THE NEW AGE

[DRAKE RAMSEY BELDON]

WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE

» As a little boy he had been told the world was an imperfect place, but that it was in that imperfection that perfection was found. Words of comfort and words of a different time with a different idea of the future - once upon a time people looking to the future with bright eyes and expectations where things such as discovering another species on another planet was only found in comic books or poorly directed films. Some of their ideas of what could be out there was both laughable and chilling; it was obvious how most viewed and thought what might be met if such a thing ever did happen. Only some shared a natural curiosity, but were out numbered by those with fear and nightmares of this new beings spawn being implanted into them, that they would be used as hosts to be killed once there was no longer a need. Drake mused he couldn't blame them for if he had grown up with the films and stories humans did he would fear perhaps even more what was unknown, though he might have expressed a sense of caution and left such discoveries to stay merely in the imagination. But instead their fears only fueled their curiosity and exploration and though it would be years after such films before any discovery was made, that fear and god complex to be the ones' on top was still present.

» He didn't have a planet anymore; he still lived in the exact same place, but it had been colonized by humans and put beneath the thumb of their government - new laws implemented that were meant to help both alien and human live among one another. It was bull. They were put in place to make him and others like him seem more human - wear sunglasses when going out to cover up your eyes, never remove your clothes unless necessary and perhaps the most barbaric; file your teeth. They weren't savages and honestly were much smarter than the pathetic humans around them, but they had been built for survival, born into it and their physical appearance was formed and adapted for it. Their eyes bright and gold, at first they were called beautiful and captivating, but now they were a distraction and different. It wasn't just them however - there was an over-all sense of what was considered perfect, people believing they had or could achieve it and thus the era of plastic surgery and changing yourself physically had started. Humans flocked to have the perfect jaw line, lips and body and they were able to obtain it if they had the money. Drake and those like him both could not afford such things and it was not possible; one thing that continued to be marveled at was their accelerated healing, but after studying it for so long his people were offered only careers where normal humans would die - being forced to serve in their armies and in their wars. There however they were allowed to go without the fucking sunglasses as it was merely them there; humans no longer risking their physical perfection. Many gladly joined these armies for the small reprieve; their eyes were sensitive and made to see nearly every detail in the world - able to see at night where they glowed like the hunters' moon they once lived under. In some ways he could understand not revealing their backs which were formed with spines pressed, almost fused against the skin and pushing out. If he had to compare it to anything he reasoned it looked like a malnourished human, but again such things were not allowed in their perfect world.

» Eyes shut tightly as the humming of the machine started; his siblings looking on in near horror knowing eventually they would have to endure. For now only he and Theta had to under-go such treatment, his twin having somewhat become numb to the pain as he had lived in the humans' community ever since they had come, but Drake had gone into their armies - forced mostly as he was too much of a problem to be trusted; getting into fights and being an over-all problem for them. His father had as well all, but sold his son for standing in the new world. He had not had this done in over ten years and for the first time since this...invasion he felt a twinge of real fear. They were to grind down all his teeth and pull out all those that made up the shorter, smaller row behind his bottom teeth. It was meant to make him appear more human, but they didn't understand the physical pain they had to endure. They were grinding down metal on nerves, going so low they bled and even removing teeth that were too big or small - image of perfection. Drake was strapped to the chair, both arms and legs locked into place with a metal wire that cut into his wrists and ankles - mouth held open by some device he had never seen and the worst part was he couldn't see, the bright lights above irritating his eyes and causing him to close them tightly leaving him only able to hear. "It won't be so bad Drake....just stay still." His brothers' voice he mused was meant to be reassuring, but it sounded defeated and served as his only warning. The taste of metal suddenly on his tongue, buzzing drowning out his hearing and Drake screamed.

