It all looks the same yet it is also different and now things are getting more dangerous than before
Over shatterd lines
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blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
The sound of thunder alerted him to the rain long before the drops of water fell on him.
He wanted to be thankful for the bath, but the city was so filthy that every drop of rain that fell on him either carried the chemicals that were in the air or fell from the roof of some building that was so dirty that the rain was black by the time it reached him.
The various colors of the neon lights that kept the darkness of the night away almost made him imagine that he would come back when it was daytime.
"Almost," he thought to himself as he waited for a car that splashed him with water to pass by.
He ignores the prostitutes and their handlers maybe he will buy a girl for the night or the day but that's for later but right now he's only interested in getting home.
He's learned to think that the trash and homeless people of the city are no different from one another, each is nothing more than the discarded waste that the city and its people make.
He stops walking and looks at the dark sky. For a moment, he ignores the rain and looks at the sky, which seems to be getting smaller with each passing day.
If it's not the flying cars that keep him from seeing the blue sky it's the buildings that have grown so large that no one can see past them.
He can't help but miss seeing the sky.
It's not like he hasn't seen the sky, but there's a difference between being able to see it because he wants to and being able to see it because nothing is stopping him from seeing it.
A flash of lightning forces him back to reality and again he's looking at the black sky.
He can feel the weight of his Duster Coat getting heavier, he really wants to get home but he has to get to the diner first.
He finally reaches the place and ignores the looks that the waiter and the cook give him the moment that he walks in, he looks around and finds that the place is empty except for a few people who are all seated at the same table.
"Hellow," the waiter says to him politely, and he can't help but smile at the man's welcome, after all, it's not every day that someone speaks to him without frowning or speaking to him in a rude way.
"The waiter's expression changes and he can see the fear in the man's eyes.
"Let me guess they are all armed with some kind of gun, sword, or explosive?" he asks the waiter who nods at him slowly.
He can't help but let out a breath, the man has every right to be afraid, but he was thankful for the politeness of the man's greeting and now the man's actions are for a different reason.
"Can I get a cup of hot coffee, no sugar or sweeter, just coffee.' he says to the waiter before walking to the table where the other men are already eating.
"Thanks for waiting for me." he says to them before sitting on one of the four empty chairs.
"You're late, so we started without you." one of them answers him as he bit into the scrambled eggs.
No one says anything after that, so he's forced to listen to them eat while he waits for his coffee to arrive.
"Who are those guys?" he hears the waiter ask the cook who frows and hits the waiter on the head.
"You ask too many questions." the cook points at them and places a roll of money on the counter before grabbing the waiter's hand and making him take it.
"Every now and then they show up and bring all kinds of good stuff, real food and they have a meeting." the cook says to the waiter before looking at him in the eyes as if trying to make the man understand that he isn't willing to lose them.
"Every time they pay us more than we ake in a year and by that I mean. Me, you and everyone that's either late or didn't come to work."
"So kid don't ask questions.' the cook says to the waiter before handing him the pot of coffee, a white porcelain cup, and a piece of chocolate cake that's on top of a colored porcelain plate.
He ignores the waiter who puts the cake on the table and pours him his cup of coffee. The man has every right to be worried but he's thankful that the waiter isn't panicking or doing something stupid.
"So has anyone gone to a new place?" he asks everyone as he takes the metal fork and cuts a piece of cake before eating it.
No one says anything meaning that either they haven't gone anywhere or they haven't been to a new place.
The mood around the table is heavy but at the same time, it's something that he's grown comfortable with.
Everyone here is from Earth, his Earth and either they traveled from one world to another alone or they are the last survivors of their group.
It doesn't matter how they ended up here because like it or not they are here.
On days like these when there aren't a lot of people they will get together and exchange information, weapons, or whatever they picked up during their travels.
People imagine that if they were ever taken to another world, they would gain some superpower or something that would make them heroes.
Maybe they will, but unfortunately for him and everyone here, they weren't the ones who got to be the hero.
So they had to survive using everything that they could get their hands on, it didn't matter how they got it as long as they had it and it helped them survive.
It may not make any sense for those who can't imagine that a medieval world would have anything useful that a technologically advanced world wouldn't have, but they would be wrong.
Everything is a resource and it has value, maybe not for you or the people in the world that you are in, but it's valuable to someone else.
"So I met Bulma the other day and she handed me a couple of her Dinocaps." one of the guys says before handing everyone a pencil box.
"There aren't any signs of anyone listening or trying to hack us so feel free to talk." one of the others says before they all take out their guns and put them on the table.
The change in attitude is felt by everyone, as they all shake hands hug, and greet each other with smiles.
Everyone who sees this would think that something is wrong, and they would be right.
Every handshake is a piece of paper being handed, every hug has someone putting something in someone else pocket and every greeting has information being passed in some way that normal people can't see.
The seconds pass and they begin to play games, some are card games, while others are dominos and even chess. Hell if they have time they might even play chekers.
One by one their alarms begin to beep and everyone goes their separate ways.
Again he is the last to leave and as usual, he says his goodbyes to the cook it's nothing unusual just a bunch of friends that get together now and then.
They will have another get-together and again nothing will change at least that's how things should be.
He wanted to be thankful for the bath, but the city was so filthy that every drop of rain that fell on him either carried the chemicals that were in the air or fell from the roof of some building that was so dirty that the rain was black by the time it reached him.
The various colors of the neon lights that kept the darkness of the night away almost made him imagine that he would come back when it was daytime.
"Almost," he thought to himself as he waited for a car that splashed him with water to pass by.
He ignores the prostitutes and their handlers maybe he will buy a girl for the night or the day but that's for later but right now he's only interested in getting home.
He's learned to think that the trash and homeless people of the city are no different from one another, each is nothing more than the discarded waste that the city and its people make.
He stops walking and looks at the dark sky. For a moment, he ignores the rain and looks at the sky, which seems to be getting smaller with each passing day.
If it's not the flying cars that keep him from seeing the blue sky it's the buildings that have grown so large that no one can see past them.
He can't help but miss seeing the sky.
It's not like he hasn't seen the sky, but there's a difference between being able to see it because he wants to and being able to see it because nothing is stopping him from seeing it.
A flash of lightning forces him back to reality and again he's looking at the black sky.
He can feel the weight of his Duster Coat getting heavier, he really wants to get home but he has to get to the diner first.
He finally reaches the place and ignores the looks that the waiter and the cook give him the moment that he walks in, he looks around and finds that the place is empty except for a few people who are all seated at the same table.
"Hellow," the waiter says to him politely, and he can't help but smile at the man's welcome, after all, it's not every day that someone speaks to him without frowning or speaking to him in a rude way.
"The waiter's expression changes and he can see the fear in the man's eyes.
"Let me guess they are all armed with some kind of gun, sword, or explosive?" he asks the waiter who nods at him slowly.
He can't help but let out a breath, the man has every right to be afraid, but he was thankful for the politeness of the man's greeting and now the man's actions are for a different reason.
"Can I get a cup of hot coffee, no sugar or sweeter, just coffee.' he says to the waiter before walking to the table where the other men are already eating.
"Thanks for waiting for me." he says to them before sitting on one of the four empty chairs.
"You're late, so we started without you." one of them answers him as he bit into the scrambled eggs.
No one says anything after that, so he's forced to listen to them eat while he waits for his coffee to arrive.
"Who are those guys?" he hears the waiter ask the cook who frows and hits the waiter on the head.
"You ask too many questions." the cook points at them and places a roll of money on the counter before grabbing the waiter's hand and making him take it.
"Every now and then they show up and bring all kinds of good stuff, real food and they have a meeting." the cook says to the waiter before looking at him in the eyes as if trying to make the man understand that he isn't willing to lose them.
"Every time they pay us more than we ake in a year and by that I mean. Me, you and everyone that's either late or didn't come to work."
"So kid don't ask questions.' the cook says to the waiter before handing him the pot of coffee, a white porcelain cup, and a piece of chocolate cake that's on top of a colored porcelain plate.
He ignores the waiter who puts the cake on the table and pours him his cup of coffee. The man has every right to be worried but he's thankful that the waiter isn't panicking or doing something stupid.
"So has anyone gone to a new place?" he asks everyone as he takes the metal fork and cuts a piece of cake before eating it.
No one says anything meaning that either they haven't gone anywhere or they haven't been to a new place.
The mood around the table is heavy but at the same time, it's something that he's grown comfortable with.
Everyone here is from Earth, his Earth and either they traveled from one world to another alone or they are the last survivors of their group.
It doesn't matter how they ended up here because like it or not they are here.
On days like these when there aren't a lot of people they will get together and exchange information, weapons, or whatever they picked up during their travels.
