Fanfic: New Frontier, 1/?: November Rain. Life on Mars (R-rated for character death, dark)
This is a new multi-chaptered story called New Frontier (title inspired by the likewise-named song by Iron Maiden). It is a dark, disturbing story I came up with for Halloween two years ago, or rather, a plot that I thought of and subsequently roleplayed with my friend, moonclaw
It is about an alternate reality where people are born with superpowers (imagine the X-men verse or Heroes) but it more socially accepted. In fact, it seems like 'supers' outnumber the 'normals', the latter being a little looked down upon. Most of the Life on Mars team have superpowers, except for Sam ... or so it seems.
It may seem a little cracky on account of the superpowers, but it is definitely in the horror genre.
As this is the first time I am attempting to write a roleplay into a multi-chaptered fic, this is a bit of a try-out, so I hope you enjoy and would like to see more of it.
Thanks.
Title: New Frontier - Chapter 1: November Rain
Rating: R/NC-17 - Red Cortina for character death and gory death-details
Pairing: Gen - none in this chapter
Word Count: 1,107
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of this, just fanwork
Notes: Based on a roleplay plot I came up with and subsequently roleplayed with moonclaw See the above description.
Summary: In an alternate reality where people are born with superpowers, the CID team has to solve a series of gruesome murders of such 'supers'. Luckily they have their own powers to rely on, except for Sam... or so it seems.
On the first of November, it rained. Well, drizzled. Still, on that chilly autumn morning, Sam did not feel the cold. Instead, he felt a giddiness rise inside him at what was to come. He hid it well though, his face a mask of grave seriousness. It was a crime scene he approached, after all. And what a scene it was... a little girl in a red dress, choked by a television cable, still clutching a blood-stained ugly clown doll to her chest. The blood had come from the girl’s head, which was cracked open. Like an egg, Sam thought, or perhaps a pumpkin was far more appropriate. He wondered what the girl would look like with a candle in her open skull.
Chris looked like he was about to be sick all over the pavement, of course. Still, he managed to stammer out to his superior officer “Guv... Phyllis said the, er, little girl, she had the power to, er... appear in people’s dreams.”
Gene was kneeling near the body, looking it over. Sam imagined a thundercloud hovering over his head, seeing the DCI’s expression. “Bloody bastard...” He shook his head, scattering the ashes of the cigarette in his mouth. Normally Sam would make a comment about that, but now he decided not to draw the man’s attention. “Bastard child murderer...” He looked aside “Oi! Chris, if you’re going to be sick, be so kind as to do it away from my crime scene...” At that, Chris left in a flash... literally. It must be convenient to be so fast sometimes. “Ray, you done with the parents yet?”
Even Ray looked disturbed for once. “Yeah, Guv. Annie’s talking to them now. They said they had no clue who would do this. According to them, she was nice, if a clever, cocky little thing. Liked to pull a prank or two, knew how to get into people’s heads... used her power, I guess...”
“Maybe she pissed off the wrong person...” Gene blew out the last of the smoke and flicked his cigarette away before he leaned over to close the eyes of the child. Then he stood up, making the joints in his legs pop. “Get the gay-science boys in here, let them take their crime photos and then have her taken to the coroner... I want this cable off her neck as soon as possible.” He ordered before turning around to leave the scene. His eyes scanned the area for any clues before they fixed themselves on Sam. “Tyler… about time you showed up. What do you make of this, Dorothy?”
“Perhaps someone did just take revenge on some 'super' that was abusing their power…” Sam replied, ignoring the glares he got from those colleagues of his that did have powers. Most of them obviously thought a ‘normal’ person didn’t deserve the rank he had, or at least, a higher rank than them. DS Carling found it a bitter pill to swallow, definitely.
Gene bristled for a different reason though “She was a little girl exploring her gift!” He wouldn’t be as sympathetic if it wasn’t for the fact he was a ‘super’ himself, Sam thought wryly at that. “It gave no bastard the right to do anything to a child still in bunches and braids that enjoyed lollypops after school with her mates... I want whoever did this found and dragged down to the station by his scrotum! I mean, she explored dreams. It's not like she was hurting anyone... people have bad dreams all the time.”
“Of course, of course. We’ll find whoever did it.” Sam placated. He sounded convincing enough for Gene to turn away and head over to where Annie was talking to the parents, out of sight from the body, even though it had been the mother who had found the body first in their front garden that morning. As Sam glanced at the corpse, a momentary grin appeared on his face, then disappeared before he followed Gene to the front door.
Annie seemed to be handling the situation well, as far as one can do that with grief-stricken parents. When Gene and Sam approached however, she looked puzzled at Sam. She frowned a little, then shook her head. As an empath, she could feel other’s feelings, but she was certain the ... happiness she sensed from Sam must have been imagined. She looked to Gene at his prompting for information “They didn’t do it, I’m sure, Guv. Their grief is genuine... they don’t have any idea who did it either. Shall I go question the neighbours?”
Gene nodded grimly “You go do that, Flashknickers.” As there was nothing else they could here, he walked back out onto the street.
Sam glanced one more time to the scene as he followed, and quipped “You’d wonder why someone would use a television cable...”
“Closest thing to use?” Gene responded gruffly.
“I don’t see any televisions around...” Sam retorted, receiving one of the usual ‘smart arse’ glares from Gene. “But then, she was most likely murdered somewhere else and then dumped here.”
“She does look a little like the girl on the test card that comes on when the programs run out at night...” Annie spoke up from behind them. “Don’t you think so, Sam?”
“Huh? Oh, I ... guess so, now that you say so.” Sam said a little distracted. Of course he knew. “ ... If you die in a dream, would you die for real?”
Gene stared at him “Do you? Since when? Why would you think that anyway...”
Sam gave a small grin in return “Nightmare on Elm Street.”
“Nightmare on ... what? What’s supposed to be, some schmancy-fancy sci-fi novel?”
“If anything, it would be a horror novel, wouldn’t it? But no, it’s a movie, about a man that kills people in their dreams...” Sam explained in his matter-of-factly voice.
Gene continued to stare at him over the roof of the car, before dropping into the driver’s seat “You really think someone killed her in a dream?” He growled.
“I thought she was the one who had the dream powers, Guv... I was only thinking.” Sam returned as he joined him in the car.
“You do that a lot... you sure you don't have any powers? A super brain or something, Gladys?”
Sam snorted “It is simply called ‘intelligence’, Guv. And if I had a power, I think I would have noticed it by now… I’m nearing forty, after all.”
For the first time that day, Gene’s mouth twitched into a grin “You are, aren’t you… don’t forget to remind me; I’ll give you a few good whacks on your big 4-O.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it…”