Deviants - A Hero Anthology

[Chaoscore14]

You're probably going to want an origin story, as I'm somewhat of a "hero". Sorry about that. The past is a little fuzzy. I can tell more or less what happened, but the names, the places, the time? That's where it gets a little tricky. So, let's see...

It happened about six months ago. What happened? Glad you asked! Well, from what I've been told and remember myself, the military was working on a way to create super humans to help fight in an ongoing war. Not sure who it was against, like I said, names and places, but at this point does it matter? The military is always doing dumb stuff like messing with DNA and gene splicing and whatnot. Where was I? Oh yeah. So, the military was messing around with stuff they shouldn't have been, and then BOOM! You with me so far? During their experiments they were slamming some particles together with some big accelerator thingy I think? And the particles hit and shoom, big cloud of smoke and big crater in the ground. The result was instant. I think. No one is really sure, because all anybody remembers of it is there being a thundering noise, from the distant explosion, and a bright reddish orange light enveloping the sky, then everybody woke up. Only we weren't...the same. At least not all of us anyway. Some of us still look, and as far as we know are human, and some just look the part. Most of us though now look very much different. DVA's are what they call us. It's short for deviants, like not human.

In addition to not looking human, many of us have strange new "abilities" as well. The thing is, we didn't remember a whole lot. It was like, living through someone else's eyes. Not knowing who they are, where you are, or who the people around you are. You can see them, remember their faces, but never who they are, and they seem familiar, but still.....foreign for some reason.

When I woke up, I woke up in a…um, what are they called. Apartment! That's it, an apartment. I woke up in an apartment with three other people in it with me. A tall, thin, brunet woman, with green eyes, and pale white skin. Her hair was long, very long, and flowing, like a waterfall of smooth locks. She wore a purple dress, with yellow daisies on it. A tall man as well, he was heavier though, his hair was light brown and he had blue eyes and darker skin, like he had been in the sun too long. His hair was short and neatly groomed, he was wearing a suit, with a purple tie. And lastly there was a light brown-haired girl, she had green eyes and her hair fell to her mid back. She had a black t shirt and blue jeans on, very casually dressed compared to the others. She was very pretty whoever she was. When I awoke, I didn't know who I was or who they were. I... I didn't know who they were. They seemed so familiar. I walked towards the woman in the purple dress, for some reason I felt drawn to her. I felt scared and sick. For some reason I thought she could comfort me. I walked toward her as she stood up. She looked at me as I grew close and screamed. She didn't know who I was, and after I woke up, I looked.... Different. My eyes were pure white, glazed over. My nose was gone and only two nostrils remained. And my mouth was missing a few teeth here and there, and, my teeth were... Sharp now. Like that of a carnivore. The woman in the purple dress pushed me away. Here hands shoved against my chest but I didn't falter. I kept walking towards her, unaware of my new looks. She pushed again, but this time against my face and when her hand touched my face her eyes widened. She stepped back and her muscles tensed up. Her eyes were filled with terror, and though I didn't know who this person was, I felt great pain to see her in fear of me. She fell to the floor frozen in the position she had recoiled into after touching me. After she fell, the man in the suit looked at me stunned and filled with anger. He had only just begun to wake up as the woman began to push me back.

"What the hell did you do!" He yelled at me.

I looked at my hands, unknowing of what I had done to the woman I had felt so compelled to go to for comfort. The man in the suit ran at me and went to punch me. I lifted my hand up instinctively in defense, but did more than just deflect his blow, I caught it in my right hand. The man coughed and step back slightly then toppled to the floor. The girl in the black t shirt looked at me in fear. The other two were adults, in their 40's maybe? She was younger, probably 18 or so.

"What are you?" She asked. "Who are you?"

I reached towards her in sadness, I had no idea what was happening. She yanked her arm back and turned toward the door to run. I grabbed her wrist.

"Wait! Don't leave!" I called out.

She stood there, turned around ready to run, but didn't move. I let go of her wrist and she began to fall backwards. I caught her in my arms and began to cry. I don't know who these people were, but my heart was made heavy by these events. I held her in my arms for a long while. I don't know how long; no clocks were working, and I had lost all sense of time. I sat there and cried as I held her. I looked around the room. There were pictures of me with the three people all around. Sometimes I was only with one or two of them, sometimes it was just a picture of me or just one of them. I thought about searching for something to find out who they were, who I was, but I decided it was better not to know who I had just killed with my touch. I looked down at the girl I was holding. On her shirt was a picture of a small black flower in the mouth of a human skull. On the top of the shirt in decorative writing it said Nightlock. Nightlock I thought to myself, the name escaped my memory, but it was the first name I had seen since waking up. I gently set the girl down then stood up, wiping the tears from my face. I gathered up a few things, some food, clothes, a pair of gloves which I promptly put on, and a kitchen knife. I don't know why I grabbed the knife. I guess I was afraid. Afraid of what? I don't know, just afraid. I carefully walked around the corpses of what I assumed to be my loved ones and out the door. I closed the door gently behind me. Outside the door I heard screaming from all around. I could only assume things similar to my recent experience were happening on a vast scale. I didn't realize how vast until later, this was a global event.

There was no one in the halls of the building I was in, other than the screams and cries of people emanating all around me it almost felt abandoned. As I thought about this the door of the apartment across from me opened. A girl stepped out. She was very pretty. Longs wisps of blonde hair fell from her head like moon beams shooting down from the sky. And her skin. It glowed with a white light that was almost blinding to look at, only, it wasn't bright. I know this sounds like a contradiction, but I would never believe it if I wasn't looking at it right then. Her eyes were a soft brown, they drew me in like a mouse to cheese. Her lips were a delicate pink and she had on a purple tank top and blue jeans. She looked at me but didn't say a word. I looked back at her, immediately feeling the need to come off as, well, I don't know, but certainly not a sissy who cried over the deaths of people I did not know. Right? We just stood there for a while, looking into each other's eyes.

"You're very, radiant." I finely said awkwardly. That was certainly true, nice going captain obvious.

"Yeah?" She looked down at herself like she had no idea. "I guess I kinda am huh?" She said with a smile.

I smiled back.

"I don't remember my name." she began to say.

"Neither do I." I quickly spoke in return. "But I think I'll call myself Nightlock." I said plainly, not knowing the irony in my words, or fully understanding what a Nightlock was or meant.

"Creepy." She replied. "Just like you." This comment hurt a bit and I tilted my head slightly downward. "In a nice kind of way though." She added.

I looked up at her smiling. What does that even mean? I didn't care. I was hypnotized by her words, her voice, her eyes, her skin.

"Maybe we call me Radia." She beamed. She reached out her hand. I reached my newly gloved hand out to touch hers.

"That's a nice name." I said.

Even with all the screams and trouble going on around us, for that moment, we were the only people in that building.

 

[Chaoscore14]

I will try to update this story every Friday.

 

[Chaoscore14]

​

That's how everything happened. And how I met Radia. She's one of my few friends. After I met her, we began to explore our new world, which was now in desolation. Though much of the buildings still stood, the sky remained an orange-ish color and all vegetation had turned gray and mutated like many of the people. There is little to no electricity and most machines have stopped working all together without explanation. In the months following the Reckoning, as it is commonly referred to, the humans that remained developed a group they called the ADF, anti- deviation force. They became known for acts of terrorism against DVA's and DVA sympathizers. Though nearly 70% of the planet were now DVAs, that didn't stop the ADF from trying to, regain dominance for humankind, as their posters say.

"Wake up sleepy head." Radia whispered as she nudged my back with her knee.

Radia and I had become a couple of sorts. We never slept together, to make sure I didn't accidentally touch her in my sleep, so we would sleep apart and she would tend to snuggle up next to me in the morning. I could touch her, but not really. If I was wearing my gloves sure, but it isn't the same as real human contact. I can't kiss her; I can't do much of anything with anyone for fear of killing them. It's.....alright though. I suppose I'm happy with how things are. Radia and I, traveling, stopping for a while, traveling some more. There isn't really anywhere to go. I rolled over, facing her now.
"Hey" I said. Glad to see her face, smiling, glowing bright.
"Let's take a walk." She said. Softly grabbing my gloved hand.

She loved taking walks and I loved being around her. I gathered my few positions and got up. A knife, a wristwatch I had found, and a backpack I found that I now store clothes, food, and anything else I need to carry with me.
We exited the building we were staying in. I think it use to be a coffee shop of some sort. We walked out into the daylight, a familiar orangish glow. We walked down the sidewalk, her hand in mine. As we walked, we passed numerous other DVAs going about their business. Some selling different things that looked like they might be edible, though not particularly good. As we walked and talked, I would repeatedly look over at Radia every few minutes. I didn't need to, I wanted to. I couldn't help but love to look at her. Her long blonde hair, wavering in the wind. She had a purple tank top and blue jeans on, just like the day I met her. I don't know what it is, she just makes me happy. As we walked, we came across a small group of DVAs. There was one that looked somewhat like a lizard, with long claws, and two that looked human, except one of them had completely black eyes with no pupils. We approached them and as we walked past the first man, the second stepped in front of us blocking our path.

"You got any food?" The Lizard man asked in a raspy voice.

This wasn't a desperate question; it was a threatening one. Less of a question and more a demand.

"I'm sorry no." I answered.

This was a lie. I had a few bottles of water, a bag of chips, and a couple rine seeds. Rine seeds are a new plant that was found fairly plentiful after the Reckoning. They are red and smooth, similar to apples, only with long segmented tentacle like strands coming out of the bottom. The black-eyed man took a step towards us.

"Mind if we check?" He asked smiling.

"You don't want to do that." I said as I removed my gloves. All three of them began walking closer.

"Hey Dead Eyes!" Someone yelled from nearby.

I looked in the direction the voice came from. A thin teenager was the source of the commotion.

"You want me? Come and get me Apex!" The black-eyed man, Dead Eyes, said.

The thin teenager identified as Apex started to run at Dead Eyes. Dead Eyes put his hands up as if to defend himself, but then two large shadowy arms came out of the ground to protect him. As Apex ran, he became faster and faster and then put his head down right before he hit Dead Eyes shadow hands. There was a loud thud followed by the crash and crunch of Dead Eyes being pushed through the wall of the building behind him. The regular looking man ran at me and went for a punch, but I grabbed his arm with lightning reflexes. His hand was unprotected from my powers and his body began to lock up and he stopped moving. I let go of his hand and he fell to the ground, lifeless. The lizard man took a few steps back this time.

"What the hell man?" The lizard man said as he turned and began running away.

As he ran, Apex walked over to me and extended his hand to greet us.

"I'm Apex." He said.

I took my gloves out of my pocket and began to put them on as I said. "I don't think you want to shake my hand just yet."

