Metamorphs 3, page 1
Metamorphs 3: Fallout
Metamorphs, Volume 3
Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Published by Yuri Jean-Baptiste, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
METAMORPHS 3: FALLOUT
First edition. August 10, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Yuri Jean-Baptiste.
ISBN: 978-1393667995
Written by Yuri Jean-Baptiste.
Also by Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Lightforge
Lightforge: A Light in the Darkness
Metamorphs
Metamorphs: Return of the Legion
Metamorphs 2: Ripple Effect
Metamorphs 3: Fallout
Metamorphs Four: War of the Deus
WarloX
WarloX: Child of Destiny
WarloX: Child of Darkness
WarloX: Child of Madness
Standalone
WarloX: Child of Madness
Watch for more at Yuri Jean-Baptiste’s site.
I dedicate this book to God, above all else. Thank you to my wonderful, supportive wife. This book is for all our military veterans, at home and abroad, and our honorable police officers, who keep us all safe. Thank you for putting your lives on the line so that I can have the freedom to create…
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Metamorphs: Fallout, the third in my four-part series! I hope you enjoy the adventure and are looking forward to returning to this fantastic world! Please make sure that you check out the other books in the series and leave a review on your favorite e-book retailer as it will help bring more fans to the world of Metamorphs! Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter to get access to your FREE copy of the prequel! Thank you all again, and see you at the finish line!
-Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Newsletter link: YJBLiterary
E-book retailer link: Books2Read
Table of Contents
Prologue
Part One: Revelation
Breaking News, 6/15
Chapter 1: Brotherhood
Chapter 2: The Announcement
Chapter 3: Fallout
Chapter 4: Tipping Point
Chapter 5: Restraint
Part Two: Registration
Breaking News, 9/5
Chapter 6: True Lies
Chapter 7: Deposition
Chapter 8: The Enemy You Know
Chapter 9: The Truth Revealed
Chapter 10: The Assault
Part Three: Rebellion
Breaking News, 10/13
Chapter 11: Point of No Return
Chapter 12: Checkmate
Chapter 13: Darkness Revealed
Breaking News, 10/15
Chapter 14: Sins of the Father
Chapter 15: The Decision
Epilogue
Prologue
Jason swung to his right and unloaded the AK-47 into the chest of the security guard, sending the portly man flying over one of the tables in the lobby. The crowd screamed and continued to cower in terror, bodies trembling with fear on the floor. Turning his concealed face around, the man’s upper lip curled up into an arrogant snarl.
“Anyone else want to be a hero today!?”
The group shook their heads in unison, tears running down their collective faces.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so. That’s what happens when we don’t follow directions, kiddos. I asked nicely for everyone to get on the ground, shut the hell up, and empty your wallets. It’s a pretty damn simple request. But Clint Eastwood over there wanted to be a hero and reach for his gun.”
Jason pointed at the bleeding figure of the security guard beside them. “That’s what happens to heroes, folks. They end up on the wrong side of men like me. So how about you all take a moment to think about that as you hand over your possessions to my buddies over here. Let’s behave like good little boys and girls while they come around. I’d hate to add more bodies to the pile,” he continued, narrowing his eyes.
Jason glanced at his four partners and gestured toward the crowd of civilians. Michael, Bobby, Eddy, and Alex immediately sprinted forward and threw the duffel bags into the crowd, holding their AKs aloft and screaming for the people to deposit their valuables within. While this was happening, Jason calmly sauntered over to the bank tellers behind the counter, casually shooting one of them in the head to make a point. The dead woman’s blood-splattered colleagues cried out in terror before Jason let loose another round above their heads.
“Shut up! All of you! Empty the registers, gather all the money you’ve got holed up in this place, and put it all in these bags!”
Jason threw several thick duffel bags of his own upon the counter and pointed his gun at the terrified bank tellers.
“If I suspect that you’ve contacted the police or if one of you so much as sneezes funny, I swear I will rain down bullets on you so fast, you won’t have time to even think about your loved ones before your brains hit the wall! Like I said before, no damn heroes. Now, move!” Jason roared with authority.
The workers immediately set to work, throwing open their registers and dumping all of their money into the bags. Jason tried not to let his eyes bulge at the sight of all that cash and allowed himself a small smile. It was more money than he’d ever seen in his life. He and his crew were about to be made men after they pulled off this heist…at least until they blew it all on drinks and women. But that was a problem for another day. Right now, after all those weeks of staking out the bank, they were about to make easy money. All their preparation was finally paying off.
As the seconds ticked down, Jason bellowed at the tellers to work faster, turning around every few seconds to make sure things were still going according to plan behind him. His men were nearly finished now, wrapping up with the last few customers who had yet to deposit their belongings. Bobby was hollering at a dark-haired woman who looked to be in her forties and seemed unable to control her incessant sobbing.