WORD COUNT: 913

NOTES;

I just want to explain and give you some visual references for Drake and the Beldons' appearance. Here is their EYES; their eyes are extremely sensitive and as you can see almost glow. For this they are required to wear the sunglasses to hide this feature many find...abnormal. TEETH; their teeth are all sharp and thicker - there is a short, small second row on the bottom that is completely removed. Their teeth are required to be files down to match that of a humans and the process is very painful and often messy. The prompt was Drake fell out of the world...here he and his family have fallen out of THEIR world and a new one has come to create a new one where nothing is the same; everything has changed almost over night. I hope this is acceptable for this >>

[DRAKE RAMSEY BELDON]

CHAPTER ONE-DRAKE

"The deal was thirty, Beldon!" The man buried the knife into the table, almost completely coming from his seat in anger at the man across from him who sat staring to his left. He had lost five men on this job while he had never lifted a finger. If anyone were to get the bigger share it should have been him; action was worth more than information. He should just kill the man across from him and take the entire stash, but he was a man of his word and the man should count himself as fortunate he still had some honor left. "The way I see things is you pay me my rightful share or I will just take it all." The familiar sound of a gun being cocked seemed to finally cause the other man to move from his stoic position, cobalt eyes looking down past the table were the assumed gun was placed as incentive for him to stay true to their deal. His expression was hidden behind the black cloth tied on his face which unnerved the thief; he prided himself on easily being able to read the emotions and feelings on another mans face, but this one just stared at him almost as if looking through him with nothing in the eyes. They were eyes like a rattlesnakes, sharp and deadly; like looking death in the eye and you had to decide whether or not you were brave enough to call his bluff.

Drake cracked a hidden smirk as the thief across from him tried to intimidate him into paying up, but truth was he had no intention of ever paying the man for this job; the marshals had been on his tail for days now and he couldn't afford to be found out pulling another job. He wasn't the most well known outlaw for being stupid and setting himself up to get caught, he was smart and resourceful always getting what he wanted in the end. "My offer stands. Take it or shoot me already." The thief was taken back by his flippant comment and even more so as Drake leaned back to rest his feet on top the table as if waiting for his move. No man was so crazy to stare down a gun and happily ask to be pumped full of bullets, but then again the stash was high and could have a man retiring from the business for good. But Drake didn't wan to retire, oh no he enjoyed the killing of other men and the lifestyle he lived to give it up so easily; he gave the money to his twin brother out in the city for safekeeping or to help him out; Theta never asked questions as where the money came from knowing where from the collection of wanted posters being collected of his remaining family.

Narrowing his eyes the thief almost growled seeing he was being cheated, the knowledge blinding him with rage that someone believed they could out him of his money. "Your a dead man!" Lifting his arm Drake only needed the flash of the barrel to realize the mans next move; sitting back in the chair he smashed his feet against the table sending it colliding with the gut of the man across from him faltering his aim, sending the bullet past the face of Drake. Soon the rest of the thieves posse were reaching for their own guns, some already taking aim hoping to put the man down. Standing with another flick of his foot he knocked the table upon its' side while crouching behind it, he growled behind the mask looking for his youngest brother. He was suppose arrive once the shooting started, a surprise gunslinger the others knew nothing about, but like usual it seemed Gabriel had missed his cue and it was up to Drake to clean up the mess.

Reaching behind him he extracted the shotgun from off his back; pointing it over the table he fired off one round as a distraction to have all heads turn wondering where the bullet landed as he stood sending one clean shot to the head of another thief. The others soon followed, only three left and skirting on the edges of turning to run or stick it out with their leader; said man was astonished and pissed that one man could so easily decline the numbers of his men. Everyone was standing still, watching and waiting for one of the men to make a move against the other, the sound of horses in the background causing the attention to shift. It was his own cue to leave; moving swiftly he pulled the silver pistol from the holster and took out the knees of the thief. "Wouldn't want you to be following me now."Tipping his hat he exited the saloon as if nothing has just happened, people on the street staring off at him in horror and fear.

"That took longer than you said." Drake gritted his teeth while climbing easily into the saddle of the big bay as his younger brother looked back at the Saloon obviously slightly irritated at the time wasted on this simple job. "It might have gone better and faster if someone were where I told him." Glare turned on Gabriel who just returned the glare not at all threatened by his brother; Drake was a family man and he knew the last thing the outlaw would, would be killing his own blood. In the back of his mind though he knew it would not stop him from disciplining his younger brother for not following orders as he was told. "You told me to have the horses ready, don't blam--" "Of course I blame it on you Gabe! Your never where your suppose to be." Sending one last glare Drake kicked the horse in the sides, an obvious order for his brother to follow.

Since birth it seemed he had been saddled with his younger brother forever tagging along and wanting to be in the same circles as Drake. It was cute at first, but through the years Gabriel seemed to be becoming a hindrance more than anything; he refused to stay in the city with Theta instead choosing to follow Drake in his outlaw and gunslinger ways. He wouldn't leave him on the side of the road, but he was easily becoming tired of toting around the boy.

