The road was as cold and wet as the rocks on a beach. After a light shower of rain swept through the streets of Greendenn, the clouds of grey parted and headed west on a strong gust of wind.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxpBRX3pIi
Standing firm in the short stretch of road nestled in-between the decrepit rundown homes, stood the Hunters Layla and Seth, otherwise known as Number Six and Number Five, drenched in their wet black cloaks.
Rain water trickling down their white emotionless masks as the pair studied the location of where the designated Portal C-367 once stood.
Kneeling down gently onto the hard tarmac, Number Five traced his black gloved hand across the road. Sensing, feeling for traces of Magic left behind from the Portal.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeByy7BslK
“Hmm yes, that darling Mr Berkins may have been mistaken about the Portal” Number Five informed his partner as his hand tingled with Magic.
“It was here... registering at the strength of a Rank-C... strange”
It was strange, Andy, like the rest of his team was very forthcoming about the Crimson Claws, about what they did and discussed before the incident.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEtZ80QBLT
Like how both he and his team were treated like less than humans or how Mr Waters had been deducting their promised wage.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRp0NbQSjH
However, none of this interested Number Five as he believed the squabbles of such incidents was irrelevant to the mission at hand.
No. What had interested him most of all, was a simple sentence, a brief mention about the Portal that he had almost missed if he wasn’t paying attention.
Andy had spoken about how both he and his team were hired to excavate a D-Ranked Portal, designated D-634. He even still had the message on his phone with the details plainly state it as such.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvrFQTRInR
Which is odd, Number Five had read in the initial report back at HQ that this Portal was C-Rank, C-367.
And the Portal’s residue Magic still reads as a C-Rank, so why does he have information that states otherwise.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvf7hPDgoO
Reaching out for his shoulder, Number Six gently taps it, waking him out of his train of thought.
“Did you find anything useful?” she inquired.
Gently stroking his goatee under the white mask, Number Five collects his thoughts and wonders if the message the Miners received was just a simple mistake.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDDVCEqCjs
“My dear, it looks like there are more questions that needed to be asked when we reach the Guild” he replied with a light sigh, a piece of doubt lingered on his mind.
With one hand on his knee, he lightly lifted himself from the ground, his eyes fixated on the spot he had just examined.
Number Five needed those answers soon, his trail of thought lingered on the chances of Bastion being the Scorched Murderer.
“Is it possible?” he mumbled under his breath.
But after a few short seconds, Number Five shrugged casually.
With a sudden clap of his hands and a happy shift in tone, Number Five remarked.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacB2k2BFct
“Well my lovely, we’re not getting any answers standing around here. Lets head on over and pay Mr Arch a visit, shall we?”
Swiftly reaching for his Rift Bag, Number Five pulled out a Rift Ring and soon summoned a Rift Gate in the middle of the road.
Sounding a lot chirpier than usual as he hummed a tune, Number Five stood aside of the Gate and kindly gestured to it in a gentlemanly manner.
“Please my dear, after you”
Number Six lightly smile with a small chuckle as she walked up towards the Gate. Just as she passed her partner amused herself by playing along with his act.
“Why thank you kind Sir” she smiled with a bow before entering the Gate.
But as she crossed the void of space, Number Fives happy tune turned sour as he turned and took one last look at Greendenn.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstSgdRMq83
“It better not be you” he muttered silently as a hint of anger cracked in his voice.
************************************************************
The sound of a bustling town resonates in the air, the marching of feet scampering from shop to shop as the people rush to finish their shopping before the rain falls.
High above in the sky, the clouds screamed a shade of black and grey as a chilling wind blusters through the streets.
The first drops of freezing rain began to fall like the gods were spitting on the ground below.
Down in a nearby trash filled alleyway, the fabric of space rips open as a Rift Gate tears through forms into a circle. Stepping out from the gate in her black cloak, Number Six suddenly and immediately lurches to the side in disgust as a horrific smell smacks her like hitting a solid wall.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfLQudpHdV
The vile smell wafted from a nearby over flown dumpster that was leaking odorous trash water. It reeked of days old rotting meat and filth, it smelled like an outdoor latrine during a curry festival.
“Oh, my, god!! What is that smell?” she gagged, trying very hard not to inhale the festering air.
Following in from behind humming a cheerful tune, Number Five casually walks past Number Six with his hands neatly behind his back, it was as if the smell didn’t bother him at all.
“That Sugarmuffin is the smell of days old meat, periodically thrown away from a local butchery” he replied hiding a smirk behind his mask.