People imagine that if they were ever taken to another world, they would gain some superpower or something that would make them heroes.
Maybe they will, but unfortunately for him and everyone here, they weren't the ones who got to be the hero.
So they had to survive using everything that they could get their hands on, it didn't matter how they got it as long as they had it and it helped them survive.
It may not make any sense for those who can't imagine that a medieval world would have anything useful that a technologically advanced world wouldn't have, but they would be wrong.
Everything is a resource and it has value, maybe not for you or the people in the world that you are in, but it's valuable to someone else.
"So I met Bulma the other day and she handed me a couple of her Dinocaps." one of the guys says before handing everyone a pencil box.
"There aren't any signs of anyone listening or trying to hack us so feel free to talk." one of the others says before they all take out their guns and put them on the table.
The change in attitude is felt by everyone, as they all shake hands hug, and greet each other with smiles.
Everyone who sees this would think that something is wrong, and they would be right.
Every handshake is a piece of paper being handed, every hug has someone putting something in someone else pocket and every greeting has information being passed in some way that normal people can't see.
The seconds pass and they begin to play games, some are card games, while others are dominos and even chess. Hell if they have time they might even play chekers.
One by one their alarms begin to beep and everyone goes their separate ways.
Again he is the last to leave and as usual, he says his goodbyes to the cook it's nothing unusual just a bunch of friends that get together now and then.
They will have another get-together and again nothing will change at least that's how things should be.
Last edited:
blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
"There are two kinds of people in the world those who are chosen and everyone else." he thinks to himself as he makes his way back to the apartment.
He ignores the men and women who are using toys in public without a care, the people of this world can be separated into two groups those that have given up and those that haven't.
He walks past a police car and sees that they are covering the victim's body, he can't help but smile.
"There are cameras everywhere, and somehow crime still goes unpunished."
His apartment is in one of the giant blacks of metal and concrete, along with several others. There aren't any windows where he lives, but that's okay because he doesn't need them.
He stops walking and looks at the trash that somehow piled up again, he wants to be angry at the people living in here but he's learned to let things go.
With nothing else to do he reaches into his pocket and calls one of the few numbers that he's used more than once.
Unlike most of the people in this world, he doesn't have any implants so he relies on outside technology to dimple things like making a phone call.
"Hellow." he hears someone say.
"It's me I need someone to come and pick up the trash at Arroyo in Santo Domingo.' he says to whoever is on the other side.
"I'm sorry sir but that part of the city isn't scheduled for cleaning today if you want I could give you the time." he hears the operator san and he can't help but smile at the person's words.
"You're new aren't you?" he asks the operator who doesn't answer.
"Look do us both a favor and look up number 111. I'll wait." he says to the operator who immediately starts to panic before saying that she will send three garbage trucks over.
With that out of the way he puts his phone back in his pocket, and does his best not to step on the bags that are covering the stairs, while feeling his shoes slipping on something that thankfully remains in the bag it's in.
He finally reaches the top of the stairs but he doesn't go inside instead he waits to see if the trucks arrive or not.
It doesn't take long for the first truck to arrive but there's so much trash that it can't carry anymore so it leaves before the next one arrives.
A cough reminds him that there are homeless men and women living in the hallway, he looks at them for a moment but that's all he gives them a moment.
They aren't a threat, they are just like everyone else, people who are trying to live.
The last garbage truck comes and goes finally the smell of filth is gone.
He looks at the clean concrete steps and turns, but before he can walk inside he hears someone throw something into the dumpster.
He turns and sees someone run to the other of the street.
He only realizes that it's a girl who couldn't be older than fifteen when she makes it to the other building, where a man is waiting for her.
He and the man lock eyes, he waves at him and he nods in response.
This wasn't an insult, this was just someone throwing away their trash in the only place where it's picked up.
He ignores the sounds of trash filling the dumpster and walks down the same dark hallway that he has gotten used to seeing.
The signs on the walls try to keep the darkness away but they don't have enough light.
Half of the ceiling lights have burned out leaving a large patch of the hallway in complete darkness and the only reason that he knows that there are people there is because he can hear them talking or coughing.
He reaches his apartment door and uses his watch to unlock it, his apartment is just like every other apartment in the building but it has some differences because of the things he has brought over the years.
One of them is the ladder that he is dragging out and the boxes of fluorescent tube light bulbs.
He has changed so many already.
The guy that's supposed to fix everything doesn't so he started doing it, not because he's kind but because he doesn't like having to walk a dark hallway full of people.
The deeper he goes into the building the more disgusted he becomes.
It's hard seeing how people can just give up and live in their filth, but worst of all is knowing that those people aren't alone and there are a lot more of them hidden in the darkness.
He looks down and sees the hollow sunken eyes of old men and women along with teenagers as well as some children staring at him.
Those eyes haunt him more than anything he has seen during his travels. It's like they are seeing something completely alien to them.
One light leads to another, and before he knows it he has run out of new lights and he hasn't finished replacing all of the burned-out ones.
He hands a kid a hand full of money and tells him to throw all of the burned-out lightbulbs into the dumpster.
He can see the kid doing his job while he drags the ladder back into his apartment, but before he drags it inside he makes sure that it isn't covered in filth.
The moment that he closes the door he checks the messages that people sent him on his computer.
One of them is the landlord saying that he is going to raise the rent because of how the city is charging him for the extra cleaning.
He can't ignore that so he calls the company and asks them about it and he isn't surprised when he hears that they didn't have anything to do about it.
The operator is the same woman who answered him earlier and she is nice enough to check if the city did make any changes but she did not find anything.
Ha asks her to send him a receipt that shows everything paid for the extra trucks to come and sends it to the manager along with a warning that if he makes the changes he will sue him.
"It's just one thing after another," he says to himself before going to bed and forgetting about the world outside.
Today was a good day because nothing bad happened and he wished that it stayed that way.
He ignores the men and women who are using toys in public without a care, the people of this world can be separated into two groups those that have given up and those that haven't.
He walks past a police car and sees that they are covering the victim's body, he can't help but smile.
"There are cameras everywhere, and somehow crime still goes unpunished."
His apartment is in one of the giant blacks of metal and concrete, along with several others. There aren't any windows where he lives, but that's okay because he doesn't need them.
He stops walking and looks at the trash that somehow piled up again, he wants to be angry at the people living in here but he's learned to let things go.
With nothing else to do he reaches into his pocket and calls one of the few numbers that he's used more than once.
Unlike most of the people in this world, he doesn't have any implants so he relies on outside technology to dimple things like making a phone call.
"Hellow." he hears someone say.
"It's me I need someone to come and pick up the trash at Arroyo in Santo Domingo.' he says to whoever is on the other side.
"I'm sorry sir but that part of the city isn't scheduled for cleaning today if you want I could give you the time." he hears the operator san and he can't help but smile at the person's words.
"You're new aren't you?" he asks the operator who doesn't answer.
"Look do us both a favor and look up number 111. I'll wait." he says to the operator who immediately starts to panic before saying that she will send three garbage trucks over.
With that out of the way he puts his phone back in his pocket, and does his best not to step on the bags that are covering the stairs, while feeling his shoes slipping on something that thankfully remains in the bag it's in.
He finally reaches the top of the stairs but he doesn't go inside instead he waits to see if the trucks arrive or not.
It doesn't take long for the first truck to arrive but there's so much trash that it can't carry anymore so it leaves before the next one arrives.
A cough reminds him that there are homeless men and women living in the hallway, he looks at them for a moment but that's all he gives them a moment.
They aren't a threat, they are just like everyone else, people who are trying to live.
The last garbage truck comes and goes finally the smell of filth is gone.
He looks at the clean concrete steps and turns, but before he can walk inside he hears someone throw something into the dumpster.
He turns and sees someone run to the other of the street.
He only realizes that it's a girl who couldn't be older than fifteen when she makes it to the other building, where a man is waiting for her.
He and the man lock eyes, he waves at him and he nods in response.
This wasn't an insult, this was just someone throwing away their trash in the only place where it's picked up.
He ignores the sounds of trash filling the dumpster and walks down the same dark hallway that he has gotten used to seeing.
The signs on the walls try to keep the darkness away but they don't have enough light.
Half of the ceiling lights have burned out leaving a large patch of the hallway in complete darkness and the only reason that he knows that there are people there is because he can hear them talking or coughing.
He reaches his apartment door and uses his watch to unlock it, his apartment is just like every other apartment in the building but it has some differences because of the things he has brought over the years.
One of them is the ladder that he is dragging out and the boxes of fluorescent tube light bulbs.
He has changed so many already.