“Put the ring in the bag, lady! I won’t ask again!” Bobby roared.
“Please! Please, don’t take it! It’s my wedding ring! It’s all I have of my late husband!” the woman pleaded, shaking her head.
“I don’t care if it was a gift from Jesus Christ, you stupid broad! Take the damn ring off, or I’ll cut it off myself!” Bobby swore, his mouth practically frothing in rage. The man produced a switchblade from his back pocket, pressing the sharp knife against her wet cheeks. “I ain’t afraid to get messy, lady,” he threatened.
Jason knew Bobby wasn’t bluffing. The man was prone to streaks of extreme violence, and if this woman didn’t do what he ordered, things were about to get ugly real quick. Jason couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination, but he could’ve sworn sirens were going off in the distance. They needed to speed things up.
“Hurry up! Fifteen seconds or you all get it in the face!” Jason threatened the bank tellers, who immediately picked up their pace. From behind him, the woman sobbed as she continued to whimper in defiance.
Finally, Bobby cried out in frustration before a loud smack was heard, the sound of the woman being struck echoing in the room. The people around her screamed in protest as Bobby lost his cool, kicking and striking the woman with a myriad of blows while she cried out in pain.
“What’d I tell you, huh?! What’d I say?! I warned ya, you stupid little—!”
While Bobby was going to town on the poor lady, the other three thugs waved their guns around in front of the crowd, forcing them back. Jason could tell from the looks of things, they were starting to lose control over the situation. It was time to go.
Reaching forward to grab the duffel bags full of money from the counter, Jason halted when a blood-curdling scream came from behind him. Spinning around in surprise, Jason was shocked to see the origin of the noise. Bobby was running around slapping his face and body, crying bloody murder at the top of his lungs. The man seemed terrified out of his mind, and he was stripping off his clothing and stocking cap on his face in a mad flurry of movement.
“Get them off of me! Oh God, get them off of me!” he screamed out in pure horror, tearing at his skin. Jason looked to his other three partners, who appeared just as confused at their friend’s unexpected reaction.
What the hell was wrong with Bobby?
Still entranced at his partner’s crazed performance, Jason nearly missed the steady strobe of light growing larger in the corner of his eye. Without warning, a bright beam of light flashed across his vision, causing a moment of temporary blindness. Jason yowled as his sight went white for a moment, and a bestial roar filled the room, the sound shaking his bones in its intensity. Alex screamed from the side of the room, and there was a subsequent tearing of clothing. Jason’s heart was now pounding deep within his chest.
What the hell was that?! That sounded like a damn bear!
Bullets started to whiz throughout the room, and Jason knew his men were panicking, firing out in pure terror.
“Stop shooting, you idiots! You’re gonna hit one of us! Stop shooting!” Jason yelled, but his protests couldn’t be heard above the din. Abruptly, the AK-47 that he gripped in his hands was jerked from his firm grasp, leaving him to fumble in confusion for his weapon. After a few seconds, the gunfire subsided, and Jason started to see past his foggy vision, his eyesight slowly returning to normal. Once shapes and colors filled his view again, Jason blinked away the glare and surveyed his surroundings. Needless to say, he was not prepared for what he found.
<
As for Jason’s friends, Bobby had stopped screaming, his clothing stripped off down to his briefs, and the hairy man was slumped over by the wall on the far end of the room. His body was giving off steam and covered in severe burns, while the wall behind him had an outline of the man’s body imprinted in it. A shiny woman with glowing fists was standing in front of the henchman as was a tall, handsome man in a dark cape.
Alex wasn’t far away, the man’s unconscious body lying on the floor and bleeding from several massive claw marks— claw marks that were made from the large grizzly bear that currently sat on top of his incapacitated form. Maybe he was losing his mind, but Jason could have sworn the black grizzly smiled at him.
Michael stood to the side, his body slouched over in his stance while drool dribbled down the stubble on his chin in a steady stream. His eyes appeared glazed over, and aside from his breathing, he didn’t appear to be moving. A woman was positioned beside him, one hand on her hip while the other lay on his head. She looked annoyed and seemed bored with her current assignment.
Next to her was a tall woman, easily the tallest person Jason had ever laid eyes on. Her hair was just barely touching the rooftop of the large bank building, and she was currently holding the squirming body of Eddy in one of her hands. His entire upper half was engulfed within her fist while his lower legs flailed around in the air. Amused, the woman kept using her other hand to poke him in his exposed belly. Had this been a movie and not in the middle of their foiled bank heist, Jason would have found this scene hilarious.
Am I losing my mind here?! But I haven’t had a hit in days! How the hell am I imagining this?!
As Jason’s mind raced through the possibilities of what could be causing him to hallucinate like this, an attractive, muscular man in blue spandex started to approach him with an easy gait, a charming smile spreading along his face.
