Progress- Chapter 7

[Wixern]

Progress-Chapter 1
Progress- Chapter 2
Progress- Chapter 3
Progress- Chapter 4
Progress- Chapter 5
Progress- Chapter 6

Progress

Chapter 7: The fall and rise of Progress

Ted walked with a racing heart, rehearsing the plan inside his head over and over. He walked past people who were smiling and laughing, people without a care in the world, people without a Plan. He eventually reached the weapons research lab where the plan would be executed. He entered the room and the plan started.
As expected, there was a search group of Progress in the lab, interrogating the scientists. They turned when Ted walked in, and in a flash, they were drawing weapons and speaking into their communicators.


‘Group R-15 here! Signalized sighting of outlaw Ted! Immediate request to-‘ one of the members shouted into his communication device. He was unable to finish, however, since Ted blew the little transmitter to smithereens with a single shot. The rest of the group fell silent, all aiming their guns at Ted.
‘You! With the radio!’ Ted shouted, looking at the apparent leader of the group.
The leader stepped forward, holding a rifle, focusing on Ted.
‘What is it?’
‘Call for Hawke. Tell him the outlaws will be at the Weapons Research lab. Tell him to come alone, lest we kill half of Progress’ members.’ Ted demanded.
‘The rest of you,’ Ted looked at the scientists and the other members of Progress, ‘Scram. Get out, unless you want to get killed. I won’t hesitate to shoot every last one of you if you disobey.’


The scientists fled, but the rest of the members was unsure what to do. They stared at the group leader, in hope of some sort of support.
‘Sir?’ one of them asked, tapping the leader on the shoulder.
‘Yes, I know.’ was the only reply. The leader turned back to Ted.
‘Fine. I’ll call for Mister Hawke now. I hope you know what you’re doing. We’re all hoping for this to end, really.’
Ted, surprised at this sudden cooperation, simply nodded. The leader spoke into his communicator.
‘Requesting for big Bird. Big Bird, come in please. Immediate request for assistance in W.R. Lab. Backup call H-45 in effect!’
The leader then broke the radio, before any answer could be given. he looked at Ted.
‘We called him in. Only him. My men and I will move out now. I hope you have a plan, and otherwise we’ll be picking up your corpse later.’


The squad left, leaving Ted alone in the lab. Around him he could hear the rustle of the others, all taking their positions. Well, they had a plan, at least. Now it was just to wait and see if it would work.
Sure enough, after several minutes, the door to the lab opened again and Hawke stepped in. His long black jacket swirled behind him as he walked up to Ted. He stopped several feet before Ted, looking him straight in the eyes, his face as impassive as ever.


‘What is this I’m hearing about a rebellion, Ted? Where are my members?’ Hawke asked, his voice giving away no sign of anger.
‘Your crimes stop here, Hawke. Everything you’ve done will now turn against you. You have created your own undoing.’
‘Very poetic, Ted. Especially when it’s said by a lone trooper. Where are your rebels? Where is your army? If you think you can take me on alone, you’re far less intelligent than I had thought.’
‘They are here, Hawke. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. We’re all here to stop you, no matter what the cost.’ Ted said, and as he spoke, several figures moved in the shadows.
‘So I see. You have released their anger, and now attempt to turn it against me. Very well, then. Let us no longer dwell on speech.’
Hawke’s voice shifted, turning more and more to rage and anger. When he next spoke, it was almost as if every word was a poisonous sting.
‘You will suffer! You will ALL suffer! I will end your petty little lives!’


Hawke opened his jacket, which contained his weaponry. He drew a sword and rushed straight at Ted.
‘Turan! Part two, now!’ Ted shouted, as he drew his guns. He fired several shots, but Hawke blocked them, coming at him like a rocket, his sword giving off sparks as he deflected each shot. Right before he was in range, Ted rolled away.
From the beams above, Turan dropped down, a shotgun in his arms. As Hawke slowed down, Turan landed before him. Turan shot, the shotgun’s sound resonating throughout the room. Hawke reacted by jumping upwards, making a roll in mid-air to slash at Turan, but he had already rolled aside.
‘Alice, part three!’ Turan said, sidestepping another slash from Hawke.