The guy that's supposed to fix everything doesn't so he started doing it, not because he's kind but because he doesn't like having to walk a dark hallway full of people.
The deeper he goes into the building the more disgusted he becomes.
It's hard seeing how people can just give up and live in their filth, but worst of all is knowing that those people aren't alone and there are a lot more of them hidden in the darkness.
He looks down and sees the hollow sunken eyes of old men and women along with teenagers as well as some children staring at him.
Those eyes haunt him more than anything he has seen during his travels. It's like they are seeing something completely alien to them.
One light leads to another, and before he knows it he has run out of new lights and he hasn't finished replacing all of the burned-out ones.
He hands a kid a hand full of money and tells him to throw all of the burned-out lightbulbs into the dumpster.
He can see the kid doing his job while he drags the ladder back into his apartment, but before he drags it inside he makes sure that it isn't covered in filth.
The moment that he closes the door he checks the messages that people sent him on his computer.
One of them is the landlord saying that he is going to raise the rent because of how the city is charging him for the extra cleaning.
He can't ignore that so he calls the company and asks them about it and he isn't surprised when he hears that they didn't have anything to do about it.
The operator is the same woman who answered him earlier and she is nice enough to check if the city did make any changes but she did not find anything.
Ha asks her to send him a receipt that shows everything paid for the extra trucks to come and sends it to the manager along with a warning that if he makes the changes he will sue him.
"It's just one thing after another," he says to himself before going to bed and forgetting about the world outside.
Today was a good day because nothing bad happened and he wished that it stayed that way.
3 Welcome home
blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
The sound of his alarm forces him to wake up before the news automatically appears on the holographic TV.
"Good morning Night City!"
He hears the news anchor say with a loud voice that keeps him from going back to sleep.
"On the local news, the Guild Diner has announced that it won't be opening its doors to anyone that works for one of the corporations."
"This announcement was made after several suits tried and failed to force it to hand over its recipes and the names of those that supply it with all of the fresh ingredients."
He can't help but smirk when he hears this, the diner isn't anything special but a place that has real food is rare in this world and everyone wants to control it.
Nearly everyone in this world has to eat artificial paste or things that look like the real thing except the taste is off not to mention how it feels when you bite into it.
The sound of the door closing catches his attention and it isn't long before he sees his roommate walk past him.
"Morning" he says to the man who stops walking and returns the greeting.
"Sorry didn't mean to wake you.' his roommate says to him, with the same distorted voice that he has gotten used to hearing whenever the man wears his helmet.
"I ran into the landlord on the way here, the guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack.' his roommate says to him as he takes off his helmet.
Alexander Harris or Xander as most people call him, is one of the few people from the Buffy universe who didn't get to have any powers that would guarantee his survival.
Whenever anyone hears about the powers he gained they would either say at least you got something or well it's better than nothing.
"He threatened to kick us out."
"I reminded him that I fixed a lot of the building's electric issues and if he kept messing with us I would put everything back before I leave."
The two of us look at one another and laugh.
During his travels, Xander has gotten his hands on a lot of things that most Travelers haven't one of them being an army of Digimon that he uses to explore the internet of the worlds that he ends up in.
To put it simply the man can hack into almost anything and because the Digimon are aware that they can be attacked at any moment they make it nearly impossible for anyone or anything to hack the man's devices.
He slowly gets out of bed and walks past Xander who is removing the pieces of his armor from the magnetic parts that keep them together.
"I ran into Spike the other day." Xander says to him he doesn't say anything but listens for any information just in case he ends up in the same world.
"The Imperium is fighting a bunch of aliens again and the Inquisition still looking for us."Xander says to him and he can hear the man smiling while he says this.
The Imperium of man is the empire of humanity from another dimension, it's an empire that spread through the stars.
It's just as corrupted as it is advanced. Anyone who lives in a hive city and isn't rich never sees the sky, eats real food, or even breathes clean air.
It's no surprise that they would be looking for them because they opened several clinics in areas where people could never find them.
It's not just the medicine that had them labeled as traitors, but the food and water that would normally only ever reach the wealthy members of the world that they sold in exchange for information and weapons.
The coffee machine beeps and he pours himself a cup, it's almost time for him to go out and patrol the city.
This world despite the state that it is in is safe to live in and that means that several Travelers use it as a resting point. Unfortunately, that means things can follow them to this world if they aren't careful.
Travelers take turns patrolling the city. Some walk through alleys and move from one dark area to another, while others just live their lives while looking for something that shouldn't be there.
"So have you thought about what you're going to do?" he asks Xander who grunts as he removes the breastplate from the magnet.
Xander stares at him and asks him to repeat the question.
"I asked about what you are going to do."
"Are you going to stay in this world or are you going to move on?" he asks the man who stops smiling and looks at the pieces of metal that were once his armor.
"I need a job." Xander answers him.
"Great because I have a job and we need help." he says to the man before walking back into his room and grabbing a white t-shirt that he hands to Xander.
"Good morning Night City!"
He hears the news anchor say with a loud voice that keeps him from going back to sleep.
"On the local news, the Guild Diner has announced that it won't be opening its doors to anyone that works for one of the corporations."
"This announcement was made after several suits tried and failed to force it to hand over its recipes and the names of those that supply it with all of the fresh ingredients."
He can't help but smirk when he hears this, the diner isn't anything special but a place that has real food is rare in this world and everyone wants to control it.
Nearly everyone in this world has to eat artificial paste or things that look like the real thing except the taste is off not to mention how it feels when you bite into it.
The sound of the door closing catches his attention and it isn't long before he sees his roommate walk past him.
"Morning" he says to the man who stops walking and returns the greeting.
"Sorry didn't mean to wake you.' his roommate says to him, with the same distorted voice that he has gotten used to hearing whenever the man wears his helmet.
"I ran into the landlord on the way here, the guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack.' his roommate says to him as he takes off his helmet.
Alexander Harris or Xander as most people call him, is one of the few people from the Buffy universe who didn't get to have any powers that would guarantee his survival.
Whenever anyone hears about the powers he gained they would either say at least you got something or well it's better than nothing.
"He threatened to kick us out."
"I reminded him that I fixed a lot of the building's electric issues and if he kept messing with us I would put everything back before I leave."
The two of us look at one another and laugh.
During his travels, Xander has gotten his hands on a lot of things that most Travelers haven't one of them being an army of Digimon that he uses to explore the internet of the worlds that he ends up in.
To put it simply the man can hack into almost anything and because the Digimon are aware that they can be attacked at any moment they make it nearly impossible for anyone or anything to hack the man's devices.
He slowly gets out of bed and walks past Xander who is removing the pieces of his armor from the magnetic parts that keep them together.
"I ran into Spike the other day." Xander says to him he doesn't say anything but listens for any information just in case he ends up in the same world.
"The Imperium is fighting a bunch of aliens again and the Inquisition still looking for us."Xander says to him and he can hear the man smiling while he says this.
The Imperium of man is the empire of humanity from another dimension, it's an empire that spread through the stars.
It's just as corrupted as it is advanced. Anyone who lives in a hive city and isn't rich never sees the sky, eats real food, or even breathes clean air.
It's no surprise that they would be looking for them because they opened several clinics in areas where people could never find them.
It's not just the medicine that had them labeled as traitors, but the food and water that would normally only ever reach the wealthy members of the world that they sold in exchange for information and weapons.
The coffee machine beeps and he pours himself a cup, it's almost time for him to go out and patrol the city.
This world despite the state that it is in is safe to live in and that means that several Travelers use it as a resting point. Unfortunately, that means things can follow them to this world if they aren't careful.
Travelers take turns patrolling the city. Some walk through alleys and move from one dark area to another, while others just live their lives while looking for something that shouldn't be there.
"So have you thought about what you're going to do?" he asks Xander who grunts as he removes the breastplate from the magnet.
Xander stares at him and asks him to repeat the question.
"I asked about what you are going to do."
"Are you going to stay in this world or are you going to move on?" he asks the man who stops smiling and looks at the pieces of metal that were once his armor.
"I need a job." Xander answers him.
"Great because I have a job and we need help." he says to the man before walking back into his room and grabbing a white t-shirt that he hands to Xander.
blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
They looked at the burning remains of what was once several cars there had been an attack on the freeway, one of many and it was their job to push the rubble out of the way.
The city was too cheap to pay for it to be cleaned, but they couldn't just leave the broken remains of the people and the cars where they were.
So they paid cleaners like him to move the trash.
They ignored the ambulance that picked up the remains of the people along with the only two survivors of the attack, a teen and his mom who was in critical condition.
"Ignore them." he says to Xander who is staring at the boy before the ambulance closes its doors and drives away.