As I reapplied my gloves there was a crunching noise from the building Dead Eyes had been thrown into. A shadow hand stretched out form the darkness and rubble and hit Apex, knocking him backwards and causing him to fall down. Dead Eyes walked out of the large hole in the building. He looked at Radia and I and flung his fist towards us, causing a large shadowy fist to stretch out towards us at a high speed. Radia pushed me out of the way and the fist hit her. But the fist dissipated on contact with her. Dead Eyes yelped in pain and grabbed his hand. As I lay on the ground I watched as Radia's eyes lit up with a bright light. I had never seen her so bright before. She reached a hand up and a blast of light fired out from it. The blast hit Dead Eyes in the chest and went straight through him and out his back, penetrating the distant darkness. The light beam shrank quickly and fizzled out. Dead Eyes looked down at the hole in his chest, then looked back up at Radia and fell backward. Radia's eyes dimmed and she regained her normal glow and collapsed.

"Radia!" I yelled as I jumped up to catch her. She fell right into my arms. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes were shut, but I could see the corners of her mouth move up into a smile at the sound of my voice.

"Did I get him?" She asked. I smiled with relief, she seemed to be alright.

"You got him." I whispered.

In my head however the gears of my mind began to turn. How did she do that? When did Radia gain this power? Why hadn't she told me? I had many questions, but now isn't the time.

"I'm alright." Radia insisted. But I wouldn't let her walk on her own, she was too weak and too stubborn to realize it.

Apex ran over to help. "Are you alright?" He asked Radia.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy." She answered. I could tell it was more than that but said nothing.

"Thank you for helping us." I thanked Apex, though he was still a stranger to us, perhaps he could be a friend.

"How did you know those guys?" Radia let out roughly. Though thankful for the help, I could see she was cautious of Apex and his association with the other DVAs.

"They're part of a rogue DVA gang called Chrysalis." Apex responded. He looked down at the ground. "I know because I use to be part of them."

"How do we know you still aren't?" Radia asked still dubious.

"Well I wouldn't have attacked my own gang, would I?! Apex shouted, then quickly apologized. "Sorry." He said. "I just have a lot of bad memories with Chrysalis."

This must be saying something as no one I've met so far has any memory from before the Reckoning. Unless, Apex does? Doubtful. He doesn't seem terribly special as far as most DVAs are concerned. His power seems pretty neat though.

"So, who are you two?" Apex asks. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Maybe you can't." Radia speaks up, she seems to be doing better now and can stand on her own. She smiles. Apex smiles back.

"I'm Nightlock." I say. "I um, I kill people when I touch them."

I said this to protect Apex, but also so he realized what he was getting into with us. There's not really any going back from, I kill people when I touch them, and Apex certainly seemed surprised, even for DVAs mine is a strange power.

"And this is Radia." I pointed to her and poked her in the side with a smile. She blushed and smiled back. "She can glow, and apparently shoot lasers?" I half spoke half questioned.

"Apparently." She answered.

This seemed to be new for her as well. Maybe she hadn't been hiding anything from me.

"Cool." Apex said giddily. "And then I guess that just leaves me. I'm Apex, and I can have the powers of any animal, and even multiple animals if I try really hard." Apex was beaming at his own glorious powers.

"Wow." Radia gasped. "That's pretty cool."

"Not as cool as lasers." Apex replied. He then winked at Radia, she replied with a smile.

I don't think I like him so much anymore. I'm not exactly sure what Radia and I have, but I know I didn't like this flirtation between these two. I felt, jealousy.
"You want to join us?" Radia asked. I don't like this.

"Uh, sure, what exactly am I joining? Apex asked.

I don't like this one bit. "I don't know if we're really taking anyone into our little group." I spoke up.

"Oh, it wouldn't be that big a deal." Radia contradicted me.

Seriously?!

"We just hang out together in search of supplies and stuff, staying alive, you know?"

Obviously, he knows Radia, but I don't want him to be doing that with us.

"Sounds nice." Apex answers. "I've gotten pretty lonely out here."

He smiled again. With that big dopey white smile. He better stay the hell away from my Radia! But...I guess she isn't mine, and we haven't known each other that long. Why am I being so possessive? Because I thought we were a couple, that's why! Weren't we? I practically rethought my entire life, which only really consisted of the last six or so months. I can't even remember how long it's been now, or what the date would even be. I feel like Radia and I have been together our whole lives, and we kind of have been. Does she even like this Apex? Or is she simply entertaining his flirtations.

"Nightlock you ok?" It was Radia's smooth gentle voice. She was looking up at me. It's so cute the way she looks up at me. "Nightlock?" She asks again.

"Y-yeah? I reply with a bit of a stutter.

"Are you ok with Apex joining us?"

Not really, I thought, but this was the jealously talking. He would be a good asset to have around, he's powerful, and quick. She asked me though, surely this is a sign I mean something to her, in some way anyway. Funny how some things make you doubt so much.

"Sounds fine." I answered emotionless. Just play it cool. Just play it cool.

"Alright then!" Radia piped up. "You are now part of our group."

"Cool." Apex said.

"Cool." I said.

 

[Chaoscore14]

We were crouched outside the facility. The ADF had been rounding up, experimenting on, and killing DVAs since the Reckoning. Facilities like this one were where they took you, and usually nobody ever saw you again. Usually.
We had been a team almost since the beginning, or perhaps it was the end? We all trusted each other, we where a family. So, when Phoenix got captured in a ADF raid, it had already been decided we were going after her. Phoenix was a tuff gal, but if they were interrogating her, she might not last long in there.

"So, Auger, how do you want to do this?" Surge asked me.

Surge was a thin Hispanic man in his mid-20's. He was wearing what he usually did, jeans and a dark t-shirt, with his forest green fishing vest overtop. He was always wearing that vest. His hair jet black, brown eyes glinting in the last light of sundown. One of Surge's most noticeable features though, was his facial hair. It wasn't that it was long, it actually never grew longer than an inch in length, it was the thickness, and fullness of it that made it notable. I would have liked to believe it was a result of the Reckoning, but truth be told, I think he looked like this before it happened. I can't even grow hair; I'm made of metal!

"Auger? You alright?" he asked, this time concerned.

"I'm fine." I replied. "Just thinking."
"I was thinking we go through that door." This time it was Livi talking. "If my knowledge of ADF security layouts is accurate, and it is, then a pulse from Surge at the correct voltage will kill the electronic locking mechanism, without setting off any alarms or alerting any nearby guards."

She was right, she always was. Livi was a genius, but more than that really. She could process and gather information with the speed and accuracy of a supercomputer, I was always awestruck by her. She had short brown hair and big blue shimmering eyes, especially when she smiled. She wore rectangular black rimmed glasses and usually had on a men's polo shirt, cargo shorts, and carried a large backpack full of books. They were clearly too big for her, so she wears belts to compensate. She would always tell me, they're comfortable, women's clothes are too tight, too restrictive. I can't think in restrictive clothing.
We moved in to enact Livi's plan, being careful and quiet as we approached in the recently occurring darkness. Even at night the sky retained its orangey glow.

"Ok, Surge you deactivate the lock, Auger, you form a wedge with you hands and pry the door open, this door normally only opens from the inside." Livi gave us precise instruction, never missing a beat.

I eased the door open slowly, no one on the other side, good. We moved into the facility and I closed the door behind me.

"This place is massive, how are we going to find Phoenix?" Surge whispers.

"Just follow my lead." Livi directed as she began moving forward.

We were in a dark hallway, dimly lit, and there were numbered doors every 25ft or so on either side of us. Finally, we reached an intersection.

"Which way?" I asked.

"Hold on, I'm checking." Livi said as she opened and then typed on a device she had built. "She's on the lower level." Livi whispered, "Let's go."

We followed her down another hallway, ducking a few guards here and there, until we reached a set of stairs descending to the lower part of the facility. We reached the bottom of the stairs and entered an enormous room full of all sorts of laboratory equipment, and imprisoned DVAs. There was a werewolf like man strung up by chains, his chest being held open by metal cranks. He was still breathing. Others were in worse condition, most seemed to be dead or on the verge of it.

"There!" Surge pointed and spoke louder than he probably should have.

There was Phoenix, bound, gagged, and badly beaten inside a large cage. Surge ran to her. Something wasn't right, all this, and no guards, no scientists? Surge magnetized the bars of the cage, causing them to separate enough that he could fit through. Phoenix was a young red headed woman, around 22. She had on the same thing as when she had been captured, a leather jacket and dark black pants. Surge clearly had a thing for her. Surge removed Phoenix's gag and bonds, including shorting out the restraining collar around her neck.

"No." Phoenix muttered, barely able to speak. "you have to go."

Surge picked her up and exited the cage.

"Surge!" I called, "It's a trap!"

At that moment, the floor began to glow. I felt myself become heavy, being pulled to the floor. The same time a large antenna type object descended from the ceiling.

"So predictable." A voice echoed throughout the room in a German accent. "I knew you couldn't resist saving your ally."

Suddenly the room lit up with bright lights. A man walked towards us, he seemed to be some type of scientist. Surge immediately aimed a free hand at the scientist and fired a bolt of electricity from it. The bolt immediately was redirected to the antenna in the ceiling.

"You two aren't the ones I'm after, your other little friend however." The scientist gestured towards Livi as he said this.

Several guards stormed the room and placed a restraining collar on Surge and Livi.
"The girl's mind is what I'm really looking for, she's just what I need for my next set of experiments."

The scientist walked closer to us, a small pistol in his hand.

"You two may also yet serve my interests." He said. "This one however?" He pointed his gun at Phoenix. "She has served her purpose to me." The scientist pulled the trigger, there was a loud bang as the bullet discharged into Phoenix's head. She slumped to the ground. "Secure them and get rid of this."

The scientist motioned to Phoenix's body with his foot, however as he did, her hand reached out and grabbed it.

"What!?" the Scientist said startled.

That was all he got out though, because after he spoke, the loud crunching of bone could be heard, followed by painful screams. Phoenix had crushed the scientist's ankle and was beginning to get up. She was on her knees, leveled with him as he had dropped after his ankle had been crushed.

"You shouldn't have done that." Phoenix muttered in a pained, angry grunt. Her eyes looked like they were on fire. She grabbed him by the chin. "It's not nice to shoot people."
This was said in such a way that it may have made my skin crawl, if I had any. Phoenix was not one the DVA wanted to piss off. Phoenix gripped the scientists chin tighter and proceeded to rip his bottom jaw off. The sound was awful, bone cracking, flesh tearing, and the sight was none too pretty either. No, Phoenix was not a person you wanted to piss off, and especially not if you just killed her.

"Fire!" one of the guards shouted.

Phoenix used the scientist's body as a shield from the rain of bullets. She couldn't be killed per say, but she still felt pain. Phoenix used the bloody jaw of the scientist as a projectile, throwing it at a guard with enough force that it killed him. Phoenix then brought her arm back, winding up a punch, and hit the ground as hard as she could. I immediately felt free, she had destroyed the device in the floor making me immobile. I formed two sharp blades with my arms and cut down the guards on either side of me with one quick movement. Phoenix then lunged at the guard nearest to Surge, punching him in the chest. He flew backward, his chest now caved in. Phoenix ripped the collar off Surge and through it at the antenna, destroying them both. Surge then electrocuted three nearby guards, and I finished off the last, cutting him in two width wise.

