Psycher Chronicles

Killing in The Name of Power

(Dave Hill)

Badump, badump.

Dave's heart raced at the sight of the taller and arguably stronger of the two girls dropping. It was an automatic response, one born of guilt and fear of the unknown.

Before he even had time to understand what was happening, his body had moved, shifting over and around his bar to be directly in front of the girl.

"My phone, it doesn't work?" the girl Dara, or Darcy, maybe Stacy? Cried out. Who knew her name, they all looked the same by now. But at this point he could all but tell who the statue would react to, they were all prim and proper women who looked like they were birds given human form. Weak bodies, fragile bones, and above all they all thought they were superior to everyone. That was the real driving factor, the superiority, they way they all looked down on you. How they all thought they could do better than you, than Dave.

Still her words reminded Dave of his safety measures, the way he purposefully made this area an electronic dead zone. Well not a complete dead zone, as the lights were clearly on, as was electricity for the fridge, and above all the protective systems.

For a moment it looked like the girl was about to panic and leave, which his mind suddenly realized that this was the perfect time to strike.

"I have a phone in the back, here stay with her while I call." Dave cried out, his words seeming to reassure the mousy girl. A girl who had not yet fully awoken to her power, but still registered by the weapon nonetheless. And the girl who passed out? Well, it was clear that she too was a mage of high caliber, while all mages felt the effects of the crystal, only truly powerful mages would drop so completely after interacting with the object. Meaning this was the perfect time to strike, two mages, one fell swoop.

"Okay," the mousy girl cried out as she went over to check on her fallen friend. As Dave himself got up, he glanced at the weapon, one that still sat staring right at him on the wooden bar frame. Staring at the weapon he smiled to himself, as this next part would almost be too easy.

Getting up, Dave moved and staggered, going to the back, where he indicated that a phone resided. There was a phone back there, an old landline that had to be in place due to zoning restrictions. Then he found what he was looking for, the panic button. A giant red button on the wall that would shut down and make this place a bunker to avoid major attacks.

Seeing the button, Dave smiled, realizing this was his chance.

Smash.

With a violent pounding of the underside of his fist, he broke through the seal and pressed the button. At the time Dave had gone for the cheaper method, one that instantly locked up the doors and windows, with falling metal lines and electromagnetic locks. The way this worked was, apparently the wires were always in place around the shop, but everything was dead, no power and somehow by smashing the button he completed the circuit from outside that engaged all release mechanisms and electromagnetic locking systems to hold the falling metal sheets in place. The falling metal plates were strong, strong enough to block most handguns, but a full burst from an automatic weapon would cause major openings that the system could not protect against.

Had Dave paid for the upgraded package, hitting the button would make an emergency call to police and the security company who set up the protections. As it was, Dave had disabled that feature and often employed this very protective measures at odd times of the day, to make it so such an event was seemingly normal. It did cut down on foot traffic, but Dave didn't really care for this place to make too much of a stir.

Just a niche store that couldn't make it due to odd economic factors. A statistical anomaly that would show how not every store type would be able to thrive in a college town. That fine, for after this, Dave was already planning his exit. There were already too many disappearances and disturbances that he could not fully account for. This would be his last, at least that is what he told himself before he first grabbed the night vision goggles (NVGs) that hung unassumingly on a hook.

"Um, Dave? What was that?" The annoying girl cried out. Hearing her words Dave just rolled his eyes as he knew this was for the better.

Then flipping the second kill switch, the one that went to internal power and lights, Dave paused.

Vwoom.

Suddenly the lights, and all electrical noises that had mildly hummed in the background suddenly stopped as the main power supply was cancelled. Fortunately, the secondary power supply, the one feeding his panic sealed doors and windows was still operating at full capacity. Looking over, Dave saw the outside line that came from an external generator that only sparked to life as part of this new system still thrumming away. The only sound filling the back room.

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"Dave?"

Well, the only sound, other than the annoying college girl who had too many rich girl problems to deal with on her own.

Smiling to himself, he slipped on his NVGs on his face, making sure to flip the power switch first, allowing the battery power to kick to life. He sat there waiting for a moment, as his eyes adjusted to the amplified ambient light that was still able to filter into the shop.

It took a moment, but even with the giant metal curtains drawn and sealed light still filtered through. Even the light from the mage slayer emitted a glow that was in turn amplified by the NVGs that gave a clear layout of the room.

Scrrt.

There was the unmistakable sound of a wooden chair dragging against a wooden floor. Hearing the sound, Dave turned his head and saw the skinny girl clumsily getting up and trying to make her way towards the door. Arms twitching and desperately searching in front of her as she looked back, and seemed to see Dave. Perhaps his NVGs emitted a faint light that she could see. Regardless she looked right at him, and then decided it was time to leave. Abandoning her still unconscious friend in the process.

Seeing that they were already separated, Dave moved quickly, as if he had done this a dozen times before. Because he had done this a dozen times before.