“Good morning, future inmate! I see you’ve taken it upon yourself to relieve these good people of their prized possessions and money. That was a bad choice,” he stated, looking around the room. When his eyes fell upon the dead body of the bank teller and security guard, his friendly smile faded in an instant, and his eyes narrowed. “Really bad choice.”
The man’s fists clenched, and Jason felt the hairs on his arms stand up immediately.
“Wh—who the hell are you guys?” Jason stuttered, trying his best to back away from the advancing stranger.
The man raised his eyes to Jason’s, sparks igniting across his cold, blue pupils.
“We’re the heroes,” he replied. With that said, the stranger raised his hands, and Jason’s body went immediately numb as waves of lightning rushed forward to meet him.
Part One: Revelation
Breaking News, 6/15
Intro to WNN World Talk plays over the intro montage before spotlight shines upon the two news anchors. A well-dressed man with salt-and-pepper hair sits beside a young, attractive blonde as they display plastic smiles to the camera. The music eventually fades into the background.
Carly: Good morning, America!
Mark: And good morning, world!
Carly: My name is Carly Day.
Mark: And I’m Mark Stevenson. Welcome to World Talk! Today is Monday, June 15th, and here’s what’s happening in your world.
Carly: Dominating today’s headlines have been the recent reports regarding the Escabana Bombings. For those who are unaware of the event, on December 12th, terrorists had invaded the quaint Michigan town of Escabana while the filming of “Demogorgon’s Revenge” was underway along the bay area. The terrorist attack led to several civilian deaths, as well as the bombing of a nearby construction site. The extremist group was eventually taken down with the help of the local police, SWAT force, and a few brave actors from the movie set.
In the aftermath of last winter’s horrifying attack, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security underwent a prolonged investigation to identify the motives and means behind the assault that left over fifty people dead. The investigation took several months to conclude after many eyewitness accounts of the event were officially retracted due to insufficient evidence and suspected video tampering. The federal government eventually gave their official report, which identified the terrorist cell, The Harbingers, as the culprits behind the assault.
Mark: Following the conclusion of their investigation, President Angelina Porter made a public announcement condemning the attacks and promised to increase border security throughout the nation, funneling millions of dollars into a new counter-terrorism initiative designed to help tighten immigration laws and identify potential threats both within our country and around the globe. While this helped to spike the President’s already high approval ratings, there were those within the major political parties who felt that there was more to the Escabana Bombings than was being shared to the public.
This dissent only grew as rumors began to surface regarding the government’s involvement in the confiscation of video recordings and official wipe-outs of social media posts. There were also reports of witnesses being paid off or coerced not to come forward with their testimonies. While the President and Attorney General both have vehemently denied such allegations, a recent article in The Times has blown the lid off of what may be one of the greatest political scandals of our generation.
Carly: Peter Lawson, one of the top reporters within the reputable newspaper agency, broke the news first, not only coming forth with his ground-breaking article regarding the true nature of the attack but also providing the first video evidence of the assault itself. While he continues to hold firm against revealing the source of his findings, the video has been analyzed several times over and has proven to be entirely genuine. Needless to say, the results have shaken the world to its core.
Clips of the video play in the background as the two reporters continue to discuss. A handsome, young Hispanic teen is seen lifting several explosives into the air without physically touching them and manipulating them toward a hole in the Little Bay de Noc. The scene changes to show several armed men dressed in red outfits running through the streets in fear as a tall man with long black hair chases them down, fire shooting from his fingertips. The next clip is of a dark-skinned youth raising his arms and letting out a roar before an entire building is lifted from its foundations. The last scene is of what appears to be a figure flying out of the floating building, electricity shooting out all around him while he soars through the sky.
Mark: What you are seeing is not special effects, nor is this some elaborate stunt created by conspiracy theorists looking for attention. This is real, ladies and gentlemen. What you are looking at is what Peter Lawson has called “genetically enhanced individuals”, or G.E.I.s, a term coined by the U.S. government in several leaked classified documents which have somehow found their way onto various public social forums. The F.B.I. is currently trying to discover the source of said leaks but so far have been unsuccessful. Several of our sources from within have stated that the breach in security may be related to last year’s assault on a federal post office where large quantities of government files were stolen in regards to the M7 Enterprise.
Carly: As exposure to the video continues to grow, there has been a rising surge of phone calls and video submissions of G.E.I.s spotted around the world. Although many of them have proven to be hoaxes, there are those which have been confirmed after undergoing rigorous scrutiny and testing. While the rising number of claims spread like wildfire, so too has the growing distrust toward the U.S. government and their purported involvement in a cover-up of this magnitude. It poses the question: if this is all found to be true, what does this mean for us as citizens of this great nation? What does it mean for us as a species?