"Zach wants to speak with you." Great, just what he needed was Grett talking at him about his reckless ways; "He says we shouldn't be doing jobs while in hiding, that it's a for sure way to get caught." Did his brother ever stop? "Then you can follow Zach blindly because I am tired of having more than one shadow." It seemed the kid almost idolized Zach only because he seemed to give the youngest Beldon the time of day while Drake tried at every turn to shake him off. It was Drake who was the better gunslinger, quicker and more accurate while also being the one to always find ways to get the group out of the worst of situations while Zach stayed back counting the money. He had nothing against the man, they were friends for years before his little brother joined up and even before he found his soul in Delilah who Drake frankly liked; they got on fine with each throwing sharp barbs back and forth between each other. But every man had their differences.

It was Zachs' idea to hide out in this god forsaken town known as Thieves landing; 'a place for men like us' he had argued as way to convince Drake, but if there was one thing Drake hated more than lawmen it was thieves. They were liars who had no moral code in the least and they were below him, yet here he was keeping company with them. Generally he and his were avoided by the small population of the criminally run town, but in any town there was always one man and here that man was Loren Blake. He and Drake didn't see eye to eye; Loren always threatening he could easily throw the Beldons and his little outfit in jail to rot or until another competing gang or lawmen came by to do away with them. He easily argued back that before he could slap the cuffs on him he would put a bullet between his eyes.

Stopping outside the rundown home he grabbed Gabriel by the shoulder while making a 'tsking' noise; "You almost got me killed..again, so your sleeping in the barn with the horses. Make sure no one takes them or it's your hide I am skinning." It looked at though Gabriel wanted to protest, but the look upon Drakes' face had him biting his tongue before leading the horses off in defeat knowing if anything did happen to his brothers' horse there would be hell to pay.

Watching his brother walk off he gritted his teeth before turning to go inside, immediately being slammed with the smell of tobacco and whiskey. "What the hell..." A nearly drunken Zach stumbled into him while throwing his arm around his shoulders; "Drake! Come on now, we're celebrating!" His words were slurred and in an effort to escape his breathe he pushed the man back, sending him stumbling back over a chair. The people in the room erupted in laughter and lifted their glasses at Drake who himself was smirking at putting the other man on his ass. "Your not drunk off your ass, your drunk on it!" The man around him howled in laughter and even Delilah was tossing back shots while laughing at her lover picking himself up off the floor. "Beldon now come on this is real important." He merely raised his brow in question, wondering what could be so important to Zach to get drunk off his ass. "What the hell are we celebrating then? Do enlighten me, Grett." The other man scowled not liking the insult his last name sounded like coming from the others mouth.

Quickly grinning like a fool the man disappeared into a back room leaving Drake to drop beside a tipsy Delilah; turning she rested her chin against his shoulder and ran her index finger gently down his chin. "Why so tense cowboy?" Her finger was now idly tracing lazy patterns against his cheek while her head now fully rested on his shoulder; Delilah was a lovely woman with blond hair and striking eyes. She had a body any man would crave and before she and Zach had found each other in the other he himself had been with the woman a few times. Hell, many men had been with her, but it wasn't so unheard of for woman to lay around with men of a group, but now she was Zachs' and Drake could admit he didn't miss anything about Delilah. "Delilah you insult me with such nasty names." Sighing she raised up on her knees while straddling his legs a moment, gripping his face in her hands and staring into his blue eyes. "You ever miss me, Beldon?" Keeping the stare he tilted his head; "Never." Wide grin split her pretty lips while she chuckled. "One say a woman is going to steal your heart, Drake Beldon." "Would need a heart for that, remember?" Petting the side of his face she smiled warmly down at him almost in a motherly or sisterly fashions.

"Your not heartless, just lost." Leaning down she kissed him on the cheek before getting up and moving across the room to wrap her arms around Zach who was re-entering the room all broad grinned and happy. It was rare to see him so completely happy and in good mood, so his curiosity peaked at what had him so. Still seated he watched as Zach lifted his glass in a toast and then was when Drake noticed his grip on a brunette haired girl smiling just as he was. "Here's to my sister, Rebecca!"