He killed mages. A few were drunken frat boys who came in, acting like they owned the world and were gracing his establishment with their presence while they attempted to sober up and find their next place to conquer for the night. They were all scum, all thinking that they deserved the privilege that they had been born with. Genetics, wealth, and above all power. Now it was Dave's turn to show his power. How regardless of how many natural blessings and bonuses one had, they would always be able to be taken down.

Dave was in the shop easily, his body moving on autopilot as he knew the layout of this area well. His first act was to go over and grab the glowing statue.

Tingle.

Just touching it caused a thrum and thrill of energy to course through him. This sensation, the jolt to his brain that caused his mind to awaken with a fury, this was what he lived for. This sensation, normally Dave was weak, unnoticed, insignificant. But here and now, with this ancient weapon in his hands, he knew what true power was. It wasn't waking up everyday to do back breaking work, it was the chance to exert dominance, to right the ship. To make others pay for their arrogance, to pay for the fact that in order to separate themselves from the others, they needed to find hole in the wall outlets like this, so they could show off their independence.

These were the thoughts that raced through Dave's mind. Already a faint smile filled his lips as he saw the girl panicking further. Fear evident in her body.

Thhrrruuummm.

Now all pretenses were gone, as she all but threw the fake oak table to the side as she desperately stumbled forward into yet another table as she tried to make her way towards the exit.

Smiling brightly to himself, Dave realized this was perfect, as there was a drainage hole right by the front door. Why was there one there? Honestly Dave didn't know, as it made no sense, maybe someone used it to brush or sweep human hair and remains from an old barbershop that once stood here. Or maybe it was for some other reason. All Dave knew was that his reason for keeping that hole right there was obvious, to clean up the blood when he was done.

Blood that always had to be shed to help improve the world, to make the world better. A bit of bleach and other chemicals and the floors would be back to normal within a week. Of course, the intense smell of bleach and ammonia might keep a few of the kids away, but that was for the best. After this, it might be time to set the place on fire and try to claim his insurance on the place. An electrical fire gone bad from the mix-matched wiring, of course the fire would only be set after he began to clean up.

While not perfect, Dave had managed to get a few things, a few powers. A spark here, a gust of wind there, nothing much on their own, but effects that would make the fire look natural and not staged. Dave would just be unlucky, as usual, a statistic that would go hidden in the piles and piles of claims.

These were the comforting thoughts filling Dave's head as he realized that this time, since it was his last, he would be able to fully indulge himself.

"HELP!" The annoying girl cried out, expecting her words to somehow be able to breach these thick walls and doors designed to fight off drug cartels.

Dave just sauntered forward, slowing down in his approach, savoring the sweet smell of sweat and fear on the air. By now the girl was in a full blown panic.

Slam, bang, crack.

The girl violently pounded her fists against the magnetically sealed door. This was good, it would add more credence to how desperate people were to escape the raging fire. A raging fire that Dave would soon set to help clear up his actions. Fire that would purify the crime scene and take this from being a murder investigation, to a sad case of wrong place with the wrong type of wiring.

Complaints about the place being a dead zone were already registered with the city, had the network been stronger, perhaps he could have called out for emergency services faster. These were the crazed thoughts that flowed through his mind, as he got closer. He waited until he was within lunging distance.

Panicked, the girl stopped banging, as nothing could be heard outside. No one could be heard talking. Suddenly the girl spun around, turned and locked gazes with Dave. Again, whether there was enough light for her to actually see, or if she could see a faint light that escaped from his mask not perfectly sealing to his face, Dave didn't know.

All he did know was that even in the moving green outline of his NVGs, he could see the look of panic on her face. A look that felt both exhilarating and somehow distant. As if this was part of a video game. A virtual game that was made to look and feel real. This last part was what Dave used to rationalize his actions to himself. By not actually seeing the victims with his real eyes, he could always pretend that it was just a game, an ultra-realistic game with tactile sensations attached, but a game nonetheless.

With his alibi already forming in his mind, he raised the weapon to be at eye height.

Glow.

As he held the weapon, there was a faint sloshing sensation, as if liquid had somehow come loose within the object. Pausing to look at the weapon, Dave felt confused for a moment, and nearly blinded himself in the process, as the light from the weapon seemed to intensify if only for a moment.

Then Dave saw what had to be a sudden eruption of sunlight piercing through his weapon and momentarily blinding him.

"AHH!" Dave and the girl cried out seemingly in unison.

Burning.

There was a faint burning sensation in his right hand as he involuntarily dropped the weapon.

Clatter-clink.

Then as if suddenly turned off, the bright and unmistakable glow that had erupted from the weapon stopped. Dave tried to reach up to his NVGs, to adjust them so he could at least rub at his eyes that were now burning.

Awkwardly, Dave crumbled left, his still burning right hand having to be clutched to his chest as he felt tingling sensations coursing down his right arm. There was a desperate moment as he used his left hand to turn off and then on his NVGs, before finally his eyes managed to reset.

Scampering.

During this time, the girl was not stationary as she clearly used it to run past and around different tables that had been set up.

Rubbing his eyes one last time, Dave put his NVGs back on his face, and scanned the shop, only to feel true fear as his eyes caught sight of a true monster. . .