From the shadows of the room, Alice moved forward, two swords in her hands. Hawke turned to her and engaged in a battle of steel. Sword encountered sword, metal clanged against metal, scraping and squeaking. Alice slashed with one sword, then the second, both attacks blocked, before ending with a double-bladed strike, which Hawke blocked in a single swift movement.
In the meanwhile, Ted was taking aim at Hawke, but the constant movement of Alice made it hard to focus on a single target.


Realizing the situation, Hawke lashed out, piercing through Alice’s defenses. She stepped aside quickly, Hawke’s sword barely missing her thighs. Hawke took a step back and bend down. With an amazing leap, he jumped upwards. He dashed forwards at the wall and placed one foot, balancing delicately before taking the second step. He ran forward, sheathing his sword and grabbing a pair of guns.
Ted tried to shoot Hawke, but he was but a shadow moving along the wall, his long black jacket trailing behind him. Several bullets hit the wall where Hawke had ran along, leaving bullet marks in a trail behind him.
Hawke moved along the walls of the lab, running as though the walls were floors. He shot down, causing Ted, Alice and Turan to search for cover. Turan kicked a table, which fell over and provided a safe cover.
‘Maury, part three!’ Alice shouted from behind the overturned table.


Sitting on a beam high above the lab, Maury jumped. From below, it looked like a dwarf’s attempt at flying, his arms flapping wildly. He bumped against Hawke, causing them both to fall down. Hawke made a back flip, landing safely on the floor. Maury fell down and quickly regained posture, took a step back and drew a small dagger. He rushed at Hawke, his face a mixture of panic and fear. Hawke avoided several stabs and slashes, before punching Maury away with a single blow.


‘Part four, go!’ Ted said, as Mr. Howardsen entered the room carrying a rifle, followed by Juta, who was carrying a pair of pistols. Alice rushed forwards, her two swords at her side. Hawke countered her first slash, but had to dodge the second one, causing him to lose balance. Maury charged forwards wildly, while Ted shot and Alice started a rolling sword combo. Hawke blocked Alice’s slashed, attempted to ignore the dagger that Maury had stabbed in his leg. Mr. Howardsen took aim, and fired several short bursts. Ted combined his two revolvers and fired a dual shot, which found target and reached Hawke’s shoulders.
Hawke staggered backwards, before Alice punched him down, causing him to drop his weapons and fall to his knees. Alice kicked away Hawke’s sword and guns. The members stepped forwards cautiously, surrounding Hawke.

[Wixern]

‘Give up, Hawke. You’re done for. No weapons, no strength, no one to help you. You have been defeated. Now all that’s left is the final shot.’ Ted said, placing his revolver on Hawke’s head.
‘No.. wait, please… Ted.’ Hawke said, coughing up blood.
‘What is it, fiend?’ Mr. Howardsen asked.
‘Before you… Kill me. I want to speak… with my members. Just once more. Please, Ted? I know… an old friend like you would give me… that much.’ Hawke said, looking Ted in the eyes.
‘Very well then, Hawke. You may have your final speech.’
‘Thank you, friend. The first one… I want to speak to… is Alice.’
Hawke crawled around to Alice, looking up at her.
‘Please, Alice. Surely… all those compliments. Everything we have done… after all you’ve said… you wouldn’t kill me… would you? You know I’ve always… loved you.’
Alice took a step back, her face contorted like she was looking at a living tree lug.
‘Empty words, Hawke. You have never been more than that. Even now, you say nothing, despite your speech. You disgust me. You always have.’ Alice said coldly.