"I know that we're supposed to keep our heads down but we should do something," Xander says to him before he grabs on one of the cars and helps him push it out of the way.
His cell phone beeps along with Xanders necklace, alerting them that their job is done and that they are free to go for the day.
"Come on." he says to Xander before handing him a pair of sunglasses.
"Each one of the lights is a traveler." he says to Xander who doesn't say anything but seems to be looking at something that he can't see without special equipment.
"We are all over the city, some of us made it big and are paying the price for it."
"I, on the other hand, am keeping myself near the ground and because of that everyone ignores me as long as I don't make much noise." he says to Xander before taping him on the shoulder and leading him away from the ruined cars.
"There are two kinds of people in the world Xander. Travelers and Natives." he explains to Xander who hands him back his sunglasses.
"Travelers can be split into two groups, those that live in the world and those that don't. Bytehway you were the second one before today." he says to Xander but he doesn't bother to turn and see the man's reaction.
"Now for the part that you don't know."
'Those of us who live in the world or any other world keep an eye on you the visitors just in case one of you gets the idea that you can do whatever you want just because you can jump from one reality to another."
"It's up to us to put you down." he notices that Xander isn't walking behind him anymore and he turns to look at the man who is staring at him with wide eyes.
"Looks like you understand. Had you gone evil on us, I would have put you down like the monsters I have to kill."
They stared at each other for a long moment while ignoring the others who tapped Xander's shoulder, it was as if they were trying to tell him not to worry about it.
"Are they?" Xander began to ask but he answered Xander's question before he could finish it.
"No, they just know about us."
"Either they were in a relationship with a traveler, they ran into a monster or they met one of us after they were the victims of someone who works for one of the corporations."
The sounds of the cars driving past them along with how the freeway shakes force them to start walking again.
"So what keeps them from betraying us and handing us over to one of the suits?" Xander asks him.
"Everything."
"Because we can go from one world to another, none of us have any problem getting medicine- money- food, and weapons."
"Their loyalty grants them security."
"While the rest of the world does everything to keep the scraps that they manage to collect from slipping through their fingers."
"They sleep comfortably knowing that they will always have food on the table, a roof over their heads, and money in their pockets."
"Okay but why? I mean can't we just erase or make something show up whenever someone dies or runs into something they shouldn't?" Xander asks him.
"We can't be everywhere, so they act as our eyes and ears listening for stories about things that should be there."
"For example, there are things that can't appear on video, so the implants that most people have can't see them, not to mention the things that can kill anyone that hears or sees them." He explains to Xander.
"Okay, so how do you know that they are telling the truth?" Xander asks him.
"We go to where the stories are and deal with the threat or if things are really bad we kill them and the thing that drove them insane, by finding out where they were before they went crazy."
He stops talking when his cell phone rings.
'Hello." he answers out of habit.
"This is the hospital we have a woman in critical condition." he hears one of the informants say to him.
"Go on.' he says to the doctor.
"I can keep her alive but this isn't something I can just sweep under the table considering how much work she needs." the doctor explains to him and he listens to every word that the man isn't saying.
"She has the bare minimum of augmentations, not to mention that she still has a couple of good years on her. More if you want to pay a little extra."
He turns to look at Xander and silently tells the man to get ready because something showled up.
"From the information we have on her, she is a paramedic but that's all I can tell you." the doctor tells him.
"Do what you have to do. I don't mind paying a little extra if it's something worth keeping.' he says to the doctor who he can almost swear is smiling when he hears his answer.
The city was too cheap to pay for it to be cleaned, but they couldn't just leave the broken remains of the people and the cars where they were.
So they paid cleaners like him to move the trash.
They ignored the ambulance that picked up the remains of the people along with the only two survivors of the attack, a teen and his mom who was in critical condition.
"Ignore them." he says to Xander who is staring at the boy before the ambulance closes its doors and drives away.
"I know that we're supposed to keep our heads down but we should do something," Xander says to him before he grabs on one of the cars and helps him push it out of the way.
His cell phone beeps along with Xanders necklace, alerting them that their job is done and that they are free to go for the day.
"Come on." he says to Xander before handing him a pair of sunglasses.
"Each one of the lights is a traveler." he says to Xander who doesn't say anything but seems to be looking at something that he can't see without special equipment.
"We are all over the city, some of us made it big and are paying the price for it."
"I, on the other hand, am keeping myself near the ground and because of that everyone ignores me as long as I don't make much noise." he says to Xander before taping him on the shoulder and leading him away from the ruined cars.
"There are two kinds of people in the world Xander. Travelers and Natives." he explains to Xander who hands him back his sunglasses.
"Travelers can be split into two groups, those that live in the world and those that don't. Bytehway you were the second one before today." he says to Xander but he doesn't bother to turn and see the man's reaction.
"Now for the part that you don't know."
'Those of us who live in the world or any other world keep an eye on you the visitors just in case one of you gets the idea that you can do whatever you want just because you can jump from one reality to another."
"It's up to us to put you down." he notices that Xander isn't walking behind him anymore and he turns to look at the man who is staring at him with wide eyes.
"Looks like you understand. Had you gone evil on us, I would have put you down like the monsters I have to kill."
They stared at each other for a long moment while ignoring the others who tapped Xander's shoulder, it was as if they were trying to tell him not to worry about it.
"Are they?" Xander began to ask but he answered Xander's question before he could finish it.
"No, they just know about us."
"Either they were in a relationship with a traveler, they ran into a monster or they met one of us after they were the victims of someone who works for one of the corporations."
The sounds of the cars driving past them along with how the freeway shakes force them to start walking again.
"So what keeps them from betraying us and handing us over to one of the suits?" Xander asks him.
"Everything."
"Because we can go from one world to another, none of us have any problem getting medicine- money- food, and weapons."
"Their loyalty grants them security."
"While the rest of the world does everything to keep the scraps that they manage to collect from slipping through their fingers."
"They sleep comfortably knowing that they will always have food on the table, a roof over their heads, and money in their pockets."
"Okay but why? I mean can't we just erase or make something show up whenever someone dies or runs into something they shouldn't?" Xander asks him.
"We can't be everywhere, so they act as our eyes and ears listening for stories about things that should be there."
"For example, there are things that can't appear on video, so the implants that most people have can't see them, not to mention the things that can kill anyone that hears or sees them." He explains to Xander.
"Okay, so how do you know that they are telling the truth?" Xander asks him.
"We go to where the stories are and deal with the threat or if things are really bad we kill them and the thing that drove them insane, by finding out where they were before they went crazy."
He stops talking when his cell phone rings.
'Hello." he answers out of habit.
"This is the hospital we have a woman in critical condition." he hears one of the informants say to him.
"Go on.' he says to the doctor.
"I can keep her alive but this isn't something I can just sweep under the table considering how much work she needs." the doctor explains to him and he listens to every word that the man isn't saying.
"She has the bare minimum of augmentations, not to mention that she still has a couple of good years on her. More if you want to pay a little extra."
He turns to look at Xander and silently tells the man to get ready because something showled up.
"From the information we have on her, she is a paramedic but that's all I can tell you." the doctor tells him.
"Do what you have to do. I don't mind paying a little extra if it's something worth keeping.' he says to the doctor who he can almost swear is smiling when he hears his answer.
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blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
They arrived at a hospital where they had to push the doors open to enter, it wasn't that the doors couldn't open on their own but the motor that made them move was broken.
The inside of the building was dark and to no one's surprise there was trash everywhere.
The floors looked like they had been freshly moped but the floor had so many holes in it that the janitor's efforts barely made any difference.
The walls had outdated posters some were promoting long-dead singers, while others were warning people about unprotected sex.
The faded graffiti on the wall made Xander turn to look in his direction, the man's expression showed that he was barely keeping it together. He could tell that the man wanted to say something but he didn't say anything and kept walking.
It was when they passed a group of sick and injured people who looked as if they were begging for help that the man finally lost his nerve and started talking.
"Can't we fix this place?" Xander asks him.
"No. The hospital stays the way it is." he says to Xander while leading him deeper into the hospital.
They walk past nurses and doctors, some try to stop them and a few even go as far as to tell them that they can't be this far into the place, but the ones who know about him stop them from calling security.
"But there are sick people here." Xander says to him as they walk past a group of elderly who are emptying their stomachs on the floor of their room.
"If we fix the place then people will start to ask questions, like who is paying for all of this, and will you raise your prices.' he says to the inexperienced man hoping that he understands.
"But.' Xander protests his complaint forcing him to stop walking.
"Listen." he turns and looks deep into the young man's eyes.
"This place has better medicine than most of the city and the only reason that it still exists is because news about it spreads through word of mouth."
"When people come here they see just one more rat-infested dump."
