don't think it's the boss, the other guys responded slowly, staring at Freud, who was standing outside smiling at them.

What do you mean? He is the one doing....

(Sees Freud outside)

What the heck is that? the guard shouted.

That must be it, a hybrid, the motherfucker is even smiling at us, the other guard said.

How do you think it got past the guards at the gate? the first guard asked.

If what they say about them is true, I would say our colleagues are probably dead right now, and we are just lucky to be alive, the second guard responded softly.

Suddenly Freud disappears and appears behind them.

Hello mortals, I think that's enough conversation for the night. Where is Carlos? Freud asked. Freud was a leopard with long whiskers and the legs on an antelope. He had lightning-blue eyes, and skin spots ran across his body in the form of a tattoo. He had a freezing superpower peculiar to him.

He...he w-e-n-t, the guard stammered.

The other bodyguard tried to make a run for the door, but Freud froze him with his hands.

Your kind has no place here, he said to the first bodyguard, who had already urinated his pants. Freud walked upstairs and opened every room door as he walked past them.

Carlos! Carlos!! I know you are in here somewhere. I'd suggest you come out now and save me the trouble of fishing you out, Freud shouted as he walked slowly past the rooms.

Carlos had hidden in one of the secret underground rooms. Every room had a rotating wardrobe whose backend was a stairwell leading to the secret room, so he could get to the underground room from any of the rooms. Freud entered into one of the rooms, did a quick scan using his super-vision, and found Carlos's secret hideout.

(Carlos walks away)

Freud walked outside of the house, using his telekinesis powers, burst open every gas cylinder in the house, and breathed fire on the building, which led to the building's explosion.

The explosion spread around the building, leaving it to ashes.

(Freud runs away from the scene)

************************

THE WHITE HOUSE

Days after the invasion of the White House by the hybrids, the President's macabre dismembered head dripping with blood could be seen pierced and hanging on the American flagpole. Jekel had intentionally placed it there to mock the weakness of humans. He and the other hybrids moved from room to room, searching for any human survivors left in the White House.

While the attack took place, some staff members had hidden in secret rooms and spaces in their offices and weren't found by the hybrids, as President Jasper was the main target from the onset of the attack.

Ballo: What shall we do to the building?

Mean: Yes, Jekel, what will happen to it?

Jekel: The one that holds its pillar has been defeated. It is of no use to us. Horde the Great shall be here soon.

Jar: Let the rest spread out and hunt.

Jekel: (Nods head) Prepare the way for the Master. We have to get everything ready.

Ballo: Does that mean.......

Jekel: Yes! We begin the Up-hand.

The Up-hand is the fatal effect of a hybrid's glowing sight/death stare on humans. The glowing property of their eyes causes a hallucination to whoever looks at them, making them unconscious, and they lose wilful control of their bodies.

(Landline rings)

(Ringing continues)

Jekel: Where is that coming from?

Nolan, a black chimpanzee, who was also present in the room, immediately used her sonic wave ability to trace where the sound was coming from. The landline was in the office of one of the staff in the White House. The staff member was part of the ones who hid at the onset of the invasion of the White House. She hid in a concealed space that was at the edge of the office. When she heard the landline ringing, she came out of hiding and ran to pick up the phone. Nolan, whose sonic wave was still resonating to and from every room in the White House, could see and hear what was happening in her office.

(Female staff picks up the phone)

Female staff: Hello, please help us! Whoever you are.

Ben: Wait! What are you saying? Is this not the White House? I read to speak to the President.

Female staff: (Whispers) The White House is under attack, and President Jasper is dead. Please get help. There are still some of us here in the White House, and the hybrids are here too.

Ben: Oh my! I need help navigating from where I am. I am Ben, one of the team members sent out to hunt the hybrids. Can you help me?

Female staff: (Breathes heavily) Hold on...... (Rushes to her laptop)

(Taps keys)

She was an ICT staff in the White House, and her job was collating data and records, but she enjoys hacking and has been secretly running surveillance on the citizen-soldiers and hybrid activity so far.

(Tapping keys)

Female staff: Okay, do you have a paper with you?

Ben: Yes! Yes! Please.

Female staff: From where you are standing, start walking in the southwest direction; there is a base camp there owned by a retaliation team. They call them 'The Enforcers'. Tell them you are......

Ben: Hello? Hello???!!!!

(Line disconnected)

Nolan appeared right in front of her and slit her throat with her sharp claws.

Let the Up-hand begin! Nolan screamed in anger.

(Hybrids scream)

(Line disconnects)

What could be happening? I have to get out of here now, Ben said.

Unknown to Ben, Nolan had teleported to his location with the help of Jar’s teleportation superpower after tracing the signal over the phone call. Nolan was standing quietly outside the bunker, waiting for Ben. Ben, ignorant of the things happening outside, after getting off the call, ran quickly to the door of the bunker, and as he opened it, Nolan touched Ben's forehead and stared at him with her glowing eyes.

The Up-hand process was also a brain technique. The fixated eyes of the hybrid on the victim causing them to lose their consciousness. During the process, the iris and pupil of the eyes fade away, leaving the sclera (White part). Here, the victim loses will and becomes subject to the hybrid's command.

(Ben's hands start to shake)

I am at your service, Master, Ben said, bowing to Nolan.

(Nolan laughs out wickedly)

************************

DRAKO IN PURSUIT

Peter blew himself up with the lighter and C4 explosives in his hand while being trapped by Drako's hard metal tail. He intended to destroy Drako along with himself but ended up killing himself only. Amid the fire, Drako disrupted the timeline by slowing