"We need to get out of here." Livi said quickly. "There will be more of them."

"wait." I said, "I won't leave these people behind." I gestured toward the DVAs still locked away.

"We don't have time for them." Surge interjected.

"We make time." I replied to him sternly.

I knew what he meant though, and I almost agreed with him. You see, part of Livi's abilities is that at midnight each night, she goes unconscious for eight hours, and then wakes up, with no knowledge of any nights prior. We needed a safe place for her to go through her cycle, and the basement of a DVA experimenting facility was not it. We worked quickly, freeing everyone we could. We formed a mob of sorts, and began charging up the stairs towards the exit, it was about 10:45pm. We reached a hallway, and at the other end was at least twelve men with assault rifles. I turned to Surge, he had turned to me at the same time, and it appeared we shared the idea. Surge got behind me and began charging electricity. I made myself as wide as possible, deflecting almost all the bullets. I could feel his electricity coursing through me.

"Ready?" Surge asked.

"Ready!" I called back.

Surge concentrated his powers through me, focusing them into one controlled blast fired from me like an arrow. When the bolt of electricity hit the guards there was a loud, bright explosion, and when the smoke cleared, the guards were all dead.

"That worked better than I'd hoped." Surge said a bit astonished.
"Nice job, now let's finish getting out of here." I replied.

We ran the rest of the way, cutting down guards as we went, a few of the escapees were killed in the fighting, but most of us made it out. As those of us remaining gathered in safety, I thought to myself about that laboratory. There were several issues I was having about the whole ordeal. First, how did they know so much about the team, and yet not know the extent of Phoenix's power? Second, what purpose did all these DVA's serve in that lab, what were they working on? And third, even assuming they really didn't know the full extent of Phoenix's powers, the whole thing just seemed too, easy…. What was happening inside the ADF, and what did it have to do with us?

 

[Chaoscore14]

Radia, Apex, and I had been traveling for a few months now. I hated it. Truth be told Apex was starting to grow on me, he wasn't a bad guy, and under different circumstances we might be good friends. The only trouble was his blatantly obvious crush on Radia. Now I realize that there were plenty of other issues going on in the world, but for me, this was it. It sounds sappy I know, but Radia is my world, literally. She was the first person I met when all this started, and even if she hadn't been, I think I would have fallen for her all the same. Enough about my issues though, you're here for the big picture.
We were in what is currently called New Chicago. Radia and I were talking at our campsite while Apex was out scavenging.

"I'm telling you Nightlock, that's a bad idea." Radia argued.

"Maybe it is, but…" I paused. She was right.

You see, there was a rumor going around that the ADF had developed a way of taking away a Deviants powers.

"But what?" Radia asked.
"I want to be able….to touch you." I became less audible as I finished that sentence. I looked at the ground, my face red with embarrassment. Radia took my gloved hand in hers.

"You can." She whispered back. I pulled my hand back suddenly.

"It's not the same." As I spoke, I heard Apex's voice in the distance.

"Hey guys! You gotta hear about this!"

Apex told us that there was word of a group of Deviants working with the ADF. This was extremely strange, not only because until now, the ADF had been strictly non deviants only, but because they heavily persecuted deviant kind. What would possess any DVA to join them?

"That can't be true." I told Apex. "Why would Deviants work with the ADF?"

Apex was quick to respond, "This is what I heard, the ADF has been marching into cities offering aid to everyone, deviant and human alike, and specifically offering power dampeners to deviants who request them. The dampeners nullify powers, allowing the deviants to pass for human."

"It sounds like a trap." Radia quickly stated.

"Probably," Apex responded, "Wanna check it out?"

After some more discussion on the subject, we decided to investigate. Radia was still against it and believed we should keep moving in the opposite direction, but she was outvoted two to one. Apex was looking to knock some heads together, but personally? I was far more interested in the power dampeners. Ever since I got my powers, they had felt more like a curse than a gift. Killing people with a touch is a curse in itself, but it's more than that. I felt, lonely. You don't realize how good it is to feel another humans touch until you can't anymore. Loneliness wasn't the only side effect of my powers though, each time I, kill someone, I feel less emotion overall. The emotions that hurt the most seem to fade the slowest, however. I noticed that right away. I have a hard time feeling sympathy, happiness……love. And when I do, the emotion comes over me like a rush of water, drowning me until I start to miss the indifference.
As we started to approach the ADF outpost, it was like we were walking into an alternate reality. Humans and Deviants were getting along, and not only that, but there were Deviants wearing clothing with the ADF logo on it. A scaly lizard like DVA approached us.

"Welcome friendsss!" His S's reminded me of hissing. "How can the ADF be of asssssissstance?"

"We heard you have some sort of power dampener, and we were hoping it could help our friend here?" Apex asked while gesturing to me.

We hadn't discussed an official plan. Did he know how I felt? Or was he just spinning the most truthful excuse he could come up with to get a closer look. It didn't matter now.

"Perhapsss, what ssseemsss to be the trouble friend?" the Lizard, or maybe Snake asked? I wasn't sure which they were anymore.

Apex began to explain my condition to them, I was distracted. I saw, something. Someone? I couldn't be sure, but I think I, recognized someone!? The Lizard-Snake man continued to converse with Apex. I began walking past to try and get a better look at what I thought I had seen. I saw someone walk around a corner just up the street, and I think I recognized them. But, not in a normal way. It was like I knew them from before. I turned the corner; Apex's voice was growing fainter as I crept further down the alleyway. I didn't see anyone, but I could feel someone's presence. I searched the darkness for someone or something recognizable but found nothing. I felt the presence grow closer, coming up from behind me. I turned around to see a figure standing just behind me, their hand reaching towards me. I reached out to grab their arm. I grabbed them tightly and jerked the arm aside. I was blinded momentarily by the sudden change in lighting. It was Radia.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I saw you walk off and was worried."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just walked off without saying anything like I did." I replied with a gasp of breath.

I was honestly pretty startled. I still didn't know what I saw and had almost forgotten about everything else in the process of searching.

"Let's get back to Apex." Radia said quietly.

As we walked back, I could hear Apex speaking loudly.

"So, you're telling me!? This doodad neck thing is safe, controlled by you, and completely voluntary?" Apex was clearly not convinced the ADF would be so suddenly helpful.

"Absssolutely!" the Reptilian man replied with a grin. A unnerving…toothy..grin.

We still didn't trust the ADF, and Apex had gotten all the information he needed to make his decision, but so did I. I had gone back to get a power dampener. I know that I shouldn't have, but the desire I had to be able to feel again was insurmountable. Imagine if the thing you wanted most was being offered to you for free. The only catch is it's being offered by someone who you don't trust. You know that more than likely you will get burned in the end, but the temptation outweighs judgement. Radia and Apex didn't know I had gotten the dampener. I snuck off while they were gathering items to prepare dinner. It was dark now, probably close to 10pm? Radia had been sleeping for a while now, and Apex had just recently drifted off. That was another side effect power of mine. I could tell by a person's breathing if they were sleeping or awake. I could also tell if they were anxious, excited, things like that. I wasn't a master at this at all, so when I say I could tell, I could only tell if it wasn't being hidden. For instance, I could almost always tell how Apex was feeling, but I have yet to be able to tell anything from Radia's breathing. Her breathing is always so precise. When I couldn't sleep at night, I would listen to her breath and be able to tell how much time was passing as I listened. I was listening more nights than not. Once I was certain they were sleeping, I got up and walked into the dimly lit walkway outside of the abandoned building we had chosen for a camp. I walked about two miles before finding a rat eating what looked to be a rotting sandwich. I leaned down closer to the rat and put the dampener around my neck. I adjusted the settings to the maximum level of dampening, then I took off my glove. The rat had noticed me but wasn't fazed. I reach down to pick it up. As I grabbed it, it writhed about, struggling the get free of my grip. Its hair felt bristly and somewhat sticky. It kept struggling, and struggling, and finally it got turned around enough to bite me. I winced and released my grip. The rat fell to the ground and quickly scurried off. I inspected my wound; it was a pretty bad puncture. The rat's teeth had sunken in deep and I was bleeding. I was in pain, but I also couldn't have been happier about this result. I felt it! I could feel the rat with my hand and the rat didn't die. Not only that, but I could feel pain, I had been able to feel pain before, but everything always felt slightly numbed. This though? This was straight teeth gritting, fist clenching pain. What was I going to tell the others? Should I tell the others? Would they understand? I knew Apex wouldn't, but Radia? She was the one who's opinion mattered. I decided not to tell them, yet. I put my glove back on and began to stand. As I did, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around. Standing in the middle of what use to be a road was a tall woman. She was watching me. I felt like I knew her, it was the same feeling as when I was in the alley.

"Who are you?" I asked.

She started walking closer, as she moved, I noticed something strange about her body. Each step, her leg seemed to disintegrate and then reassemble in the place she wanted to step. I noticed this about her entire body as she continued walking. It was like she was teleporting but could only teleport so many atoms at a time. There were times when I could see parts of her body still disassembled. I could see muscle, bone, every time she moved, part of her moved first, followed by another, then another. Each glitching sequence happened rapidly though, she was still moving at an average pace for walking. Whatever was happening with her body didn't seem to hinder her in the slightest. She came a few steps closer then stopped. She was likely 10ft in front of me now. I was still stunned by the way she moved. I had seen a lot of DVAs, but she was; different.

"Hello William." She said in a calm voice.
Her mouth had the same rapid teleporting of her body, and her words sounded like they were being spoken by three or four people at once. The voice and movement combination gave me goosebumps. I felt, scared. I had never felt scared before, not like this.

"My name is Nightlock." I replied. What was I supposed to say?

"No child. Your NAME is William. You call yourself Nightlock, and I know everything about you."

 

[Chaoscore14]

"What are we even doing out here?" I asked.

"I told you, I'm getting some very strange readings from this area from my DVA power measuring device." Livi replied.

Since rescuing Phoenix, we had been running rescue operation around the clock. The ADF was on the move, and they were abducting DVA's left and right, but we were freeing them almost as fast. Almost. There had been a number of DVA casualties, far too many for my liking.

"What exactly does that thing do?" Surge asked.

"This device tracks the location, abundance, and approximate power level of Deviants in the area. And before you ask, no, the device can't fall into the wrong hands because it is designed to erase all programming if activated by anyone without my DNA sequence and password."

"Uh, good?" Surge replied, only half certain what Livi was saying.

"I'm worried my device may not be functioning properly though. It says there are nearly 100 different DVA powers in a very tight area. I have never seen this many powers in one holding facility before. Assuming it even is a holding facility."

"You're starting to ramble." Phoenix said stepping in closer.

I loved it when Livi talked all sciencey.

"Sorry, you're right." Livi agreed. "The other issue I'm having is that there is no building where my tracker is showing the DVAs."

"No building?" I asked. "Then where are they?"

"According to this, the signal is coming from right there."

Livi pointed to a large open area in what is roughly the center of the city. There was no evidence on any current or past structure. The area was oddly flat and free of debris. We began to search the area. Livi believed there was some sort of secret underground ADF complex. We just had to find the entrance.