Seeing Number Six choke on the vile air amused him.
Having been a Hunter since he was a teenager, Number Five had experienced many sights and smells all over the country.
Over time he has gotten used to the strange and revolting smells he has come across, however he does still loathe missions that take him into sewers. The stench down there in that labyrinth of tunnels stays on your clothes and skin for weeks.
As a man who enjoys the company of others, it was disheartening seeing them flee whenever he walked into a room after such a venture.
Exiting the entrance of the alleyway and into a busy shopping street, Number Five takes in his surroundings to confirm the direction they needed to go.
“Ah, this wayyy” he cheerfully points as Number Six follows behind choking on the air.
Heading down the street towards the Crimson Claw Guild, the pair of Hunters were unhindered in their movements as the people in their pathway avoided the pair by quickly heading to the other side of the road.
The sight of fear in their eyes as they saw two Hunters walk with purpose through their town amused Number Five, he had seen this sort of display many times before.
But to Number Six, she felt very uncomfortable with people actively avoiding her, like there was something wrong with her, like she had some sort of plague and people had to be six feet away from her.
Silently gritting her teeth, Number Six endured the hateful, fearful gaze of passerby’s, wishing that the Hunters would leave.
Number Five noticed little nuances in his partner’s movements, like little changes in how she swings her arms. He could tell she was getting upset.
“You know they can’t see your face darling? That mask of yours and the symbol it carries is what they hate, not the beautiful skin underneath” he assures her kindly, but he knew what she was going through.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1PvUktEce
The world can be a cruel place.
Discrimination for ones race and colour was on the rise, even in the high class city of Silver Cross. The colour of your skin and whether or not you have a Core in your chest can make a whole lot of difference in the way people will treat you.
Back when she was young, Layla grew up in a hateful environment. With her skin of Brown she was shunned or beaten down into the curb, like a class of species below that of a human.
Even Seth faced his fair share of trials, despite being born a white man to a rich family. He could have had anything in the world and it would have been his... but the one thing he wanted was the one thing he could not have.
His honest taste in love broke his father’s heart, who out of his homophobic hatred, disavowed his son to whom he could not understand.
Drips of rain falling from the sky began to hasten, the rapid cold bullets of water caused the shoppers to scatter and scurry for shelter, leaving the two Hunters to walk the streets alone.
After a short while later, the Crimson Claw Guild was now firmly within their sights.... but something was amiss.
In the scattering wall of rain, Number Six could see a group of people rushing about outside the Guild like a bunch of headless chickens.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz7A8dK4kL
What’s going on there? Did something happen?
These sorts of questions popped into her mind as the pair walked closer to the panicked cluster, with each step splashing forward, members of the Guild soon began to take notice of the two drenched Hunters appearing from the storm.
“Oh fucking shit! They’re here!!” spoke a clearly frightened member, trembling his legs in fear or the freezing cold.
The Hunters stopped in their approach, a mere two feet away from the Warriors. Even with this distance between them, the Warriors could feel an imaginary hand squeeze at their throats.
“What’s going on here?” asked Number Six strictly, her stern and powerful voice carried through the pounding rain with ease.
But the Warriors failed to respond, they just shuffled nervously. Looking and glimpsing at one another, hoping that someone else would tell the Hunters the bad news.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6p6Ak6opm9
Taking a single step forward, Number Six asked once more “What is going on?” her voice growing louder and heavy, it was like every word built pressure on the Warriors before her.
But in response the Warriors turned their sights away from the Hunters, they had not the courage to look them in the eyes and tell them the truth... all except for one.
“Bastion is gone”
Parting through the group casually pushing their legs aside out of her way, a petite Warrior made her way to the front and confronted the pair of Hunters.
It was Poppy, and the look in her eyes spelled anger and fear as she began to explain what had just transpired.
**********************************************************
Earlier that day...
The sounds of rapid buttons clicking rattled furiously as Mr Waters and Poppy battled over a contest of wits and skill.
“DIE, DIE, DIE OLD MAN” Poppy laughed manically as she summoned her Battle Beast, a Dragon plated in golden armour.
Firmly standing his ground in defiance, Mr Waters tapped his chest thrice and summoned his Soul Weapon to his hands, a large and imposing two handed sword. 146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ4PxyYPTl
“YOU WILL BOW BEFORE THE MIGHTY WATER HERO FIEND, FOR IT IS I, CASCADE, WHO WILL VANQUISH YOU TODAY!!”
As the two mighty Warriors clashed and shattered the landscape, Bastion looked on in shock as he watched Mr Waters sitting in front of the T.V, playing a video game with Poppy.
