ObsidianShimmer
Hero of Daydreams
[media]
Rolling thunder echoes down from the sky, saturating the skyscraper. In protest the structure shudders and moans. With unyielding ferocity billions of near translucent droplets pitter and patter against the building's top. Yet the ambient sound is completely lost within the forzato of the roar. A fraction of a moment passes before a wicked bolt drops from above, punctuating the end of the bellowing call. The brilliant blue flash peels away the darkness as it descends, leaving the sky sundered. In that brief moment of illumination shadows stretch out morphing from vague silhouettes into dark tendrils that threaten to consume the living.
As the light fades, dropping the world back into an aphotic embrace, Ashton stands frozen in place. His heart throbs, urging him to take action, threatening to explode from his chest if he doesn't. Every fiber of being yells at him, screams do something, and yet he cannot. The fingers of his left hand grip his right forearm, locked firmly in place. His knees are partially bent, his body squared off. Arcs of green crackle from his elbow to partially extended fingers. There they jump the gap, exploding through the air, and connect to a sphere of iron and tungsten that hovers in place.
Ashton, neutralize the target.
The words creep through his mind, a direct projection of the mission controller's thoughts. "Stop calling her the target. It's Vivian.... I can't just..." Ashton's gaze narrows, his pupils dilate, the image before him goes in and out of focus several times.
Past the visor, past all of the superimposed information that the visor provides, past the blurring rain, stands Vivian. Her protective equipment, her clothes, completely shredded. Her rain soaked hair limply hangs below her chin, concealing her nose and eyes. Her once broad shoulders now bulge trapezius deforms and rips the protective skin covering.
The woman's lithe fingers cup a small chin inches above her waist. Her other hand, if it could be called that, is firmly pressed against a tiny neck.
"Viv.... let him go. Come back with me. We can help you." As the words are spoken Ashton's eyes drift down toward the mutated limb. Either Vivan's body was repurposing bone from other parts of her body or the phalanges, metacarpals, and carpals had fused together into a bone spear.
Ashton, there is no help for the target. Neutralize it, NOW!
"STOP CALLING HER THAT!" His extended fingers start to close around the levitating projectile as he vehemently retorts.
The shout triggers something in the monster across from him, her arm draws up several feet. And then, as if part of the same motion it plunges down toward the child's neck.
Two arcs of electricity jolt from either side of Ashton's arm, carving through the concrete roof top. A concussive wave ripples out in front of him, parting the near torrential downpour. The hovering round jettison's forward leaving behind a piercing scream that fractures the sky. The lone bolt races across the minute space separating the three bodies in a near instant. Tendrils of electricity snake out from behind the round, leaving charred lines along any nearby surface.
In the very next instance, Vivian is gone and Ashton is running toward the small child... his right arm smoldering. In the following moment Ashton is shoving the child to the ground as he positions his body over her. And in the following seconds glitter rains down upon them. Trillions of miniature glass shards bombard the building and its surrounding area.
Still shielding the child, Ashton turns to look at Vivan. Her smoking remains are sprawled out along the roof top and the upper left quarter of her body is completely missing. "I need extraction."
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40 years ago the League of Science and Engineering discovered solid state energy and solid state force. Raw energy could be captured and condensed. In this crystal form energy could easily and effortlessly be transported anywhere in the world at minimal cost. It seemed that all of the world's energy crisis would be solved.
Fast forward 10 years later, the Center for Psychological Rehabilitation in conjunction with the League of Science and Engineering discovers a similar method to trap mental and emotional energy into solid state form. 5 years later the League of Science and Engineer released its first theorized super crystal. The Super Crystal combined the traditional solid state energy crystals with the emotional and mental crystals. This new crystal had ten times the energy density of its individual counterparts with only half the size. Within three years these super crystals became the power sources for everything, from individual appliances to entire cities. It wasn't until two years later that the effects of the crystals radiation became known.
20 years ago marked the start of the Great War. All across the globe people were going missing and hellish creatures were appearing in large numbers. Within months the global population dropped from 10.3 billion to just under 1.5 billion.