"Surge! I have an idea." Livi spouted out suddenly.

"What?" Surge replied confused.

"Can you pulsate a low level of electricity into the ground? Right about….here?" Livi turned and pointed to the ground as she spoke.

"I think so. Why?" Surge asked.

"I'd like you to see if you can sense any electrical signatures below the ground. And if you can, I was thinking we could have Auger tunnel us in. What do you think?" Livi asked, now looking at me.

"Uh, yeah. I can do that." I replied sheepishly.

I don't know why I always get so nervous when she talks to me. I guess it's because I like her. It's hard to like someone who forgets nearly every experience they have had with you at the end of the day though. Besides, she was smart, and I was a brute. We had little in common. With some assistance from Livi, Surge was able to locate the underground structure, and a weak point from which we could enter. I morphed one arm into a drill, and the other into somewhat of a roof overtop of us so we couldn't be caved in. As we burrowed down, Livi put her hand on my back. I got chills through my entire body.

"We should be almost there." She whispered to me.

This might actually work. We were traveling fairly quietly. There was no loud machinery drilling, it was just me, rotating my arm in the shape of a drill as fast as I could. I forced the dirt and stone away as we neared the structure. A few minutes after Livi had said something, I felt my hand hit something metallic and hard. I spread the dirt apart revealing a large metal plate. Likely the roof of one of the rooms. I formed my hand into a sharp blade and cut down into the metal roof. I wasn't able to cut through, but I was able to cut enough that Phoenix could get a grip on it.

"Stay back." Phoenix warned before powerfully punching through the cut section and peeling it back like the lid on a can.

The room was dark. Surge used his power to create a bright ball of electrical energy so we could see.

"Where is everybody?" I asked aloud.
"The DVAs are this direction." Livi said as she pointed down a dark hall.

We walked down the hall for what seemed like forever. There were no doors, no lights, and no people. This was all very strange. I have said that before, but the entire turn of events was just bizarre to me. First the kidnapping of Phoenix and all those other Deviants, and now more Deviants trapped in some sort of evil layer for the ADF? Something wasn't right, and I could feel it.

"Livi, something isn't right." I said quietly.

"I know." She answered matter-of-factly.

"You do?" I asked. "Then what are we doing? Shouldn't we come up with some sort of plan or something?" I was almost speaking at full volume now. Livi sighed.

"Unfortunately, there isn't much to go on in order to create a plan." Livi's words became quieter. "I….I don't know what we are walking into. I've never been this uncertain before, and I don't like it. But we need to help whoever may be in trouble, no matter what." Livi's words were heartfelt. She was such a caring person inside. Even if she didn't always show it.

"Don't worry." Surge spoke up. "Whatever we run into down here, we can handle it. Just like we always do."

We didn't talk much for a while after that, and as we got further down the hall, we saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Upon seeing this light, we all got very quiet. Surge put out his light, and we began stealthily moving forward to investigate. The hallway we head been in opened into a large room, full of various scientific equipment and experiments. This was similar to what we had seen in other ADF holding facilities, but this facility was on a much grander scale. In the center of the room was a single man in a lab coat working on something. The scientist seemed to be preoccupied and hadn't noticed us. I whispered as quietly as I could to Livi.

"Where are the deviants? There were supposed to be here right?" Livi didn't answer. She had a strange look on her face. I think she was, scared. "Livi? What's going on?" I asked still whispering.

"Oh, you're just in time." The voice came from the man in the center of the room.

I recognized the voice. It had a German accent. The scientist turned, looking at us now. We could see his face now too. He was definitely the same scientist as the one we saved Phoenix from. His jaw had been replaced with some sort of mechanical substitute that hooked around into some sort of device on the back of his head.
"Huh….how?" I asked in disbelief.

"I killed you!" Phoenix yelled.

"Perhaps Fräulein, but I suppose I could say the same of you?" The scientist made a poor attempt at smiling with his cybernetic jaw.

The way we had walked to enter the large room was suddenly sealed off, as were any other visible exits.

"It is not a mistake you are here meine Liebsten Freunde. Everything leading to this point has been by my design, with the exception of loosing meine Kiefer."

He put his hand on his steely chin.

"It would seem I underestimated your tenacity my dear." He was clearly referring to Phoenix. "You have no idea the dark web you have found yourself trapped in." He sounded much more serious when he said this, it was…unsettling.

"We aren't scared of you!" Surge yelled out. "Right guys?" Livi still seemed petrified.

"Are you ok?" I asked her.

"All the DVA abilities…my tracker wasn't malfunctioning." As she said this her voice dropped. "It's him…it's all him." Livi was almost in tears at this point.

"What was him?" Surge asked.

"I know now. Everything makes sense. His plan from the very beginning." Livi still talked quietly. Her body trembled.

"What is his plan Liv?" Phoenix asked also growing concerned for Livi now. Livi's voice trembled as she spoke.

"It's me." As she finished this sentence, the Scientist through off his lab coat. His body and muscles began to viably grow, he tore off his shirt.

"Oh sweet, innocent little Madchen. You finally figured it out. Now….." As he trailed off, hundreds of metal, syringe ended tentacles extended from his body as he reached his arm out towards Livi. As the tentacles launched towards Livi at high speeds, he spoke in a cold deep voice. "Begleite mich, Fräulein. We are…die verbunden."

 

[Chaoscore14]

I seem to have gotten myself into another predicament. I'm Trixx by the way. And don't let the frail looking red-haired blue-eyed body fool ya. I'm tuff as they come, and always rarin for a tussle. May have gotten to big for my britches on this one though. See, I was all fixed to be on my way outa town when these dern fools come walkin on me yappin about ma papers and whatnot. I said it to them and I'll say it to you, I go where I bloody well please. The AD-Fers weren't too keen on that none. Not since they started requiring identifications for Deviants and Deviant powers if you want to walk around ADF territory an not get yer head blown away on sight. Bunch a malarkey is what it is. I don't owe em nothin. So anyhowsit,, here I find myself surrounded with about a dozen guns aimed at me and collars ready to be shackled to my throat and hands. Lucky for them I like it a wee rough. I dropped my cane to the ground and a trooper placed some cuffs around my hands. Another stepped forward with a power restraining collar for my neck.

Good try, but I still got my powers for a wee sec, and that's all I need. As he comes at me with the collar, I swing my arms around and knock the collar out of his hands then knee em right in the baw. Where'd my cuffs go ya wonderin? They're on the dobber that put em on me. One of them came up to the side of me with gun aimed at my head. I take my top hat off and put it over his gun as he fires several rounds off quickly. None of the bullets hit me of course, but several of his friends drop dead, a bullet to the back of their heads. Reaching through the top of the hat I grab his arm and pull him forward, using my other hand I give him a fistful right to the jaw. Three left that can still fight. They each raise their guns and unload their clips. As they do, I surround myself in a wooden box. The box is riddled with holes, bullets tearing through on every inch. After putting enough bullets into the box that no living thing could possibly have survived, they stop firing and one of them approaches the large wooden box. The trooper slowly opens the bullet riddled door, only to step back in horror to find it empty. ADF fools. The ADF Trooper that had opened the door turned to face me, his two friends fell to the ground, trapped in a tight jacket with a few dozen buckles and locks restricting virtually all movements. I started walking towards him, arms spread wide to give him a hug. Behind me was a giant spinning target, with the center just behind my torso. The last trooper fired every bullet he could as I walked closer. Each bullet miraculously missing me and hitting the target board just millimeters from my body. I continued walking closer to him, bullets flying around me. Just before I was about to reach him, he ran out of ammunition and the target behind me dropped to the ground, revealing a perfectly cut ring of bullet holes outlining my body.

He was crying now, god these ADF are all high and mighty until somebody with real power shows up. I wrapped my arms around him and just stood there a moment, hugging him. I then proceeded to pick him up, turning him sideways in my arms like a groom carrying his bride. I lay him down in a wooden box. The box had an opening for his head at the top and an opening at the bottom for his feet. I could tell he was trying to resist and escape, but my powers were preventing his movements. I closed the lid to the box and turned around. The few still living members of their group all sat before me, smiles on their faces. The poor devils. I cleared my throat.

"For my final trick! I shall cut this man in half!" My involuntary audience clapped loudly for me, not that they had a choice in the matter. I bowed, then removed my hat and reached inside.

I shuffled around in the hat, searching for my desired prop. Finally I found it. I pulled out a large two-man hand saw and placed it over the box with the man inside. I began pushing and pulling the saw back and forth, back and forth. I then turned around, no longer holding the saw because it was now going on its own. I took a few steps forward and picked up my cane which I had dropped at the start of the brawl. I inspected the cane for damage, the saw continued to cut deeper into the box. The cane looked undamaged, but there's only one way to know for sure. I pointed the can at the man whom I had previously kicked in the balls.



"Sorry hun, this just ain't yer lucky day." There was a thunderous crackling noise emitted from my cane. "Still works." I acknowledged smiling.



I began to walk away. There was a massive gaping hole in the man I had been pointing my cane at. I began walking down a dark alley, whistling the tune of drunken sailor, and twirling my cane on the tip on my index finger. As I left the area of my carnage, the pitch of the saw blade changed. It didn't sound like it was cutting through just wood anymore.

 

[Chaoscore14]

I couldn't stop thinking about her. It's been over nine years since it happened. I thought I had lost all emotions a long time ago, but not when I think of her.



"Nightlock? You ok man?" It was Apex talking.



"Yeah, I'm…I'm ok." I replied with a slight smile. I was not ok.



It's been a long time, so let me explain some things. About five years after the Reckoning the ADF controlled just about any major city and resource within any considerable distance. We didn't know if it had gone worldwide, but it was safe to assume so. The ADF gained it's ground by using DVA's as soldiers in their war. We don't know how exactly yet, but someone in the ADF had developed a way to mind control deviants. The ADF was dangerous on their own, but with the help of deviant powers? They had become virtually unstoppable. I now help lead a group of deviants whose goal is to take down the ADF, or if nothing else slow them down. There are a decent number of us now. Most deviants are in hiding or imprisoned in concentration camps. There are around 18 of us total. Only seven here right now though, the rest are out going on missions, or are taking a more rogue like approach at fighting the ADF, coming in and out as they please. Apex, Myself, Auger, Sym, Exo, Endo, and Amp are the ones here right now. Technically there are only six bodies though, Exo and Endo are a package deal. Exo's cells can modify themselves to become any other type of cell and back again. That means he can make skin into muscle, hair into skin, nerves into enamel, and so on. Endo on the other hand, is technically just Exo's skeleton, except that skeleton has its own shared consciousness with Exo. Endo is made a an unknown extremely hard, durable material that as far as we know is unbreakable. It may be possible to hurt Endo, but nothing we've experienced seems to have even come close. Since Endo can basically shapeshift, he frequently tests out different looks. He has had many hair and eye colors, as well as changing his visible musculature. He can't change his size or bone structure though, only outer features. His favorite look is blue eyes and light brown hair. He keeps himself looking fit, but not overly buff. Then there's Sym. He can absorb people's pain and convert it to energy that he can manipulate. He can absorb physical or emotional pain, but he feels whatever pain he absorbs. The stronger the pain, the stronger he becomes. Sym also has empathic abilities, so he can sense if you are feeling pain sometimes before you even do. Sym has green eyes and light blonde hair. He is a tall thin man who tends to wears nice button up shirts and blue jeans. He also talks with a bit of an accent; I think they call it Southern? Lastly is Amp. Amp's powers are fairly simple compared to the others. He can focus his own energy to another person to increase that person's abilities, physical, mental, and relating to their powers. Using his power too much leaves him pretty drained though. Amp has brown eyes and longer orange hair and a thick orange beard. He always wears flannel shirts. He looks like a stereotypical lumberjack. He is pretty shy most of the time though, and has a hard time speaking up or becoming combative. Of course, you already know me, Apex, and I believe you know Auger as well.