“DRAGON BURST” screamed Poppy as she mashed the buttons on her controller.
A torrent of blue fire spewed from the Dragons mouth, twisting and turning into a spiral of intense flames that melted everything it touches.
But Mr Waters didn’t move, he didn’t even flinch.
A devious smirk cracked across his face as he triumphantly declared “HAHA,HA,HA, YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO MY TRAP! TIME TO FACE MY ULTIMATE MOVE!!”
In a rapid quick succession, Mr Waters’ fingers danced around the controller in precise movements, too quick for even Poppy to see what he was doing.
And with one final input, Mr Waters created a wall of water surrounding him, extinguishing the flames that barraged it.
But he wasn’t done yet, the wall of liquid warped and morphed into a shape that towered over the mighty Dragon by many feet.
The water formed into a giant transparent blue Warrior with a matching two handed sword, exactly like the one in Mr Waters’s hands.
Mimicking his movements, the giant Warrior swung its sword in tandem to Mr Waters as it cleaved the Dragon in two.
“NOOOOOOOO” Poppy cried out in defeat as she dropped her controller.
Flashing boldly across the T.V screen, Mr Waters’s player character poses in victory, just like the same striking pose Mr Waters himself flexes in front of a very confused Bastion.
“VICTORY!!!”
“Waters? When did you like video games?” Bastion asked with a confused smile, he honestly didn’t know he could play.
Smiling proudly Mr Waters took one look at Bastions face and quickly realised the embarrassing pose he was making. Swiftly composing himself, Mr Waters felt a bit silly as he readjusted his tie and cleared his throat.
“Well... I do enjoy games that simulate a Warriors capability to the fullest, after all not everyone in this room is an Awakened” he explained calmly as a bead of sweat crawled down his cheek.
In disbelief of the screen results, Poppy hid her face within her palms and screamed with annoyance.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHH”
“I can’t believe I lost to a Non-Ranker, a human no less (sigh)... good game, baldy” Poppy reluctantly admitted defeat.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDN2iLQ8Sp
Despite her mockery of his follicle impaired head, Mr Waters felt quite smug with himself after hearing her say those words.
It felt rather nice for him to her a Warrior complementing him on his skills, but these feelings of pride wouldn’t last long as a loud repetitious sound rang in the air.
“Knock, knock, knock”
Heads turned towards the door as a second series of heavy thuds of knuckles banged against the wood.
A feeling of dread and anxiety exploded inside Mr Waters, he was not ready to face the monster that was coming to get him.
But as the door opened and the person entered the doorway, the heavy feeling inside his stomach dissipated as a tall man in Crimson Claw uniform entered with a bandaged hand and a small parcel underneath his arm.
“Please excuse my intrusion Poppy but, you have a phone call waiting for you at the front desk” the man politely informed her.
“Thanks Marky” Poppy replied as her eyes caught attention to the man’s hand.
“Wow Marky! What happened to your hand?”
Mark raised his right hand slightly in acknowledgement of her comment. Bastion intrigued took notice on how the hand was covered in a plaster casing, it looked like a large white ball in place of where the hand should be.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNdaIRZkt3
“Oh this? It’s just a training inflicted injury. I was trying out a new Magic Spell my team leader showed me and, well... you can see how it worked out” Mark replied with a tiny grin, it seemed like he didn’t like to talk about it.
“Yeesh, I hope you get better soon Marky” Poppy smiled as she quickly jumped up to her feet.
Waving wildly goodbye as she was leaving the room, Poppy stopped short at the door and turned and faced Mr Waters.
“You owe me a rematch Baldy, so don’t let that mean Hunter kill you, okay” she playfully teased leaving Mr Waters with an annoyed but happy smirk.
He wouldn’t admit it to her or himself but, he did enjoy his brief time with her... besides the biting.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYvSQxd3e1
As Poppy disappeared down the hall and out of sights, Mark entered the room fully and presented the brown parcel that was underneath his arm to Mr Waters.
“Here, a package just arrived for you” Mark calmly said as he handed it over.
Taking the package from him, Mr Waters observed the book sized parcel in wonder and questioned why he got it.
“Why are you giving me this? We’re under house arrest, you shouldn’t be giving us anything?” he asked with a perplexed look.
Mark just simply shrugged, like he didn’t care as long as he did as he was told.
“Look Daniel-“
“Waters...” Mr Waters interrupted gritting his teeth.
“Waters... Look, I was just told to give you this by my superior and I was told to tell you it is imperative you open it” Mark explained with a lack of interest, his face seemed dull and bored as he explained the parcel.