In an effort to regain order the world's governments constructed City State's in remote regions of the planet. In what can only be describe as a miraculous feat of civil engineering, 5 enormous walled and domed cities were built in less than a year. Over the course of the next year the world's governments run a combined campaign to relocate its citizen's and eliminate the nightmare hordes. It is during this time that the Institute of Genetic Research discovers chromosomes I and V. While that couldn't explain how it happened, researchers at IGR were fairly certain that the IV pair was a mutated XY pair. While 99% of the monster's DNA was identical to human DNA, the 23rd chromosome set, the sex chromosomes, were different.
10 years later a handful of human's emerged with remarkable abilities. IGR determined that these individuals had 24 chromosome sets, to include a dominate XY pair and AIV set. IGR couldn't find conclusive evidence to the origin of A but the accepted hypothesis was that it was a mutation of IV.
Seeing an opportunity to regain some of the outside world, because resources were dwindling, the Governments of the City States began to round up the preternaturally endowed humans to turn them into an effective fighting force. Unfortunately those with the AIV set only made up 1% of the remaining population and the force was determined to be insufficient for retaking planet. Instead these unique individuals became the central police and response force. Tasked with keeping order and repelling attacks on the city, they proved to be effective tools.
The City State of Ithica, present day. Reports of human's turning into eldritch abominations start to appear for the first time in 20 years.
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Ashton sits at table, blankly staring at a cup of coffee in a white ceramic mug.
"Ashton." As the voice reaches his ears he startles and looks up. "What was that again?" He asks, his expression still blank.
"I was asking you what the hell happened out there?"
"I don't know. I have no fucking clue what happened Lawrence." Slowly the man's visage adjusts until he no longer looks distant but rather something akin to a combination of shock and sorrow.
"Start at the beginning Ashton." The demand is softly spoken.
Picking up the coffee, he places it to his lips and takes a sip. His mind races with the events of the night as he tries to organize them into something coherent. Setting the mug down, he locks eyes with Lawrence. "I killed Viv Lawrence.... I killed my best friend." Tears accumulate beneath dark blue irides as he whispers the words.
"I know, but I need the full story. Just start talking." Lawrence places a hand on Ashton's wrist. "Just let it out."
There is an uncomfortable pause before Ashton finally speaks. The words slowly roll from his mouth. "We got a call that there was an atmospheric breach in sector 23. So we went to investigate. When we arrived we found caustic rain pouring through a large opening in the glass panel. We went to ground level to clear people out and assess the damage.
Once at ground level we found that the rain was only hitting a few buildings and decided we would clear and lock down the block. So we split up." Ashton pauses to take another sip. After setting the cup down again, he lays his forehead into the palm of his left hand. Wheat colored locks part around the digits.
"I dunno," his head shakes as he starts up again. "I don't know how long we were separated but she eventually contacted me. She sounded distressed and shoot me a few seconds video feed. There was blood and bones everywhere. I told her to hang out and I'd link up with her. I didn't even finish clearing my building. I just booked it on over. I kept hearing random transmissions from her, most of them didn't even make sense. And then coms went dead. By the time I got to her last known position she was gone. So I started looking for her. I have no idea how long it took.... but when I finally found...."
Ashton pauses and looks up at Lawrence. A single tear runs down his cheek. "Lawrence, I didn't recognize her at first. Her protective gear was gone. Just hanging out in this fucking acid rain with nothing on. Her body deformed to shit and back. She had this little boy with her and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what the fuck to do Lawrence." Ashton's hand clenches, driving his fingernails into his palm.
Lawrence reaches over and presses a button on the table. An audio recording plays from speakers embedded in the wall.
"Viv.... let him go. Come back with me. We can help you."
"Ashton, you have to know that there was no help for her. You had to do it. You saved that kids life."
"How is the kid?" The question is halfheartedly mumbled.
"He's doing okay. We were able to neutralize most of the acid on him before it did any real damage. He has a few minor burns, that's it."
"I'm glad. Hey... can I go home. I need some time to process this shit."
Lawrence's head sweeps from side to side. "Negative. We need you back out there. What happened tonight.... it's the third case in the past four hours. I don't know what's going on, but we need all hands."
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