"Hey Nightlock, when is everyone supposed to be back?" Amp's deep voice rumbled as he spoke. He was always concerned about the members of our group when they are on missions, especially Blaster.



Blaster and Amp had been with us for a while now. They were some of our first recruits after Auger's group. They were a couple, actually they plan to get married once all this is over. A lot of us thought it was a bit absurd to be thinking about getting married with everything that was going on in the world. Would people even get married when this was all over? Most traditions have been abandoned since the Reckoning, including traditional marriage. I personally thought it was sweet though. It's hard for me to feel, but seeing them together, how they get along. That made me feel happy, even if only for a fleeting moment.



"They should be back by the end of the day tomorrow." I replied back. There were three teams of three out. Our two rogues were out also. Saturn and Trixx have been unaccounted for, but they can hold their own and know we need them back here for the big mission coming up.



"I'm just worried about Blaster." Amp said looking at the ground.



"I know, but she'll be fine. She has Surge and Phoenix watching her back." I reassured him.



If I had to pick two people to watch out for me, they would be among my top picks and I knew Amp felt the same. It was just hard for him to be away from Blaster, normally I would send them on missions together, but this time I kept Amp at the base to work on his powers. He was capable of a lot but needed practice. He doesn't get the opportunity to practice with his powers as much since his power relies on him being with someone else. It was taking a tole on him, but he needed to be able to work on his own if needed.



"Your powers are coming along well." I said changing the topic.



"Really?" Amp asked. "I haven't amped peoples powers much other than Blaster. It's hard, I have to understand how their power works to get the best results."



"You worked wonders on me!" Apex jumped in encouraging Amp as well. "The first time you amped my powers, I was able to hold two animal abilities at once easily, now I can even do three!"



"You really think I'm getting better?" Amp asked now seeming to smile.



"Absolutely!" ensured Apex.



I was glad we could help take Amp's mind off his worrying, but truth be told, I think we were all feeling a little concerned. There had been a lot of ADF activity recently, which was part of why we were making our move now. If we keep waiting for the ADF to hunt us down, eventually they will. Our best chance is to strike first and strike big. That all relies on the missions our teams are on now though. We need them to succeed, the world needs them to succeed.

 

[Chaoscore14]

As part of a secret assault against the ADF, three squadrons were sent on various missions to destroy key assets of the ADF. Each squad was chosen because of how they work together and how well suited they were for the mission. This squadron was selected to locate and eliminate whatever is causing DVAs to turn against their own kind and help the ADF. A research base was recently discovered during a scouting mission and is believed to hold one or more of the devices or DVAs responsible for controlling the ADF's deviant soldiers. The team sent consists of Periodix, a deviant who can alter the molecular structure of materials into other elements and structures much like alchemy would be used. Animator, who can use any material to create semi-living golem-like entities that obey his commands. And No-Name, the extremely acrobatic humanoid cat deviant who can also utilize telekinesis.



"How do you want to get passed these guards?" No-Name asked Periodix.



They were crouched on a hilltop overlooking a large facility containing a series of walls and checkpoints before reaching the actual building. The current issue was figuring out how to either take out or remain unseen by the several guard towers armed with snipers.



"I know exactly how I'd like to deal with them." Periodix replied smiling and holding up his golden plated rifle and cartridge of tungsten bullets.



"Always the showman." Animator chuckled.



"And what would you propose?" Periodix asked Animator while lowering his weapon.



"I'm all for some showmanship." Animator replied. "But what about a more team-oriented effort?"



"In what way?" No-Name asked.



Animator smiled and began to explain his plan.



A pair of guards sits at a table playing cards and drinking some coffee. As they play, one of the guards notices the coffee in his cup is beginning to ripple. The rippling continues to increase, and the ground can be felt shaking. Thud….Thud…Thud…



"What the hell's going on?" one guard says to the other. "Some kind of earthquake?"



The guards stand and walk towards the outer gate which they are supposed to be guarding. The shaking was getting stronger, and so was the loud booming noise coming from the forest. Thud…Thud…Thud…



"Something's coming!" The guard in the nearest tower shouts.



The trees shake and can be seen being knocked to the ground in the distance. Something is crushing a path straight at the facility.



"What in the…" The guard in the tower's words are cut off as a large tree strike the tower like a spear, completely destroying the tower and sending debris in all directions. No chance to signal the alarm, but by this point the bulk of the base is focused on the direction the loud thuds are coming from.



The guards ready their weapons and aim them towards the gate. Whatever is charging at them is nearly on top of them now. Thud…Thud…Thud… Suddenly the tree line explodes as a massive titanium/stone creature charges forward at the main gate. Atop the creature is a fortified bunker with openings to attack from. Two shots echo from the bunker and the two guards who had been playing cards drop dead. The creature barrels through the gate tearing it to pieces. Shots can be heard ringing out from the bunker, on top of the bunker is No-Name, who was using his telekinesis to hold a few trees above the base, stripping bits off of them and sending them at soldiers like a rain of splintery bullets from a few dozen machine guns. The trio raged through gate after gate, barely slowing down for anything, soldiers, walls, or tanks.



"You were right!" Periodix shouted over the carnage to Animator, who was positioned in the bunker controlling the creature. "I do enjoy being a showman!"

​

Inside the fortress, the sounds of the hero's assault grew louder and louder.



"Sir, the intruders are coming straight for us. What should we do?" An ADF guard asks a man dressed in full black leather and another in a dark cloak.



The man in leather replies. "Blitz and I will handle them. You prepare transport to get Master Blood out of here as fast as possible.



"I could always run him out of here." Blitz speaks up from beneath his cloak.



"Maybe." Blender replies. "But I doubt you would survive the journey. You know how Blood gets this close to feeding time."

Blitz picks Blender up and they both disappear in an instant. Off to combat our heroes and their march of destruction.



"This is easier than I thought it would be!" No-Name shouts from atop golem.



"You're right!" Periodix shouted back. "Too easy."



Amongst the carnage of ADF troops fleeing and fighting, a blur shoots passed, straight towards the golem. Blitz uses the momentum of his speed to throw Blender straight at the golem's chest. Using his powers, Blender makes his body extremely sharp and spins in the air. The golem is shred to pieces in the area Blender impacts and pierces straight through.



"What was that!" Animator shouts. He has lost ability to maintain the golem with how much material it lost.



No-Name opens the bunker up using his telekinesis and lifts Animator and Periodix out and safely to the ground.



"What was that?!" Periodix shouts, still dazed from being suddenly removed from the bunker.



"They have DVA's!" No-Name shouts back.



Blitz dashes towards Periodix and goes for a forceful punch, but Periodix reacts just in time, making his clothes into titanium. This was a move Periodix had practiced many times and honed his reaction time to the sharpest it could be. Periodix made sure to leave areas of his clothing unchanged to retain reasonable mobility. Blitz let loose a flurry of blows into Periodix's sternum, but to no effect.



"I got your back!" No-Name shouts to Periodix. Using his telekinesis, No-Name holds Blitz in place.



Periodix takes this chance to punch the speedster in the chest, likely fracturing a rib or two. Blitz stumbled back and coughed up some blood, now free of No-Name's grip. Instantly Blitz was dashing around the battlefield again, waiting for another opening while remaining virtually untouchable. Meanwhile, Animator and Blender were locked in intense combat. Animator was creating golems as fast as Blender was tearing them to pieces. There wasn't time to create any golems too large, not with Blender rapidly approaching. He simply walked through the golems and they near turned to dust.



"How are we supposed to stop this guy!?" Animator yelled out.

 

[Chaoscore14]

"I got you Animator!" No-Name called back.

Finally, Blender was halted by No-Name's telekinesis. Blender was clearly not happy about it. This however left an opening for Blitz that he took all too happily. Blitz dashed in and shoved No-Name forward. No-Name put his arms out to brace himself, and Blender made a clean sweeping motion with his leg, cutting both No-Names arms off at the elbow. No-Name screamed in pain and began to lose a lot of blood.



"Nooo!!" Periodix shouted before opening fire on Blender. The bullets split in half on contact with Blender's skin. As this was occurring, a loud explosion could be heard from inside the base, followed by screams of terror.



"No." Blender muttered. "Not now."



A nearly naked, blood splattered man with rippling muscles burst through the wall of the nearest structure. He had enormous claws and long fangs. Powerful black bat like wings unfurled from his back. The new man grabbed an ADF soldier's head and crushed it like it was Styrofoam. Another nearby ADF soldier tried to get away, but the man's claws cut through him with ease.



"What is that!?" Periodix yelled as he picked up No-Name. Blitz wasn't the only one able to take advantage of an opportunity.



Blitz quickly sprinted up to the new Deviant.



"Blood…Blood, you gotta calm down." Blitz pleaded, but it seemed to have no effect.



Blood grabbed Blitz by the throat. Blitz looked astonished. It could have been he was surprised his apparent ally was about to kill him, or it could have been shock that Blood moved faster than him in that moment. Blood pulled Blitz in and sunk his fangs into Blitz's neck. The life force drained from Blitz's eyes. His skin shriveled and after a few moments, all that was left was a bony husk.



Periodix was holding No-Name over his shoulder.



"We have to get out of here!" Periodix yelled to Animator. "Animator? Are you ok?"



Animator was holding his head in pain. It seemed like something was taking over him. Blood appeared to be the source of Animators reaction. Blood was aiming a bloody hand toward Animator and appeared to be concentrating.



"You have to get out of here…" Animator pleaded through clenched teeth. "He's in my head and I can only barley hold it back, but there is something else. Something stronger breaking free!." Animator looked down at himself. He was glowing redish purple.



"We aren't leaving you!" Periodix shouted back.



"Go!!" Animator yelled before arching his back and yelling in pain.



Blender looked at Blood, and then at Animator. Neither outcome seemed like it would end well for him. Blender got into a truck with an ADF trooper and started driving away. Animator started to change. First his body began to contort in unnatural ways. Animator then began to grow extra arms. Two more on his left side and three more on his right, then six on his back. Animators head began to turn into a twisted version of a humans. Several horns began to grow in a crown shape. His mouth turned into a short beak, filled with teeth. His skin turned a discolored greenish brown and scaly. The ground trembled, and the sky grew dark with clouds.