“Wait! Which superior are you talking abou-“
But before Mr Waters could ask, Mark had cut him off by heading straight out the door and closing it with a loud thud.
“Well... that was rude” Mr Waters remarked as he turned to Bastion.
“Mark, if I remember correctly is an A-Rank. The fact he was given the task of delivery boy after his accident must have ticked him off. I think I would be too in his position” said Bastion honestly.
Raising the parcel to his ear, Mr Waters shook it a little and heard a light rattle inside.
“What do you think it is?” he asked Bastion as he tears a small corner.
“Probably a book for us to write our last will and testament it” Bastion half heartedly joked.
Tearing into the brown paper Mr Waters unravels an unexpected gift, the sight of which caused his mouth to drop.
“It! It’s my Tablet!?” he gawked, clutching his device tightly in his hands.
Bastions eyes widened in shock at seeing the device, the sight of which made his heart race, like it was seeing Mr Water carrying a bomb.
“W-why would they give you that back? Wasn’t it e-evidence?” Bastion stuttered at a loss.
Something wasn’t right about this situation and it made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
“Y-you should get rid of it!! We can’t be seen with it” he hastily suggested.
But instead of doing what Bastion reasonably suggested, Mr Waters instead clutched the device closely to his chest and turned away from Bastion.
“Why? It’s mine!! Clearly they wanted me to have it again, or else why would they give it back!” Mr Waters replied with increasing aggression, he didn’t want to part with it so soon especially now that he can delete some the incriminating evidence hidden inside.
But Bastion wasn’t having any of it, he didn’t want to be seen or let alone be in the same room as the device when the Hunter arrives.
“Give it here!!” he demanded as he reached out for the Tablet.
Clutching tightly, Mr Waters shifted and shuffled to get away from Bastion who tried desperately to get hold of the Tablet.
“FUCK OFF BASTION, IT’S MINE” Mr Waters yelled he and Bastion wrestled for the device.
As the pair fought over the Tablet, neither one noticed the additional item that came with the package.
The item that rattled inside the parcel, now nestled underneath the brown paper thrown onto the floor, getting kicked and nudged as the two battle over the Tablet.
“GIVE IT HERE WATERS, WE CAN’T BE SEEN WITH IT” Bastion argued trying to reason with Mr Waters.
But Mr Waters wasn’t about to give it up willingly, with a hard thrust from his elbow, Mr Waters wacked Bastion in his stomach and rushed to one of the many empty bottles of Blackrose next to Bastion’s bed.
Smashing the bottle against the side table, Mr Waters raised the broken bottle neck towards Bastion, threatening him to go away.
“You’re not taking it away from me Bastion, it would take a man of intelligence to pry it away from me, not some meat headed fool like you” Mr Waters fumed.
Bastion would have laughed at the sight of someone threatening him with such a weak weapon, a weapon that had barely any effect on a Warrior of his Rank, but with the situation as it was, Bastion was in no mood for a chuckle.
Swelling the Magic in his Core, Bastion poured the magical flow into his right hand causing sparks of electricity to flicker and snap from his finger tips.
“One last chance Daniel... give it to me, or I will shock you unconscious” he threatened as his heart raced, he wasn’t entirely sure if he could do it, if he could hurt Mr Waters with his Surge Magic.
Clutching the Tablet ever more tightly to his chest, Mr Waters nervously defied the Warrior as the bottleneck in his hand shivered from his fear.
“...No!!...”
A pause entrapped the two in time that felt like hours as they stared each other down, waiting to see who would make the first move.
“Sigh...”
With a heavy hearted sigh, Bastion made the initiative and took a step forward and reached out with his electric filled hand, ready to either shock Mr Waters or the device.
But as he took his step, he stepped on something hard and small on the ground.
And without warning Bastion was propelled forward by a powerful force, lunging at a petrified Mr Waters who in a panic took a swipe at Bastion.
Crashing into Mr Waters and collapsing the pair onto the floor into broken shards of glass, Bastion lost control of his Magic and accidently zapped a nearby wall socket.
A sudden power surge shocked throughout the building and caused it to fall into darkness as the lights blacked out.
Inside their room, the pair groaned lightly in the dark as they tried to compose themselves and get off each other.
Bastion shook his head bemused as to what caused him to trip like that, but as he turned to look at the sight of where he stood, all he could see was a bright light in the darkness.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AYw5o4aVr
Getting up from the floor and away from Mr Waters, Bastion walked to the light puzzled and afraid as he knew exactly what it was... and it terrified him.