"They walk past the waiting room and see the filth here and decide that maybe this place does have something but it can't be that good because of everything else," he explains to Xander.
"Sir's over here." a male nurse says to them before he waves at them to follow him.
They find themselves in a room full of dead bodies and body parts that people cut off just to replace them with machines. It still sends shivers down his spine knowing that he has gotten used to both the smell and the sight of dead bodies and discarded body parts.
"Here.' the nurse says while pointing at a naked Latina woman who looks at them with wide eyes.
"Why isn't she wearing clothes?" Xander asks the nurse who raises an eyebrow, while silently asking if Xander was joking.
'He's new." he says to the nurse, who nods in response.
"Her name is Gloria Martinez, she died a few months ago."
"I'm not dead!" Gloria shouts at the nurse before she tries to punch him, but before she can do anything else she remembers that she needs her hands to keep herself covered.
"Yes, you are dead." the nurse says before handing him a folder that has all of the woman's information.
He looks at the nurse before they nod at each other.
"The Gloria Martinez of this world died a few months ago, you are in another reality."
"This is Earth but it's not your Earth." He let his words hang in the air until the silence became uncomfortable.
" My partner and I are in the same situation you are in, so go ahead scream- cry, and curse god if you want, but that's the truth." he says to Gloria who looks at him with wide eyes.
He can see the monitors in the room turn on as the woman's heart rate rises, this is what he wanted, and what happens next will tell him what he has to do with her.
The screens turn red as if trying to warn him about the woman's next move, but they are too late as Gloria throws herself at him.
She manages to shove him onto the ground but before she can do any real damage to him the nurse and Xander pull her off of him.
He can hear Gloria screaming and cursing both men before her attention goes back to him, she looks at him with cold eyes.
"It never gets easier." he says to himself before he picks up the folder and opens it to a page that has pictures of the woman's corpse. The pages behind the pictures describe how broken her body was and why the doctors weren't able to save her.
He begins to read the information, he ignores her curses, threats, and insults. He keeps on reading until he gets to the point where the doctors tell her son to pay more so that they take better care of her.
"What happened to my boy?" Gloria asks him as she falls onto the floor, whatever strength her moment of madness granted her was gone and all that was left was nothing more than a broken person.
"He replaced his spine with"
"Stop!" she begs him to stop reading.
"I don't care what you do to me, but please help me get my boy back!" she begs him as she cries.
'No." he says to her coldly, he can see Xander looking at him with wide eyes that tell him that he didn't expect him to be so cruel.
'I can get you to him, but he might be too far gone." he says to Gloria who can no longer keep herself from breaking under the pressure of her situation.
"Get used to it because it doesn't get any easier." he says to Xander while they watch the nurse cover Gloria with his coat.
The inside of the building was dark and to no one's surprise there was trash everywhere.
The floors looked like they had been freshly moped but the floor had so many holes in it that the janitor's efforts barely made any difference.
The walls had outdated posters some were promoting long-dead singers, while others were warning people about unprotected sex.
The faded graffiti on the wall made Xander turn to look in his direction, the man's expression showed that he was barely keeping it together. He could tell that the man wanted to say something but he didn't say anything and kept walking.
It was when they passed a group of sick and injured people who looked as if they were begging for help that the man finally lost his nerve and started talking.
"Can't we fix this place?" Xander asks him.
"No. The hospital stays the way it is." he says to Xander while leading him deeper into the hospital.
They walk past nurses and doctors, some try to stop them and a few even go as far as to tell them that they can't be this far into the place, but the ones who know about him stop them from calling security.
"But there are sick people here." Xander says to him as they walk past a group of elderly who are emptying their stomachs on the floor of their room.
"If we fix the place then people will start to ask questions, like who is paying for all of this, and will you raise your prices.' he says to the inexperienced man hoping that he understands.
"But.' Xander protests his complaint forcing him to stop walking.
"Listen." he turns and looks deep into the young man's eyes.
"This place has better medicine than most of the city and the only reason that it still exists is because news about it spreads through word of mouth."
"When people come here they see just one more rat-infested dump."
"They walk past the waiting room and see the filth here and decide that maybe this place does have something but it can't be that good because of everything else," he explains to Xander.
"Sir's over here." a male nurse says to them before he waves at them to follow him.
They find themselves in a room full of dead bodies and body parts that people cut off just to replace them with machines. It still sends shivers down his spine knowing that he has gotten used to both the smell and the sight of dead bodies and discarded body parts.
"Here.' the nurse says while pointing at a naked Latina woman who looks at them with wide eyes.
"Why isn't she wearing clothes?" Xander asks the nurse who raises an eyebrow, while silently asking if Xander was joking.
'He's new." he says to the nurse, who nods in response.
"Her name is Gloria Martinez, she died a few months ago."
"I'm not dead!" Gloria shouts at the nurse before she tries to punch him, but before she can do anything else she remembers that she needs her hands to keep herself covered.
"Yes, you are dead." the nurse says before handing him a folder that has all of the woman's information.
He looks at the nurse before they nod at each other.
"The Gloria Martinez of this world died a few months ago, you are in another reality."
"This is Earth but it's not your Earth." He let his words hang in the air until the silence became uncomfortable.
" My partner and I are in the same situation you are in, so go ahead scream- cry, and curse god if you want, but that's the truth." he says to Gloria who looks at him with wide eyes.
He can see the monitors in the room turn on as the woman's heart rate rises, this is what he wanted, and what happens next will tell him what he has to do with her.
The screens turn red as if trying to warn him about the woman's next move, but they are too late as Gloria throws herself at him.
She manages to shove him onto the ground but before she can do any real damage to him the nurse and Xander pull her off of him.
He can hear Gloria screaming and cursing both men before her attention goes back to him, she looks at him with cold eyes.
"It never gets easier." he says to himself before he picks up the folder and opens it to a page that has pictures of the woman's corpse. The pages behind the pictures describe how broken her body was and why the doctors weren't able to save her.
He begins to read the information, he ignores her curses, threats, and insults. He keeps on reading until he gets to the point where the doctors tell her son to pay more so that they take better care of her.
"What happened to my boy?" Gloria asks him as she falls onto the floor, whatever strength her moment of madness granted her was gone and all that was left was nothing more than a broken person.
"He replaced his spine with"
"Stop!" she begs him to stop reading.
"I don't care what you do to me, but please help me get my boy back!" she begs him as she cries.
'No." he says to her coldly, he can see Xander looking at him with wide eyes that tell him that he didn't expect him to be so cruel.
'I can get you to him, but he might be too far gone." he says to Gloria who can no longer keep herself from breaking under the pressure of her situation.
"Get used to it because it doesn't get any easier." he says to Xander while they watch the nurse cover Gloria with his coat.
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blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
"What's going to happen to her?" Xander asks him.
"She's a Shifter, so we can make a new identity for her and she can start a new life, or she can work for me." he answers Xander before moving his head to the left and walking away from him.
He doesn't know if the young man knows that he just told him to follow him or not but the truth is he doesn't care.
"Do you see that?" he asks Xander when he stops walking.
They stand in front of a room where a woman is holding her newborn, she is smiling and holding the infant as if it were the most precious and delicate thing in the world.
"It took us three steps to find a place where life is celebrated."
"Three steps and we stand in a room where people throw away the bodies that their parents gave them." he says to Xander who gives him a confused look.
"There are two kinds of Travelers, Shifters and Jumpers."
"Shifters are people who end up in worlds that are almost exactly like their own. Maybe the stop signs are green in the world that they ended up in when in their world the signs were blue."
"Jumpers like me, we end up in worlds where." he's forced to stop talking.
The conversation awakened a memory that should have stayed buried deep within his mind.
"Sir are you okay?" he hears Xander say to him, but before he can answer he hears the nurse telling them that Gloria is ready to be moved.
The drive to the apartment was quiet, no one said anything despite the view, there wasn't anything interesting just more of the same.
Half-naked men and women walked alongside people who were fully clothed, the billboards and screens that showed one commercial or another.
The flashing lights changed from one color to another so fast that they nearly made it impossible to hear what the person on screen was saying.
Then there were the sounds, if it wasn't the people talking it was the music or the horns of the cars around him.
It was too much.
He knows that he's overreacting, but the memory is still fresh in his mind and it's going to be hard to keep himself under control.
He can't help but feel frustrated at what he finds when he makes it back to the. Again both the stairs and the dumpster are overflowing with trash again he makes the same call that he has made dozens of times before.
He doesn't have time to wait and see if the trucks come.
"So I guess we were neighbors." he says to Gloria, as they reach her apartment but she doesn't answer.