Hawke turned around, looking at Mr. Howardsen. He grabbed the old man’s jacket and pulled himself up slightly.
‘Please, Howard. I have been a good leader. I have always… upheld the ideals of Progress. Surely, after all those years of service, you wouldn’t…?’
‘How dare you speak of Progress as though you’ve done it any good? After you took over, you killed many good men and women. You are a murderer, and nothing more. You deserve a painful death, and that is exactly what you’ll get.’
Hawke released Mr. Howardsen’s jacket and fell back down on his knees. He crawled over to Turan, and started speaking.
‘Turan, please. You know I never meant any harm, right? I was merely looking for a more effective way of doing things. Surely you won’t say I deserve this end?’ Hawke pleaded, slowly getting to his feet.
‘Hawke, you are a terrible man. I have nothing more to say. You kept secrets, you murdered, cheated, deceived, lied, stole and scammed. Even if you would die a painful and excruciating death, you would be spared. You are not even worth the saliva I’d waste to spit on you.’


Slowly shuffling, Hawke placed his hands on Maury’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
‘Maury… My faithful friend. My servant. You always served me right, looked after me. I owe you so much. But surely… I do not owe you my death?’
Maury shiftily looked aside, as though expecting someone else to answer.
‘I… Mister Hawke, I never dared to disobey you. I served you out of fear, not friendship. All that time I helped you lie and cheat, I felt disgusted. Mister Hawke, I’m sorry, Sir. But I don’t think you should be allowed to live on.’
Hawke next turned to Juta, looking at her with pleading eyes.
‘Little miss Juta. You experienced first-hand what I have done, have you not? Did I not make it all better? I took care of everything, made it all more effective…’
‘Yes, you did, Hawke. But at what cost? You killed many men and women, and for what? For Progress? That was all you cared for, wasn’t it? I experienced your punishment, Hawke, and the scars will never fade. I wished I could place the final bullet into your brain, because then I would release you from your dream world.’


Hawke was now standing up again, though slightly shaking. He looked at Ted and spoke again.
‘Ted… My dear friend. We have been through so much together. I helped you with everything, did I not? From our years at training to Progress, I helped you. Would you really kill your dearest friend, after all we’ve been through?’
‘Yes, Hawke, I would. After everything you’ve done, I cannot forgive you. You almost killed me, as well as Mr. Howardsen. You lied to your friends and killed your enemies. You never cared for anything but yourself. You and your Progress. After the first month I already felt that you could take your precious Progress and shove it up your backside. Yes, we were once friends, but that is over now. I am going to make this world a better place, and the only way to do that is by removing you from it.’
Ted placed the gun, once again, on Hawke’s forehead. Hawke bowed down, but a faint smile could be seen curling around his lips.
‘You will do no such thing.’ Hawke said.


In a split second, Hawke had grabbed Ted’s arm and twisted it behind his back. The gun dropped to the floor, where it twisted once before falling still.
‘Guys! Help me!’ Ted said, trying to wrestle himself free. No help came, however.
‘Progress! To me!’ Hawke said, and the members lined themselves behind him. Hawke pulled Ted’s head back and spoke, his voice as calm as it always had been.


‘Ted, Ted, Ted.’ Hawke said softly. ‘You really are gullible, aren’t you? From the moment I recruited you, I knew you would be a threat. But you never cared enough to take action. And so I set this whole thing up. I wanted to spike your interest, to make sure you’d figure out what was going on. I gave you a tour to interest you, and the rest just rolled on. Of course, I never could have done it alone, and I must say, my members played along perfectly. I must, of course, give my special thanks to Alice and Howard, without whom you’d never gotten this involved.’
Ted’s eyes opened wide in shock. He tried to turn, but Hawke kept him solidly in place.
‘Are you saying that you set everything up? For what?’ Ted gasped, trying to break free.