Periodix could barely comprehend what he was seeing, but unfortunately No-Name was in bad shape. As bad as Periodix wanted to stay, he had to get No-Name to safety.



"Sorry bud, but this is probably going to hurt."



Periodix then proceeded to set No-Name down and touch his severed limbs. He began to change the severed section into copper. No-Name grunted in pain. It wasn't the ideal course of action, and it was a crude job, but better than him bleeding out. The copper would help to prevent some infection until No-Name could receive proper medical attention. Periodix loaded No-Name into a vehicle and got ready to drive off. Before leaving he took one last look at Animator, but he wasn't Animator anymore. He was something else.



Animator turns towards Blood. Two hands from Animator's back raised in the air. A dark circular portal began to open in the sky. Lightening cracked in the sky and a cold wind had started blowing. A loud animalistic screaming pierced the night. The screams came from inside the portal Animator had created. A head peaked out of the portal. It was a fleshy creature of some kind. It resembled an imp, or some other demonic entity. It had mangled looking wings, claws, and lots of crooked teeth. The creature dropped out of the portal and onto the ground. It hissed and began flying into the air. Dozens of the creatures began pouring out of the portal. Animator's other hands began making motions in all directions. The corpses of dead ADF soldiers began to twist and seize. Their bodies started to rise in a zombielike fashion. Many of the corpses were badly wounded, but that seemed to have no deterrent to them coming back. The bodies began to come together, piling on top of one another, grappling each other and debris that was being swept into the culmination from the base's destruction. The jumble began to take shape. The debris, stone, trees, and bodies were being shaped into a massive Titan of decay. The Titan grew to greater and greater size until it towered over the area, a giant among ants.



No-Name looked back at his friend they had left behind, struggling to remain conscious.



"Animator… what are you becoming." No-Name took one more look at the enormity of the creature Animator had created, then closed his eyes and lost consciousness.



Blood looked up at the Titan that Animator had created. The Titan hurled a fist down towards Blood. Blood quickly jumped out of the way and leaped into the air. A few of the demons attacked Blood in the air, but he easily cut them down with his claws. Blood dropped out of the air and landed on the Titan's arm. He then began running up it towards the Titan's face. As Blood ran, dozens of hands reached out from the Titan's flesh, the hands of the dead. Blood took off into the air again to avoid their grip, flying quickly at the neck of the Titan and slashing at its throat with his claws. Viscera poured out of the Titan's neck, but it seemed to do nothing to slow it down. Blood was enraged and flew down straight at Animator. As Blood drew closer, he readied himself to go for the kill. Blood swung his claw at Animator, but Animator caught it with two of his many hands. Animator then immobilized Blood's other hand and legs with his other arms. Animator leaned another hand in towards Blood's ear and a voice from his hand spoke for him. It whispered in a terrifying voice.



"You do not understand what has happened. The engine of ruin is already in motion and I am the Prophet of its will. The day of finality draws near, but you will not live to see it."



Prophet, as he will be known, pulls his hand from the ear of Blood. Prophet then pulls suddenly and violently on all Blood's limbs tearing Blood apart.



"You were an interesting creature; I will give you that. That is why I will use you as an envoy of my command."



Prophet used the blood that covered the battlefield to create a massive portal that Titan and the demons entered. Finally, Prophet used his powers to stich Blood back together as his zombified servant.



"You will now be known as the 1st​ Disciple, and we shall bring this world to it's knees."



Prophet and 1st​ Disciple entered the portal, and the portal disappeared. As if none of them had ever been there.

 

[Chaoscore14]

The mission was simple. I wasn't worried about that. I was worried how Amp would be doing while I was gone. He has a lot of anxiety. It isn't his fault though, no one should think he is weak for not wanting to be away from me. I met him almost immediately after the Reckoning. We spent two years together before meeting Nightlock and his group. Before that, when it was just me and Amp, there was a time when he had no problem being away from me. He started having trouble being away from me after he was taken by the ADF. They did things to him there that he doesn't often talk about, even to me. That's a story for another time though.



The mission. We were assigned with the task of taking out the ADF's communication towers. Without communication, it will be much easier to assault the ADF headquarters and take the fight to them. Phoenix and Surge were good company. Phoenix was a hard person to understand, but she had a lot of feelings. She hid her feeling well, but that was only to protect us. Phoenix's powers were difficult for her to control, and too many emotions made them spark out of control.



"This seems like it will be pretty easy." Surge said, eyeing up the central series of towers linking dozens of ADF bases.



I looked at them as well. There didn't seem to be many defenses. I knew what that meant though. If a place this important looked unguarded, its because whatever DVA had been put in charge of guarding it had the complete confidence of the ADF to repel any attacks. This was going to be a difficult fight.



"Surge, are you able to hit it with a lightening bolt from here?" Phoenix asked doubtfully.



"Sorry, I can't. I only have about a 40ft range before my electricity becomes ineffective." Surge replied with a slight shrug.



"Unfortunately, I think we are going to have to just fight whoever they have guarding this place and destroy it after. There doesn't seem to be a way to destroy it without getting closer to the target." Phoenix stated.



It wasn't an optimal plan, but it was all we had. None of our powers had enough range to do the job. We were is a sandy desert area. There wasn't much cover to use, and it would be obvious to whoever was guarding the station we were approaching.



We started walking towards the communication station. As we got closer, the weather began to change. The clouds grew black and it started to rain.



"This could make things tricky." Surge said, looking up into the clouds.



A heavy thunder roared across the sky. Lightning could be seen arcing across the sky and within the clouds. The strikes seemed to be coming from a specific point in the storm. A large and powerful flash of lightning struck about 30ft in front of us, followed by an enormous shuttering of thunder and debris exploding in all directions. A massive gust of wind blew out following the blast. The ground was charred black where the lightning had struck and standing in the center of it was a man covered in tattoos of black sigils and wording in other languages. He wore only a light brown pair of shorts, which were drenched in rain, just as he was. He was bald but had a thick black beard and mustache. There appeared to be an ankh on his chest, Egyptian lettering under it, that one I recognized. There was another symbol I recognized, it looked like the Norse symbol for Mjolnir with what I assumed was some Norse wording beneath. There was another I recognized, and the wording underneath it I also knew. It was the symbol for Zeus, with Zeus written in Roman underneath the symbol. They were all symbols of storm or lightning gods, with their names written underneath in the coinciding language.



"How come you can't do that?" Phoenix asked jokingly nudging Surge.



"Oh! I want to name him!" Surge shouted excitedly.



The two of them liked to joke, they both had very strong powers, and in truth probably had every right to joke about these types of situations. It can be hard to stay upbeat these days.



"I think I'm going to call you…. DARK STORM." Surge said while pointing at the man.



The man, Dark Storm, pulled his fist back and struck the ground. The ground erupted with lightning and rocks flew in every direction as the maelstrom of electricity and debris tremored toward us. Surge and Phoenix looked at each other and then back at me. They were signaling me. We had practiced many signals that related to a combination move between one or more of us. I knew this one, Phoenix and Surge were going to defend, and I go in for an attack.



Surge dropped to his knees and put his hands on the ground, then sent out a shockwave to counter the lightning. Phoenix stood in front of him with her hands cupped in the air, ready to block any more attacks with her body. I readied myself and ran towards them. Using Surge as a step, I pushed off him, then Phoenix pushed me even higher and further. If this was going to work, I needed to make an impact. My power allows me to fire off blasts of force from my fingertips, the more fingers I use, the stronger the blast. I put both hands together in a clapping motion and fired.



The force of the blast threw me backward. It was probably one of the larger blasts I had done to that point. Thankfully Phoenix was ready to catch me as I fell back to the ground.



"Nice work Blaster." Phoenix said quietly. She may not have said it quietly, but that size of a blast messes with my hearing sometimes.



"Freaking epic!" Surge shouted. That one I heard full volume.



My blast had knocked Dark Storm back through the wire gates surrounding the station. There was a decent sized crater in front of where he had been standing.



"You think he's dead?" I asked. It wasn't likely, but the fact Dark Storm hadn't immediately recovered was a good sign.



"Let's not wait to find out." Phoenix replied.



Surge and I went to work putting all the fire power we could muster with our abilities into the station. We were causing a lot of damage and there were still no signs of Dark Storm.



The station was taking a beating, we had destroyed all the connecting towers and were now focusing on leaving as little left to salvage as we could. Suddenly the breeze grew stronger, and thunder could be heard in the clouds above again.



"Hey guys! I think he's waking up!" Surge shouted to us.



He was right, I could feel the storm around us gaining momentum again.



A portion of rubble burst apart, and Dark Storm had risen into the air over the station. His eyes were glowing a purplish-blue. He extended his hands outward, and on either side of the station, two tornadoes of rain and lightning were forming. It became very clear that Dark Storm was much more powerful than we had initially thought. He just couldn't go all out without damaging the station. Now that the station had been destroyed however, he could go full force.



The wind continued to pick up, and lightning was striking the ground in all directions. We had to get away, our group didn't have the right powers to win against Dark Storm, but we could delay him long enough to return to base.



Phoenix gave me another signal. I knew exactly what she wanted to do. She started running towards Dark Storm, gathering speed and strength. When she got close enough, Phoenix jumped into the air. I used my power to launch her further into the air, high enough to reach Dark Storm. Phoenix was struck with multiple lightning bolts but was unphased. She was determined to reach Dark Storm. Just before reaching him, Phoenix pulled back for a punch and let loose with all her power, hitting Dark Storm in the chest and throwing him backwards far into the distance. Phoenix fell back down towards the ground and landed hard against the ground. It almost definitely killed her. Surge and I ran over to her. She had many broken bones, but nothing she hadn't been through before.



"Ohhhhh that hurt more than I remember." Phoenix groaned.



"You ok?" I asked her. I don't think I will ever get use to her unnatural survival abilities.



"I'll be fine." Phoenix replied while snapping an arm back into place. Her arm made a loud popping noise.



Surge and I quickly got Phoenix to her feet and we started making our way back to base. The ADF was getting more powerful with every DVA they recruited to their armies, and with DVA's like Dark Storm out there, it was looking like this was going to be a long war.

 

[Chaoscore14]

This was supposed to be a simple mission. It wasn't supposed to go this way. I could see Constructor outside the building, in the middle of the dusty street. He was face down on the ground, laying in a pool of his own blood. I couldn't see it from where I was hiding, but I knew what the front of his body looked like, what was left of it. I was crouched behind a large pillar inside of a burnt-out brick building. The building was full of pillars and rows of wooden shelves. There was a layer of loose paper covering the floor. I think it must have been a library before the Reckoning. The room was silent, aside from the sound of my panicked breath. He wouldn't find me, he couldn't. I had covered myself in Constructor's blood to hide my scent. I had to hide my scent. What reason would he have to check the area he had already been? He would have expected me to run away, not circle back.



Wait… what was that? I heard something out on the street. It sounded like someone walking, but there was a strange sound following the footsteps. It sounded like the person walking was dragging something.