The woman's dark brown eyes had lost their fire and they looked more like a pair of glass balls that belonged inside the head of a doll.
He wants to say or do something but he doesn't have to, the woman is trying to unlock the door, but no matter how hard she tries it doesn't open.
"What!?" The door swings open and a teenage boy looks at them with wide eyes.
The sound of the gun that he was holding in his hands landing on the floor with a loud bump was the only sound they heard before Gloria threw herself at her son and hugged him with all of her strength.
The moment of warmth doesn't last, as Gloria feels the metal in her son's back, she tightens her arms around her son.
"David why?" she says over and over again but her words don't sound like a question.
"We're leaving." he says to Xander before closing the door and leaving the pair alone.
He can feel his phone shaking, word about Gloria being alive has already spread and people are starting to ask questions, now they just have to wait and see who takes the bait.
"She's a Shifter, so we can make a new identity for her and she can start a new life, or she can work for me." he answers Xander before moving his head to the left and walking away from him.
He doesn't know if the young man knows that he just told him to follow him or not but the truth is he doesn't care.
"Do you see that?" he asks Xander when he stops walking.
They stand in front of a room where a woman is holding her newborn, she is smiling and holding the infant as if it were the most precious and delicate thing in the world.
"It took us three steps to find a place where life is celebrated."
"Three steps and we stand in a room where people throw away the bodies that their parents gave them." he says to Xander who gives him a confused look.
"There are two kinds of Travelers, Shifters and Jumpers."
"Shifters are people who end up in worlds that are almost exactly like their own. Maybe the stop signs are green in the world that they ended up in when in their world the signs were blue."
"Jumpers like me, we end up in worlds where." he's forced to stop talking.
The conversation awakened a memory that should have stayed buried deep within his mind.
"Sir are you okay?" he hears Xander say to him, but before he can answer he hears the nurse telling them that Gloria is ready to be moved.
The drive to the apartment was quiet, no one said anything despite the view, there wasn't anything interesting just more of the same.
Half-naked men and women walked alongside people who were fully clothed, the billboards and screens that showed one commercial or another.
The flashing lights changed from one color to another so fast that they nearly made it impossible to hear what the person on screen was saying.
Then there were the sounds, if it wasn't the people talking it was the music or the horns of the cars around him.
It was too much.
He knows that he's overreacting, but the memory is still fresh in his mind and it's going to be hard to keep himself under control.
He can't help but feel frustrated at what he finds when he makes it back to the. Again both the stairs and the dumpster are overflowing with trash again he makes the same call that he has made dozens of times before.
He doesn't have time to wait and see if the trucks come.
"So I guess we were neighbors." he says to Gloria, as they reach her apartment but she doesn't answer.
The woman's dark brown eyes had lost their fire and they looked more like a pair of glass balls that belonged inside the head of a doll.
He wants to say or do something but he doesn't have to, the woman is trying to unlock the door, but no matter how hard she tries it doesn't open.
"What!?" The door swings open and a teenage boy looks at them with wide eyes.
The sound of the gun that he was holding in his hands landing on the floor with a loud bump was the only sound they heard before Gloria threw herself at her son and hugged him with all of her strength.
The moment of warmth doesn't last, as Gloria feels the metal in her son's back, she tightens her arms around her son.
"David why?" she says over and over again but her words don't sound like a question.
"We're leaving." he says to Xander before closing the door and leaving the pair alone.
He can feel his phone shaking, word about Gloria being alive has already spread and people are starting to ask questions, now they just have to wait and see who takes the bait.
blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
"Get dressed." he orders Xander when they enter their apartment.
"What's going on?" Xander asks him.
"We are about to have company, " he answers Xander while he picks up his gun, puts on his coat, and looks for his hat. He can hear Xander putting his armor on outside of his room.
He looks at his hat and gently moves his fingers over the edge, the hat's shield system isn't the best out there if anything it's pathetic when compared to almost every shield in the world.
Not to mention that it uses up most of its power when it stops anything above low-level attacks.
He can't help but take a deep breath before putting it on, reaching into his pocket, and putting on his sunglasses. The last thing that he picks up is his spare gun.
Unlike his main gun, he doesn't have to reload it and its bullets vary so he doesn't have to worry about changing ammo while fighting something out of the ordinary.
"I need you to tell Gloria and her son to stay inside and not come out no matter what happens." he orders Xander before he opens the door.
"What's happening?" Xander asks him.
"Hunters are coming." he answers his partner and hears the people outside shimper when they hear that word.
He points at Xander and then signals to the light that's at the end of the hallway, before pointing at himself and the dark hallway that seems to be getting darker by the moment.
The lights in the ceiling begin to flicker before they burn out or the power is taken from them.
He can hear the people in the darkness scream, their voices only last a second before they are replaced by another group's screams that quickly vanish.
He doesn't move and while he silently hopes that someone might try to run, he's learned not to hope for anything no matter how small it is.
He doesn't know if the people are dead or if they are just too scared to move, the fight around him finally dies leaving him completely alone.
It takes a moment for his sunglasses to turn on, he can't help but smile when he sees that the homeless people are alive, but his relief is short-lived when he notices that something is moving on the walls.
He wants to warn Xander but if he says anything now, the creatures will attack and.
"Look at what we have here." he is torn from his thoughts by a familiar voice.
"..." he doesn't answer, not because he doesn't want to but because of what's in front of him.
He can see the creatures slowly approaching the cowering people who hide behind their knees and arms as they try to make themselves seem smaller.
The creatures let out a cry of pain that's a mixture of a woman screaming and a snake hissing angrily. The lights flicker on and off in a chaotic dance that's meant to both fill him with fear and keep him in place.
The lights stop moving and everything goes back to being dark, but he can still see the creatures glaring at the people.
"Sorry about that. We don't kill witnesses that aren't a threat." the voice says to him.
"What do you want?" he asks.
"Glad you asked."
"You see I heard that a Shifter arrived." the man let the words hang in the air as if he was trying to remind him of something important.
'She isn't a threat." he said to the man who let out a small laugh.
"Not a threat he says."
"Let me tell you what my team has had to stop since she showed up."
"Videos, messages, voice recordings."
" Hackers who are trying to find who entered their systems, and what do you suppose they will do when they find that someone that should be dead is alive?"
"Let's forget all of that. Let's ask ourselves about her clients. What will they do when the person that they bought merchandise from and traded information with is alive again?"
The creatures move their tails from one side to another waiting for their master's order.
Their drool glows blue when it touches the ground it's not enough to light their surroundings but it's enough that he can see the black leather-like skin of the monsters.
'Step aside and let the Hunters do their job. With her gone no one will ask any questions that don't need to be asked."
"..Give her some time to say goodbye to her kid." he says to the creature's master.
"No she's been here for too long." the sound of something hitting the wall behind him with enough force that he could feel it force him to turn and he saw Xander being held in place by something that looked like a man who took too many steroids.
"Did you hear that boy your mom has to die and she has to die now." he hears the man say to Gloria's son who must have been listening to their conversation.
"Now what will you do will you protect the Shifter? Will you protect the witnesses? Or will you do your job and deal with the threat before it gets even bigger than it already is?"
"From ten to zero that's the time that you get to make your decision and then the Hunters do their job."
"Ten"
"Three days and we can make a new identity."
"Nine"
"We can jump her somewhere else she won't be a threat."
"Shifters aren't Jumpers and any attempt will either result in another shift or time travel which could be even worse."
"Eight."
'I won't let you kill her again!" he hears Gloria's son scream before Gloria yells at him to shut up.
He can see the creatures smiling cruelly their clawed hands ass through the walls as if they weren't there, but the creatures toy with the people's clothes and hair as if they were playing with oversized dolls.
"Seven."
"She mine." he says while hoping that the man will accept his answer.
'What did you say?" he hears the watchman ask through the speakers that are in his sunglasses.
"I need something for sexual relief, and she fits the bill."
"Well look at what we have here, you of all people finally decided to join us. I would have never imagined you know what I can't imagine it because it's not true." The watchman says his voice sounding as if he was amused by the idea before becoming cold at the thought of being tricked.
"One-Zero"
The creatures roar all at once sending the people into a frenzy but their hissing sounds force the people to stay in place making them to be aware of everything happening around them, but being unable to move.
Xander's body flies into the group of creatures, his attacker threw him as if his adamantium armor did not weigh anything.
Xander bounced off the floor three times and for a long moment no one did anything, it was only when the young man grunted in pain that he lifted his hands and fired both of his guns.
"What's going on?" Xander asks him.
"We are about to have company, " he answers Xander while he picks up his gun, puts on his coat, and looks for his hat. He can hear Xander putting his armor on outside of his room.