‘For what else? Progress, of course. If you’d know what I was planning, you’d have caused an Institute-wide rebellion, which would’ve been a pain. And so, I restricted your little plans inside Progress itself, where I knew I could control everything. My first step was giving you those revolvers. You were so keen to play with your toys that you never realized what was inside them. Through a camera and microphone placed inside those guns, we could follow your every move. The next step was to anger you. I sent Howard to speak to you about my past, and then send in a special group of Progress to barge in and attack, led by little lovely miss Juta here. You didn’t think that they were sent to kill, did you? Ha, there’s a laugh! If the elite members wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have escaped that room at all. And so, you came to me, as expected. I calmed you down, and you accepted this. I was afraid I had fooled you too much, so I sent in Turan with some fake note about a meeting.’


Ted listened to the story, appalled by what he was hearing. He’d been fooled from the very beginning! He’d fallen into every trap, and worse yet, he’d done it all according to their plans! He tried valiantly to break free, but Hawke’s words weakened him even further.


‘And then this brilliant plan came up! Attempting to kill me by combining forces with my members! I had to tell the search team here to leave you alone, and so they did. The whole battle was staged as well. Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to handle all of them? HA! And then, foolishly naïve as you are, you even allowed me my final words! Did nothing strike you as odd, Ted? The way I recovered as I spoke? The way none of them shot me out of disgust? I have a regeneration chip implanted in me, courtesy of Progress itself. Your idiot move to allow me more time only made me stronger! And now we’re here, and it’s time to end this, once and for all. Any questions, Ted?’


‘Juta… How is she involved? When I first met her, she hated Alice. She hated you! How did you get her to work for you?’ Ted asked, his voice down and depressed.
‘Ah, yes, Juta. The first result of rule 34-X. Thanks to our brainwashing chip, she responds to our every command. This way, everyone will listen to us.’ Hawke said, looking at Juta.


Alice stepped forward, and looked at Ted, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
‘Silly little boy. You truly believed my love for Hawkey was fake, didn’t you? Too bad he doesn’t want me to dispose of you. He said it’d ruin my clothes… well, toodles, little Teddy.’
Alice hugged Hawke and gave him a long, deep kiss. With a faint little smile, she walked off again.
Ted looked at Juta, who was standing among the members as a little girl among soldiers. Hawke watched with interest, and a smile curled on his lips.
‘I see you’re taking a liking to this young girl. Juta, come here!’ Hawke snapped. Juta came forward, standing next to Hawke and Ted.
‘Because Ted seems to like you so much, I’m giving you the honor of finishing him off. Ted, I bid you adieu.’


Hawke released Ted, and Juta stepped forward, a pistol in her hand.
‘Wait, Juta! You don’t want to do this!’ Ted said, but Juta had already placed her finger on the trigger.
‘Removing obstruction of Progress.’ Juta said, almost mechanically.
‘NO!’
Ted rolled away as Juta shot. He ran, shots being fired behind him as he dashed out of the room, into the large hallways of the Institute. Behind him, he could hear shouts and shots, but he didn’t care. All he wanted now was to get away. Away from betrayal and deceit. Away from the lies and the senseless murders. He fired several shots backwards, but without any real goal in mind. Right now, all he needed was some time to think, alone. He ran right into a group of armored men, who grabbed him by the shoulders and stopped him.


‘Ted, sir? You’re going to jail, sir. You have hereby been arrested for obstruction of Progress and assault on a senior member. There might be a trial, but it’s more likely that you’ll be executed tomorrow at dawn.’ the man holding Ted said, as he was dragged off, to a place he’d never seen before…

[Sarcor]

I do not wanna be Ted.


Lol.

[Nosedagger]

o burn. Added to listings. Any secks scenes in store?

[Misu-Chan]

Nice work.

[Wixern]

Originally Posted by Pr0n demander

o burn. Added to listings. Any secks scenes in store?

I could PM you some of the explicit scenes I wanted to put in. I just thought it unsuitable for a forum inhabited by 12-13 year olds. That, and I still need to stop getting... distracted. Whenever I write them.