I carefully peered around the pillar I was crouched behind. I could see the road through a large hole in the side of the building. I couldn't see who it was yet, but the sound was drawing closer. It couldn't be him. He couldn't have found me. I took too many steps to avoid it. I was too careful. The sound grew closer and closer, and then I saw it. It was him. Worse, I saw what he was dragging. Boom was being dragged behind. It's huge hand gripped Boom's head with ease, like it was a baseball. Boom's body was mangled, but he didn't look bloody. Very different than what happened to Constructor. It dropped Boom on the ground and began smelling the air.



Could it still smell me? If so how? Was it really that good at tracking a person's scent?



It turned toward the building I was hiding in, I jumped back so it wouldn't see me. He was huge, I have seen few DVA's who's physical form had been changed like his. He was covered in thick, bristly, dark gray hair. He had large claws and a mouth full of large dagger-like teeth. Suddenly, I could hear him speak. But he wasn't speaking out loud, I was hearing him in my head.



"Little pig, little pig. Let me come in."



His voice in my head was unnaturally deep and guttural. His words pounded around in my skull like a bowling ball. His voice echoed with a pulsing that gave me a headache. I could hear him walking closer to the building. I leaned my head just enough around the pillar to see him place his hand against the wall of the building. I heard him again.



"Little pig, little pig. Let me come in."



His voice attacked my mind again, it was like being struck by a baseball bat with every word. What could I do? I couldn't run, he was much faster. I couldn't hide, he was able to track me somehow. Was there anything I could do? Or was I going to die like my friends? I could tell by his footsteps he had entered the building. His feet shuffled on the paper covering the floor. He was walking in my direction. I could hear him again, this time even louder.



"Little pig, little pig. Let me come in. Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll rip your heart out."



It was like he was screaming in my ear. My head ached. I felt dizzy, my vision began to grow blurry. I felt like I was going to vomit. I had to do something, if I was going to die anyway, I may as well die fighting. I made my right arm into a sword and jumped from where I was hiding, swinging at where I thought he would be.



There was no one there. I looked around the room. There was no sign of anyone ever being inside other than me. I could still see Constructor and Boom in the street. Their bodies lifeless. I started crying, I couldn't help it. I was terrified. I took a few steps forward, still looking around for any sign of the horrible beast. As I took a few more steps I was suddenly halted by the pain of my head. The pain was so great I felt like my head was going to explode. I changed my hand back to normal and put both hands against my head in agony. I was still crying; my tears fell from my face onto the litter of paper on the ground. I watched my tears hit the yellowing paper. Red?! My tears were red?! I wiped my eyes and looked at my hand. Blood, I was crying blood. The pulsating pain in my head continued to grow more and more, it was unbearable. Then suddenly it stopped.



I was still crying blood and my head still rung with residual pain. I was still holding my head when I felt the presence of someone behind me. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. His face was right behind mine when I heard him whisper. Not in my head this time, but out loud I heard him whisper in my ear.



"Found you."

 

[Chaoscore14]

We needed this job done. I was fine with that, but they could have at least given me a more challenging mission. Sending one of the most powerful DVAs the group had to speak with an informant? Clearly a waste of my talents. This informant was supposed to have knowledge about the leader of the ADF. No one had ever seen him, or even heard his name. There was no use capturing and torturing ADF soldiers or even higher ups. They didn't know anything about their leader, trust me I checked. If they knew anything, I guarantee they would have talked. I'm very good at interrogation.



The informants name was Anon. He had been with us for around six years. The reason he was so good at what he did was his ability. He could shapeshift and lie with such skill, that even I could be deceived by him… at times. It was useful to have such a person on our side. He had given us lots of information over the years and made himself a vital member of our team. Anon's base of operations was an old church in a deserted area on the outskirts of the city. He said he liked churches, that they made him feel safe. Personally, I think it's strange for a person who deceives people constantly to feel at home in a church of all places, but that's just me.



I was almost to the church. I just walked past the old sign that said, "Now Leaving Chicago". The sign had been badly scratched up and the Chicago sign had been scratched completely off. The sign now reads as "No. Leaving ……" Fits this place perfectly. I walked up the trail that lead to the church. My moons, as I like to call them, were orbiting close to my body. All except a few of the larger moons which I had to keep at about arm's length. The trails up to the church was dusty, and the trees that use to be along the path were all dead and collapsed now. Everything since the Reckoning was dead or dying. This place is hell. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope that maybe one day everything can get better. If I did my part, maybe things could change… One day.



I could see the church now. I was around a half mile out. I'll be glad to be done with this mission. I hate sneaking around and avoiding the ADF. I would rather put a moon through their heads. Stealth just isn't my thing, but this mission required it. As I neared the church, I could see its details more clearly. It was falling apart. There were wooden shutters around the large stain glass windows that rowed the sides of the church, but many of them were falling apart or falling off the church entirely. The stain glass windows were darkened with dirt and grime, many of them were shattered and cracked. This place wasn't much of a church anymore.



I stood at the wooden double doors that led into the chapel. It was a small simple model church. There were only two or three rooms aside from the main sanctuary. I opened the door and it creaked and squeaked loudly, echoing through the church. If Anon didn't know I was here, he did now. The church was dark, the air smelled musty and stale. The inside didn't look better than the outside. The pews were moldy and in disrepair. There was a large chandelier that had fallen from the ceiling, it was in pieces. Anon was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't strange for someone like him.



"Anon?!" I called out. My voice echoed off the walls and up into the steeple.



"Saturn!" Anon shouted rather loud as he came out of a room in the rear of the church.



He seemed, oddly cheery. Not sure what there was to be cheerful about.



"I'm so glad you're here, there is much to tell." Anon spoke in a quick high-pitched voice.



"Great." I thought. "I can't wait to receive all this important information." I replied in a painfully sarcastic tone.



"Good, because my friends and I have been waiting for you to arrive." Anon spoke in a raspy whisper this time. He drew his mouth into a devious smile.



There was a loud slamming behind me. I looked back and saw two ADF soldiers had just closed and barred the church doors. I looked back to the front of the church. There was a dozen more soldiers now marching into position and raising weapons at me. There were also several soldiers on the balcony overhead armed with high powered rifles. Anon contorted his body and made himself into a large bear-like creature with razorblades for arms.



"Really? You want to do this? You're sure?" I asked the group. They definitely do not.



I began increasing the revolutions of my moons. They were traveling around me so fast that they appeared as blurs around me. The soldiers began to fire their weapons, but the bullets ricocheted off my moons, falling to the floor like a waterfall of lead. They never stood a chance of defeating me. It's honestly embarrassing that Anon though this sort of attack would even work. This will at least be fun though.



I began expanding the orbits of my moons, they eviscerated everything in their path. Pews and bibles thrown into the air, shredded to pieces. The soldiers tried to move back, but they couldn't move fast enough. Everything and everyone around me was caught in the hurricane of destruction that was me. The church quickly began to collapse, carnage fell from the ceiling, what was left of the windows was shattered and thrown about as shrapnel. The destruction of the soldiers couldn't even be seen. My moons would approach the soldiers, closer and closer until there was only a thick red mist where they once stood. The church collapsed around me, any debris that came close was demolished by my moons. I began to realign my moons back to their passive positions. There was virtually nothing left of the church. There was just some scattered debris, dust, and bloody red patches.



I began the walk back to base. That was more entertaining than I expected. I still wasn't happy, but I did have a bit of a smile on my face on the way back.

 

[Chaoscore14]

I was a soldier since the start of it all. When I woke up after the Reckoning, I was in my underwear, standing outside a dark green tent and holding an assault rifle. I had military dog tags hanging from my neck. They said my name was Tyler, but I was never very fond of that name, even then it just felt wrong. I was surrounded by other soldiers, a lot of us still were, or at least looked human, but there were also a few dozen monster looking people jumbled in. I remember we didn't think on it long. Waking up and remembering little to nothing about who you are, where you are, or what you are doing makes you very untrusting. Especially when you wake up to see people with a half dozen arms or eyes that are on fire. Maybe it was just our military instincts, that's what I like to tell myself. Truth is though? We were scared. Most of us were somewhere between 23 and 30, some younger than that. We reacted by shooting first and figuring out what was going on after. It was a bloodbath for both Deviants and Humans alike. Of course, we didn't call them that then, back then we just called them abominations. The ADF formed early on, and most of us soldiers were ready to join their cause. I think even though we didn't remember it, a lot of our training was still embedded in us, we wanted orders to follow, it didn't matter who was giving them at the time. After a few years in the ADF, I had begun to fully believe in their anti-Deviant propaganda. Only problem was that I was one of them. No one knew it, I kept it well under wraps, but I was able to sense a person's presence. It was an easy ability to hide, and very useful as a soldier. I knew where potential threats were hiding, and I could sense a person becoming hostile almost before the person even began to act. I hated myself for what I was, but I kept telling myself that it didn't matter if I used my power to help the ADF. If I used my power for "good" then it wasn't as bad. I wasn't the same as the abominations that ran around in the shattered cities. I was better than that. And I believed that for a long time, until about 5 years after the Reckoning. At that point, the ADF had gained real ground and had gone into a full-scale war against Deviants. I don't' know how many people I had killed under orders at that point, more than I was able to keep track of. They started calling me Echo, on account of how I seemed to always know where the enemy was, like I had echolocation. I was real good at killing, and I believed I was doing it for the good of humanity. I believed that, until me and another soldier in my group, we called him Sturdy, because he was the type of guy who didn't flinch a bit when in the face of danger. He put his fellow soldiers first, and never questioned an order from higher up. Me and Sturdy were sent to eliminate a target, a group of Deviants that had been attacking ADF transports. It was supposed to be a simple mission, find the threat and take it out, but when Sturdy and I found the Deviants responsible, I couldn't do what I had been asked to do. The Deviants that had been attacking ADF transports were children. The oldest were only 16 or 17 tops, most were closer to 10 or 11, some even younger. They had been raiding transports for food and other supplies just to survive. They looked like they were starving, there was probably 25-30 of them in all. When I saw them I lowered my weapon.



"We can't do this." I said to Sturdy.



"We have our orders Echo." Sturdy replied in his usual stone-cold tone. He pointed his weapon at the largest group of children.



The oldest of the children, their leader I suppose, walked closer to us and stood directly in front of Sturdy's gun. She was trying to protect the others, even if she was going to die. Sturdy used his weapon as a club and swung at the girl, hitting her in the side of the head and knocking her to the ground. I could see blood beginning to pool around her head. Sturdy raised his weapon again, with the intent of pulling the trigger, but before he could, I shot first. I shot Sturdy twice in the chest and once in the head, there was no chance of survival for him, he collapsed backwards to the ground. I quickly bent down to check on the girl, I wanted to make sure she was ok. Despite the blood, her wound was relatively minor, I was able to wrap her head and bandage her up fairly well. Once I got her back to her feet I asked her name, she was incredibly brave and nurturing to care for and protect these other children at her age. She told me her name was Compassion, Passion for short. She was a slender girl with light blue skin and her hair was a darker color blue, and very long. She even had blue eyes. I asked her what kind of powers she had. She said all she could do is sense people's emotions and intentions. She said she could tell if someone was a good person. She leaned in close to me and put her hand on my cheek.



