The Chronicles of Shamballa

Wicked

Billy saw on the news what Johnathan had done and he wasn’t expecting that- he and Raven were to execute several plans according to the Chief’s order. First the chemical attack in the airport and then the blast at the mall, the plan was to completely overwhelm the city with one disaster after the other. The next part of the plan was supposed to be executed within the next 6 hours. Both of them had no idea about the big picture or the end game, they were simply following orders. After what Billy saw in the news, his blood boiled in anger, people were calling Johnathan a Hero, he wished that he could somehow get out there and take his revenge and snap his neck. But he had to stick to the plan- the next attack was even more deadlier and it would disrupt the city’s bureaucracy. So he put aside all his anger and jealousy and decided to stick to the plan. Raven was busy fixing the equipment for their next attack- she had a dead cold feeling about her- maybe after what they did- they’d already crossed a line- there was no going back...

Johnathan was picked up by a van on 24th Downing street and taken to the Clan HQ. As soon as he reached the offices, he was welcomed by an enthusiastic Farid and a not so pleased Elder Master.

“This was not supposed to happen-” remarked the Master “You weren’t supposed to be seen-”

“But what was I supposed to do? Let the woman die? I couldn’t help the others so I thought I could at least help her-” replied Johnathan.

“Others? What others?” said the Master “the mall was basically empty- not even a single guard and that woman you saved- she didn’t actually need your help- my analysts calculated that even if she had fallen- she would have survived-”

“Survived? Really? Who are these geniuses that evaluate human life and suffering? I saved her life because I knew that was the right thing to do- I covered my face while doing it too- what more do you want?” replied Johnathan.

“Ah! You don’t understand- the people weren’t supposed to know about your abilities- our advantage lies in being discreet- not showing off!” replied the Master.

“You know, for a monk you are really cold hearted-” said Johnathan and stepped out of the room.

Farid looked at the master- they both knew Johnathan was a loose cannon, emotional and righteous but very unstable and dangerous. It was Farid’s job to keep him in line...

But things were starting to get a bit more difficult now. Billy's next attack was due soon. Raven had loaded two duffle bags with some canisters and guns. They started the car and drove off towards the city.

Meanwhile Lisa was at her home working on some files but her mind was distracted by other things. She had loads of questions about Johnathan- why was he outside of her house? What did he want to tell her? Who's behind the terror attacks? She knew that Johnathan was framed earlier and she could help her only if he reached out to her. She wished that there was some way that she could talk to him. As a detective, she knew that something big was coming up, the city isn't safe anymore- even Johnathan had to come out of hiding to help. Nobody had taken credit for the attacks yet so the agenda must be something else. But what could that be? She finally decided to look into it herself ... maybe that way she could reach out to Johnathan too?

03:00 hours

The Mayor's office echoed with screams of people locked inside. The rooms were all foggy with some kind of gas. Someone had locked and bolted every entrance and exit in the building and filled the air vents with gas. There were about 55 people trapped inside, all desperate to get out but the gas was taking affect. It was the Scarecrow- the same gas that was used in the airport. Billy and Raven executed the plan with ease and fled the scene. The Clan HQ was already alerted. According to the info that they had- the gas was a potent hallucinogen. It restricted the air flow in the brain leading the victim to suffer from intense hallucinations until the oxygen is completely cut off and they'd slowly fall into a coma and die within an hour. The gas had no smell and it dispelled quickly in the air. The attack at the airport didn't lead to much fatalities as the victims were immediately given medical attention.

But people at the mayor's office including the mayor were preparing for the elections and working late. The security around them was light and Billy knocked out the few guards that were there. Those people could have broken out but their brains were slowly melting down- they were turning into zombies, trapped in their own minds.

Luckily, some people at the Clan HQ somehow spotted this incident abd alerted the police and the medical team. But the reaction had already taken out more than a dozen people. The medical team would not be able to reach out to them on time- not before they're fully comatose.

"Where's the medical team?"asked the Master.

"Fifteen minutes away Sir-" replied Freddie the analyst.

"I hope they get there on time and Where's Johnathan?" said the Master.

"Well he was here- Oh no- he's headed for the mayor's office-" replied Freddie.

The Elder Master shook his head in disapointment- this kind of behaviour would surely get him in deep trouble.

Johnathan took off as soon as he heard the news from the tech room. He borrowed the fastest car and sped towards the mayor's office.

"Two attacks within a few hours? What the hell is going on?" he said to himself.

He knew he was the best chance of saving them because he knew about the cure. Earlier Freddie had told him-that the chemical that was used in the gas was unique. It was synthesized from a wild herb from the sss jungles. Traditional medical treatments could save the victims life but the chemical was tricky. It would subside for a few hours and then reappear. The only way to cure the patients was to purify or cleanse them- not medically but spiritually. Johnathan had to cleanse their souls for the chemical induces fear and paralysis by destroying the Chi in the body and filling it with dark energy. He didn't know how he was going to do that but he had to try. Scarecrow was medically incurable for it was a supernatural weapon!