He looks at his hat and gently moves his fingers over the edge, the hat's shield system isn't the best out there if anything it's pathetic when compared to almost every shield in the world.
Not to mention that it uses up most of its power when it stops anything above low-level attacks.
He can't help but take a deep breath before putting it on, reaching into his pocket, and putting on his sunglasses. The last thing that he picks up is his spare gun.
Unlike his main gun, he doesn't have to reload it and its bullets vary so he doesn't have to worry about changing ammo while fighting something out of the ordinary.
"I need you to tell Gloria and her son to stay inside and not come out no matter what happens." he orders Xander before he opens the door.
"What's happening?" Xander asks him.
"Hunters are coming." he answers his partner and hears the people outside shimper when they hear that word.
He points at Xander and then signals to the light that's at the end of the hallway, before pointing at himself and the dark hallway that seems to be getting darker by the moment.
The lights in the ceiling begin to flicker before they burn out or the power is taken from them.
He can hear the people in the darkness scream, their voices only last a second before they are replaced by another group's screams that quickly vanish.
He doesn't move and while he silently hopes that someone might try to run, he's learned not to hope for anything no matter how small it is.
He doesn't know if the people are dead or if they are just too scared to move, the fight around him finally dies leaving him completely alone.
It takes a moment for his sunglasses to turn on, he can't help but smile when he sees that the homeless people are alive, but his relief is short-lived when he notices that something is moving on the walls.
He wants to warn Xander but if he says anything now, the creatures will attack and.
"Look at what we have here." he is torn from his thoughts by a familiar voice.
"..." he doesn't answer, not because he doesn't want to but because of what's in front of him.
He can see the creatures slowly approaching the cowering people who hide behind their knees and arms as they try to make themselves seem smaller.
The creatures let out a cry of pain that's a mixture of a woman screaming and a snake hissing angrily. The lights flicker on and off in a chaotic dance that's meant to both fill him with fear and keep him in place.
The lights stop moving and everything goes back to being dark, but he can still see the creatures glaring at the people.
"Sorry about that. We don't kill witnesses that aren't a threat." the voice says to him.
"What do you want?" he asks.
"Glad you asked."
"You see I heard that a Shifter arrived." the man let the words hang in the air as if he was trying to remind him of something important.
'She isn't a threat." he said to the man who let out a small laugh.
"Not a threat he says."
"Let me tell you what my team has had to stop since she showed up."
"Videos, messages, voice recordings."
" Hackers who are trying to find who entered their systems, and what do you suppose they will do when they find that someone that should be dead is alive?"
"Let's forget all of that. Let's ask ourselves about her clients. What will they do when the person that they bought merchandise from and traded information with is alive again?"
The creatures move their tails from one side to another waiting for their master's order.
Their drool glows blue when it touches the ground it's not enough to light their surroundings but it's enough that he can see the black leather-like skin of the monsters.
'Step aside and let the Hunters do their job. With her gone no one will ask any questions that don't need to be asked."
"..Give her some time to say goodbye to her kid." he says to the creature's master.
"No she's been here for too long." the sound of something hitting the wall behind him with enough force that he could feel it force him to turn and he saw Xander being held in place by something that looked like a man who took too many steroids.
"Did you hear that boy your mom has to die and she has to die now." he hears the man say to Gloria's son who must have been listening to their conversation.
"Now what will you do will you protect the Shifter? Will you protect the witnesses? Or will you do your job and deal with the threat before it gets even bigger than it already is?"
"From ten to zero that's the time that you get to make your decision and then the Hunters do their job."
"Ten"
"Three days and we can make a new identity."
"Nine"
"We can jump her somewhere else she won't be a threat."
"Shifters aren't Jumpers and any attempt will either result in another shift or time travel which could be even worse."
"Eight."
'I won't let you kill her again!" he hears Gloria's son scream before Gloria yells at him to shut up.
He can see the creatures smiling cruelly their clawed hands ass through the walls as if they weren't there, but the creatures toy with the people's clothes and hair as if they were playing with oversized dolls.
"Seven."
"She mine." he says while hoping that the man will accept his answer.
'What did you say?" he hears the watchman ask through the speakers that are in his sunglasses.
"I need something for sexual relief, and she fits the bill."
"Well look at what we have here, you of all people finally decided to join us. I would have never imagined you know what I can't imagine it because it's not true." The watchman says his voice sounding as if he was amused by the idea before becoming cold at the thought of being tricked.
"One-Zero"
The creatures roar all at once sending the people into a frenzy but their hissing sounds force the people to stay in place making them to be aware of everything happening around them, but being unable to move.
Xander's body flies into the group of creatures, his attacker threw him as if his adamantium armor did not weigh anything.
Xander bounced off the floor three times and for a long moment no one did anything, it was only when the young man grunted in pain that he lifted his hands and fired both of his guns.
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blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
The hunters shift and the bullets pass through them as if they hadn't been there at all, he doesn't bother looking where the bullets hit, but it doesn't take long for him to hear them hit something not too far away.
The screams of the people mix with the unnatural sounds of the hunters, their voices are so loud that the people inside of the apartments pick up their weapons and look for something to hide behind.
The lights on the first floor have completely gone and his sunglasses are only able to pick up the heat of the cowering people.
Drip, drip drip. He can hear the creature's drool landing around him, they're circling him like sharks that found their prey and are too aware that he can and will fight to stay alive.
He can see his breath now the temperature is starting to drop, it won't be long now.
He wants to wait for the next part but the whimpering of the women and children that are scattered on this floor reminds him that he doesn't have that luxury.
The brute behind him hasn't moved, he is just here to make sure that no one or thing leaves and Xander hasn't recovered so he can't rely on him.
"Fiire orb," he says before firing his special gun creating several orbs that will keep the people from freezing to death.
The orbs look like fireballs that give off a red light that somehow makes the hallway look even more frightening than it already is.
Something isn't right nothing has attacked him yet and yet he can see the hunters moving just out of sight, it's almost as if.
"Decois." he says to himself before turning and running to Gloria's front door.
The brute lets out a feral howl and charges at him with unnatural speed that shouldn't be possible for someone of his size. The brute is too big and too fast so he can't avoid it, his shields glow bright green before they die.
He lands near Xander, years of experience have taught him how to fall so he doesn't get injured when he hits the concrete floor.
"Xander you better hurry up and wake up!" he says to his partner between grunts as he tries to stand up as fast as he can, but Xander doesn't answer meaning that he must have hit his head.
This isn't good the longer he stays out here the higher the chances that the Hunters reach Gloria, but what options does he have, granades will injure the people, and gass will do just as much damage or maybe even worse.
"Go help her.' he hears Xander say before he finally moves.
'About time you woke up." he says to his partner who doesn't answer. The only thing that he can see is the dark helmet that Xander is wearing but for some reason, he swears that he can see him glaring at the brute.
"This one's mine.' Xander says before the back of his armor opens and a sword comes out of it.
"Go" Xander orders him before he charges at the brute who roars and answers his challenge.
The shockwave that they made when they met nearly knocks him off his feet, but it doesn't so he uses this chance to run to the apartment open the door, and enter it.
The inside is just as dark as the hallway outside, but the glow of the hunter's drool is covering the ceiling, walls, and floors.
"Three seconds" he hears the hunters say all at once their voices are like serpents slithering through wet grass.
'One second to pull the trigger."
"One second to pull the pin."
"One second to press the button,"
"Tell me boy what difference does three seconds make." the hunters say to Gloria's son, he follows the beast's voices and finds them standing outside of a door.
He can see them phasing their claws through the door meaning that nothing is keeping them from going inside, they are just taking their time tormenting their prey.
One of the creatures notices him and turns to look at him, the others notice its actions and grow at him but they don't attack, because he isn't their target.
"Xander stand down it's over.' he says to his partner who yells at him to shut up.
"Three seconds to kill your own mother." he says to the hunters who step aside and let him grab the doorknob.
He slowly opens the door and finds Gloria alive, her eyes are wide and filled with panic.
She is holding a gun to her head as she pulls the trigger over and over again, next to her is her son who isn't responding anymore and just stares at her with wide empty eyes.
The lights in the apartment turn on and the hunters vanish as if they were never there, leaving a terrified woman and traumatized boy behind.
"Congratulations Miss Marinez you get to live, but at a price" he hears the watchman say.
The screams of the people mix with the unnatural sounds of the hunters, their voices are so loud that the people inside of the apartments pick up their weapons and look for something to hide behind.
The lights on the first floor have completely gone and his sunglasses are only able to pick up the heat of the cowering people.
Drip, drip drip. He can hear the creature's drool landing around him, they're circling him like sharks that found their prey and are too aware that he can and will fight to stay alive.