"I don't think you want to know what kind of person I am." I warned her. She closed her eyes and proceeded anyway. After a moment or two, she let go of my cheek and took a few steps back. Her eyes opened wide as if she had been startled.



"I told you." I sighed. "I'm not a good person."



She approached me again, with a different expression on her face now, she looked… sad.



"You aren't a bad person." She said. Her voice was soft and smooth. It felt like a verbal hug when she spoke. "You're a good person, but there is so much hurt inside you. You are broken, but not lost. Not yet." She smiled at me.



I wanted to protect her, I wanted to protect all of them, but Passion especially. If I believed in such a thing as a soul mate, I would argue she was mine. She made me feel complete, and above all else, she made me want to be a better person. I wanted to be the person she saw in me. From that point forward, she was who I put my belief in, not the ADF.

 

[edmantgoog]

good to see an update

 

[Chaoscore14]

It wasn't long before Echo and I had a child. It was a boy. He had blonde hair like his father, and my blue eyes. I was so happy to be with Echo and to be having a baby. Even though there was chaos all around us, I was at peace. That peace didn't last long. When our child was born I was so happy, I was crying, but they were happy tears, until Echo handed me our child and I held him for the first time. My heart broke, I tried my best not to show any reaction. I was crying much harder now and my tears were no longer from happiness. I have never been able to feel my powers react to someone so young, and I have never felt a response this strong either. As I held our child, I felt his soul and what kind of person he was and would be. He was not a good person, not even a little.



I never let Echo know what I sensed. I didn't want to burden him with something that may not even be correct. My powers could be wrong, or maybe his soul could be saved, maybe I could save him. I tried for the next nine years to raise him to be a good person, but it was so hard. Every time I held him; it was like looking into the eyes of a monster. He was not a monster; he was my son. That didn't make the feelings go away though. I fear I may have done more harm that I ever wanted to. As he grew older, I tried to distance myself from him physically. I could not stand seeing into his soul any longer, it broke my heart too much.



With the ADF gaining ground, Echo wanted to help other Deviants any way he could. His abilities were very useful to the Deviant resistance, and he began to be gone more often to help them. It was a difficult time for me, I was alone with our son. Our son who I feared I could not save, no matter how hard I tried. We couldn't go outside; it was too dangerous. I had stay inside with our son and keep him entertained. He loved to draw. He was very talented at it. He had all sorts of drawings of what he wanted things to be like when we could leave our hiding spot in the country and have a real house and be a real family. Those early drawings made me think I was making a difference. As he grew older, his drawings changed tone though. He started drawing increasingly discouraging images until one day he drew a graphic seen of a man sitting on a throne of bones atop a hill of corpses. It looked so detailed, almost like it was a photograph. That wasn't what made it distinctly unsettling though. What worried me was that each of the many corpses had a name, and a life story which he would tell me in detail, leading up to the character's death. The figure sitting atop it all he said was himself. I asked him why he would draw it, why would he think of this or want this to happen. He told me he saw it in his dreams. That he saw lots of horrific scenes in his dreams, and that he has for some time.



Shortly after our son turned 10, A Deviant that was working for the ADF found the place we were hiding. Echo and I were asleep when we heard a noise coming from our son's room. I told Echo I would go check on him. I walked down the hall to my son's room. The door was open slightly. I opened it slowly the rest of the way and saw my son cowering on his bed, and a large figure standing in the room. I froze, I was terrified for my son, for Echo, and for myself. The figure put a slender finger up to his mouth in a shushing motion, then I felt the air being pulled from my lungs. I couldn't breathe. I looked to my son, he appeared to be fine, it was only me who was being suffocated. I tried to scream for Echo, but I couldn't even muster a whisper. I collapsed to the ground and held my chest. I felt my lungs aching, it was the second most painful thing I had felt in my life. My vision started to become blurry and I got an awful headache. I heard my son scream out for his father upon seeing me fall the rest of the way to the ground. I heard rapid footsteps down the hall. I was lying face down on the floor, I heard Echo calling my name. It sounded like he was far away or underwater, but I could feel his hand on my shoulder. I felt him pick me up in his arms, and I reached for his face. My hand clasped his gruff chin. The last thing I felt was his soul. I felt how deeply he cared for me, and it was comforting. But I was sad to know that in a few moments, his soul would break.

 

[Chaoscore14]

I wouldn't say I had a bad childhood, at least not at first. As I grew older though, I felt my mother becoming more distant, she seemed to both love and resent me for some reason. She tried to hide any discontent she had for me, but I could tell. My father wasn't in my life very much growing up either. He was frequently away protecting other people's families rather than his own. I had always felt negative feelings towards him for this. Mother said he was doing something noble by protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. This wasn't what made me who I am though, what really changed things was the year my mother died. Even though I felt she had some mysterious reason to not give me her full affection, she was the only person I cared for. She was the only person I felt I knew, and the only person there for me when I needed someone. After she died, I felt like I had lost everything, and in a way I had. I blamed my father for my mother's death. I hated him for it. He hadn't been the one to kill her, but he should have been able to sense the person in my room with his abilities. He should have been the one to come check on me. He should have been the one who died. He told me repeatedly that he wasn't able to sense the stranger's presence and that if he had been able to, he would have done anything to save her and protect me. To a degree I believed him, but that didn't change how I felt. I still hated him for it, and I hated the way he coped with his grief even more. He began drinking heavily. My mother appalled alcohol. She would be so disappointed in him. My father no longer left to help the resistance, he only left to get food and alcohol. I would berate him with guilt and insults whenever I had the opportunity. I wanted him dead, I hated him that much. For not being there growing up, for not being there to save my mother, and for not being there for me after her death. I was 14 now and it had been 20 years since the Reckoning first happened. I decided that I was going to kill my father and leave this place behind. I fashioned a knife from scrap I found around the abandoned inn we were living in. I went into his room at night with the intention of slitting his throat. I approach his bedside, but before I could get close he sat up and looked at be in a half drunken stupor.



"Son?" He asked. "What are you doing?"



I didn't answer, instead I kept walking closer and lifted my knife up. He reacted more quickly than I expected, knocking the knife out of my hand and hitting me in the nose. I stepped backward and held a hand to my nose. There was blood running down my face, my nose was broken. I looked up at my father in anger, blood dripping down my lip and falling to the floor.



"I hate you!" I shouted. "I wish you were dead!"



After I spoke, his hand appeared to go limp. A visible slit formed around his neck and blood started gushing out as he fell backward onto the bed. I took a few steps towards him. He was dead, his throat had been slit, but not from me. At least, I didn't think I had done it, had I? My nose hurt, so I went to find something to bandage it up and absorb the blood. I left my father to bleed away on the bed. The next day I began to think about what had happened. Had I killed my father? I must have, what else could have done it. I had never shown signs of powers, but maybe this was my power? I decided to try again.



"I wish I had a real knife, a nice one, with a decorative hilt." I waited a few moments, but nothing happened.



Maybe my power required something more than just wishing for something, maybe being injured? I took my makeshift knife and cut my palm. It bled a bit and I wished again. Nothing. Maybe it had to do with more severe damage like the breaking of a bone? I sighed, this was going to hurt. I walked over to the door to my room. I placed my pinky against the door frame so the door would close on it. I pulled the door back and closed it as hard as I could on my pinky. I screamed in pain. It hurt so bad, my nail had been partially torn off by the impact, it was excruciating. I had failed to break the bone however. One my try. I pulled the door back again, tears running down my face. I slammed it as hard as I could and the door closed all the way this time with my finger inside. I yelled and screamed. Through gritted teeth I spoke.



"I wish I didn't feel pain!"



And suddenly I was fine. My finger didn't hurt anymore, and neither did my nose. I opened the door. My pinky finger was still attached, but only by skin. The bone inside had been shattered. I looked at my shattered deformed pinky and I laughed with joy. I finally had a power, and I finally knew what I wanted my name to be. Wishbones.

 

[Chaoscore14]

"How could you possibly know everything about me?" I asked confused. No one had been able to remember anything since the Reckoning, and I didn't know of any Deviants who could remember, but I didn't know of any Deviants like this woman either.



"I am Iris, but you can call me Glitch." The woman replied while smiling. Her smile made me uncomfortable because of the way her body moved, everything about her made me uncomfortable.



"I have been sent by my master to find you and the girl. You two are part of a much larger plan my master has for this world. The Reckoning was only the start." Glitch spoke in a way that made me almost physically feel her words, it was so odd.



"Are you saying your master is responsible for the Reckoning?" I asked. "That can't be possible."



"All things are possible through my master child. And he requires you and the girl, please don't resist me."



"I don't understand any of this!" I yelled angrily. "Why did you say my name is William, why does your master need me and Radia, and how did he cause the Reckoning?!" I couldn't help but be angry, I didn't understand what was happening at all.



"Nightlock?" A voice from behind me called. I turned around to see Radia. She must have woken up and followed me. Although I wasn't sure how she would have hid her glowing body in the darkness? Nevermind, not my main concern right now.



"Radia?! You have to get away. It isn't safe!" I tried to call to her quickly, but as I spoke, I saw Glitch materializing atom by atom behind glitch, it happened in only a few seconds, but it felt like forever watching Glitch's body form and then grab Radia by the neck. Glitch lifted Radia into the air and began choking her.



"Come on out Seraph, I know you're hiding in there." Glitch said in a hushed tone.



I didn't know what Glitch was talking about, but I knew I had to help Radia. I ran towards them, but as I approached, I noticed Radia was glowing brighter and brighter with each passing moment. Her skin appeared to be peeling off! What was Glitch doing to her?



"Radia!" I yelled again, but now the light emanating from her was pushing on me like a strong wind. I was struggling to move forward. When Radia's skin peeled away, it revealed a bright white energy that was hard to look at for long, her entire body was undergoing this process. Once all her skin was gone, there was a bright flare that shot upwards from her body, and it felt like an explosion. Glitch and I were thrown backward onto the ground.



"Yes child! Yessss!" Glitch cheered on as Radia began to take on a new form. Her head now appeared as a solid ball of light, detached from her body. On that she sprouted dozens of eyes of varying color. She grew two sets of glowing angelic wings, one large pair and one smaller pair. Another eye grew from each of her palms, and her feet appeared to merge into a singular glowing tail like structure. Beams of light began to fire out from her body in random directions. Each beam vaporized everything it hit, buildings, cars, even the road. I heard Glitch shout over the destruction.



"I suppose one will do for now!"



Glitch teleported to Radia, she put a hand on Radia's body and in an instant they both vanished. I called Radia's name out, but there was no response. I sat there on my knees, staring at where they had disappeared from. I stared for a long time. The next thing I remember is Apex kneeling beside me asking if I was alright, asking me what happened.



"I'm not alright Apex, and I don't think I ever will be again."