He can see his breath now the temperature is starting to drop, it won't be long now.
He wants to wait for the next part but the whimpering of the women and children that are scattered on this floor reminds him that he doesn't have that luxury.
The brute behind him hasn't moved, he is just here to make sure that no one or thing leaves and Xander hasn't recovered so he can't rely on him.
"Fiire orb," he says before firing his special gun creating several orbs that will keep the people from freezing to death.
The orbs look like fireballs that give off a red light that somehow makes the hallway look even more frightening than it already is.
Something isn't right nothing has attacked him yet and yet he can see the hunters moving just out of sight, it's almost as if.
"Decois." he says to himself before turning and running to Gloria's front door.
The brute lets out a feral howl and charges at him with unnatural speed that shouldn't be possible for someone of his size. The brute is too big and too fast so he can't avoid it, his shields glow bright green before they die.
He lands near Xander, years of experience have taught him how to fall so he doesn't get injured when he hits the concrete floor.
"Xander you better hurry up and wake up!" he says to his partner between grunts as he tries to stand up as fast as he can, but Xander doesn't answer meaning that he must have hit his head.
This isn't good the longer he stays out here the higher the chances that the Hunters reach Gloria, but what options does he have, granades will injure the people, and gass will do just as much damage or maybe even worse.
"Go help her.' he hears Xander say before he finally moves.
'About time you woke up." he says to his partner who doesn't answer. The only thing that he can see is the dark helmet that Xander is wearing but for some reason, he swears that he can see him glaring at the brute.
"This one's mine.' Xander says before the back of his armor opens and a sword comes out of it.
"Go" Xander orders him before he charges at the brute who roars and answers his challenge.
The shockwave that they made when they met nearly knocks him off his feet, but it doesn't so he uses this chance to run to the apartment open the door, and enter it.
The inside is just as dark as the hallway outside, but the glow of the hunter's drool is covering the ceiling, walls, and floors.
"Three seconds" he hears the hunters say all at once their voices are like serpents slithering through wet grass.
'One second to pull the trigger."
"One second to pull the pin."
"One second to press the button,"
"Tell me boy what difference does three seconds make." the hunters say to Gloria's son, he follows the beast's voices and finds them standing outside of a door.
He can see them phasing their claws through the door meaning that nothing is keeping them from going inside, they are just taking their time tormenting their prey.
One of the creatures notices him and turns to look at him, the others notice its actions and grow at him but they don't attack, because he isn't their target.
"Xander stand down it's over.' he says to his partner who yells at him to shut up.
"Three seconds to kill your own mother." he says to the hunters who step aside and let him grab the doorknob.
He slowly opens the door and finds Gloria alive, her eyes are wide and filled with panic.
She is holding a gun to her head as she pulls the trigger over and over again, next to her is her son who isn't responding anymore and just stares at her with wide empty eyes.
The lights in the apartment turn on and the hunters vanish as if they were never there, leaving a terrified woman and traumatized boy behind.
"Congratulations Miss Marinez you get to live, but at a price" he hears the watchman say.
9 Welcome Home End
blueayes
If you want peace, then you must prepare for war.
- Location
- austin
"What did they do to them?" Xander asks him as the elevator they are in moves.
"Hunters feed on the emotions. They can either make you experience the worst things possible or the best thing possible." he says while looking at Gloria's unmoving body.
The elevator beeps and the door opens, the smell of perfume lingers in the air alongside the smell of freshly cooked food and expensive wine.
The sound of a piano being played greeted them even before they stepped out of the elevator, the white marble floors had a line of red carpet that was meant for them to follow, and the walls had paintings showing the different battles of countless worlds.
"Well if it isn't our guard dog and his puppy." the watchman says while waving at them to take a seat, next to him are several highly attractive women each one is the Villainess of a story that the man collected during his travels.
"Let's get to the point.' the watchman says to them as a pair of hunters phase through the floor and stand next to him and Xander, but it is Gloria and her son who move as if they are in pain.
"What are you doing?" Xander yells at the watchman but he orders the young man to stop and listen.
"He didn't tell you anything did he?"
"No" Xander answers the watchman.
"The day that Gloria died, her son died. Meaning that in one reality Gloria Martinez doesn't exist and in another she does the same goes for him." the watchman points at David who is being carried by Xander.
"Their stories are the same and end the same, there are some differences but the results are the same." The watchman closes his eyes before glaring at the pair.
"Now for the interesting part, what if they lived?"
"What if one of them died and came back? Could others do the same?" The watchman let his words sink in before continuing with his explanation.
"My hunters are eating the memories of what happened today, tomorrow they won't know anything about us. As for the two of you, they're your problem now."
"That woman's energy has synchronized with this world, meaning that she belongs here now and I'm not cleaning up your mess beyond what I already did."
"Any questions puppy.' the watchman says to Xander who just asks how the brute vanished when the lights came back on. The watchman just smiles and tells him that he doesn't know anything at all.
The walk back to the elevator and back to Gloria's apartment was a lot quieter than usual, after dropping the pair in their rooms he stepped back outside and looked at the traumatized people.
They were the only witnesses to any of this, but no one bothered to erase their memories or burn their implants because no one cared about what a bunch of homeless people said.
He reaches into his pocket, takes out his cell phone, and transfers some money to all of them, it's not a lot but it's enough for three hot meals and a place to sleep for the night.
He begins to walk towards the exit of the building and sits down he ignores the wet floor and looks at the concrete scene in front.
"So what now?" Xander asks him, and he signals to him to sit down, but his partner says that he doesn't want to get wet.
"Who knows, to be honest, I kill most shifters, because they are unstable and pull people to this world but she isn't like that." he says to his partner.
"Okay, so what now?" xander repeats his question.
"We do our job."
"Go walk around and don't draw attention to yourself." he orders his partner who walks down the stairs without a word.
He looks at the young man slowly shrinking away as the sound of trash falling into the dumpster reaches his ears.
Debt and strangers
1
"Hunters feed on the emotions. They can either make you experience the worst things possible or the best thing possible." he says while looking at Gloria's unmoving body.
The elevator beeps and the door opens, the smell of perfume lingers in the air alongside the smell of freshly cooked food and expensive wine.
The sound of a piano being played greeted them even before they stepped out of the elevator, the white marble floors had a line of red carpet that was meant for them to follow, and the walls had paintings showing the different battles of countless worlds.
"Well if it isn't our guard dog and his puppy." the watchman says while waving at them to take a seat, next to him are several highly attractive women each one is the Villainess of a story that the man collected during his travels.
"Let's get to the point.' the watchman says to them as a pair of hunters phase through the floor and stand next to him and Xander, but it is Gloria and her son who move as if they are in pain.
"What are you doing?" Xander yells at the watchman but he orders the young man to stop and listen.
"He didn't tell you anything did he?"
"No" Xander answers the watchman.
"The day that Gloria died, her son died. Meaning that in one reality Gloria Martinez doesn't exist and in another she does the same goes for him." the watchman points at David who is being carried by Xander.
"Their stories are the same and end the same, there are some differences but the results are the same." The watchman closes his eyes before glaring at the pair.
"Now for the interesting part, what if they lived?"
"What if one of them died and came back? Could others do the same?" The watchman let his words sink in before continuing with his explanation.
"My hunters are eating the memories of what happened today, tomorrow they won't know anything about us. As for the two of you, they're your problem now."
"That woman's energy has synchronized with this world, meaning that she belongs here now and I'm not cleaning up your mess beyond what I already did."
"Any questions puppy.' the watchman says to Xander who just asks how the brute vanished when the lights came back on. The watchman just smiles and tells him that he doesn't know anything at all.
The walk back to the elevator and back to Gloria's apartment was a lot quieter than usual, after dropping the pair in their rooms he stepped back outside and looked at the traumatized people.
They were the only witnesses to any of this, but no one bothered to erase their memories or burn their implants because no one cared about what a bunch of homeless people said.
He reaches into his pocket, takes out his cell phone, and transfers some money to all of them, it's not a lot but it's enough for three hot meals and a place to sleep for the night.
He begins to walk towards the exit of the building and sits down he ignores the wet floor and looks at the concrete scene in front.
"So what now?" Xander asks him, and he signals to him to sit down, but his partner says that he doesn't want to get wet.
"Who knows, to be honest, I kill most shifters, because they are unstable and pull people to this world but she isn't like that." he says to his partner.
"Okay, so what now?" xander repeats his question.
"We do our job."
"Go walk around and don't draw attention to yourself." he orders his partner who walks down the stairs without a word.
He looks at the young man slowly shrinking away as the sound of trash falling into the dumpster reaches his ears.
Debt and strangers
1
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