“Grrr, ow! Carful you great lummox, you almost smashed my Tablet” Mr Waters groaned in pain as he picked himself of from the shards of glass.
But before he could belittle and argue with Bastion some more, Mr Waters face dropped a pale white as he witnessed the same sight as Bastion.
In the centre of the room, hovering a few inches from the ground stood an opened Rift Gate, just like the ones used solely by S-Rankers and Hunters.
“W-what is that doing here?” Mr Waters stuttered as his eyes twitched and darted around the room, he was desperately searching for the Hunter that may have come through.
Bastion didn’t reply, he was at a loss for words as he stared into the Rift Gate and the freedom it presented.
But even though the literal door to freedom was within his grasp, Bastion hesitated about going through.
With one last look at freedom, Bastion turned his back to the Gate and faced Mr Waters whose eyes seemed to be all over the place.
“Dani-...Waters, I think this came with your parcel, I think... is there anything on your Tablet that would explain this? Did someone leave you a message?” Bastion asked worriedly, he was perplexed as to why someone went through the trouble to acquire such an exclusive gadget.
Snapping back to reality, Mr Waters eyes looked down towards the Tablet squeezed tightly in his finger tips.
Nodding gently, Mr Waters released his tight grip and turned on the device and began to search his recent messages.
Scanning through the list like a fine tooth comb, Mr Waters shook his head in dismay as he could not find anything new at all.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2InCoMwxA
Bastion sighed in disappointment as he had hoped it would explain everything, but as he was about to give up hope he noticed Mr Waters eyes widen.
As Mr Waters was backing out of his messages and returning to the main screen, he had only just noticed a tiny icon in the corner, a message labelled “Urgent!”
Tapping onto the icon, Mr Waters began to read out loud the contents.
“Dear Waters.
I don’t have much time, you and Bastion Arch are being framed. The Hunter assigned to the case is coming to silence you as the co-conspirator to the Scorched Murders. They plan to pin everything onto Bastion because of his history to you and your dealings.
Evidence linking to the crime has been uploaded to your Tablet device, all the names and locations have been added to the list of names you have already illegally acquired.
If all has gone to plan, my source on the inside should have supplied you with a way to get out, take it my friend, and find me.
Stratum”
With the last word spoken, Mr Waters uttered it once more as he struggled to believe who it was.
“Stratum?”
But Bastion was overcome with mixed feelings of anger and bewilderment to care who supplied the message. He was fighting his urge to punch a wall over the idea that he would kill all those people, and for what exactly?
“Why would they frame me for this? I’m not a Scorch user... and besides, my sparks can only fry humans, not like the Rankers the real murderer killed”
As Bastion rattled his brain over the predicament that has fallen into his lap, he almost failed to notice that Mr Waters had already walked past him and was about to go through the Gate willingly.
Just catching the sight of Mr Waters taking his first step through the Gate, Bastion called out to him desperately.
“W-wait, where are you going?”
Grabbing onto Mr Waters shoulder tightly, Bastion pulled him away from the Gate and stared him in the eyes.
“Who is Stratum? Can we trust him?” he asked in a calm but desperate tone.
Staring back, Mr Waters’s eyes were filled with confidence as he turned to the Gate once again and took one foot through.
“You coming or what?” he smiled as he passed through.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprNZAgkxSc
Left alone in the room with himself and his thoughts, Bastion contemplated the choice before him.
Should I?
But before he could ponder the question, his time was about to run out as a gently knock on the door snapped him back into focus.
“Hey it’s Poppy, I’m coming in”
The door opened with a creak and the tiny Warrior entered the room with a lit candle, burning brightly in her hand.
“Sorry about the lights, the generator blew a fuse and should be fixed momentarily” she said cheerfully, hoping to play a quick game with Mr Waters.
Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Poppy looked around the room confused and puzzled.
Where are they?
A tense feeling tugged lightly but was starting to build as she searched the room.
Walking over the discarded parcel paper and spotting the shards of glass next to the bed, Poppy knelt down and took a closer look at the pieces of glass strewn across the floor.
The glare of the candle caught Poppy’s attention to the wall socket, a black scorch mark was visible from an electric shock to the mains.
The tense feeling burned in her cheeks as the feeling of dread and anxiety caused a trickle of sweat to bead its way from her brow.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez4er5XBcE
Did Bastion do this?... did he cause the blackout?146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqwwZV3w2U
As that question crossed her mind, Poppy darted out the room and began to raise the alarm.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo1YrlSaKQ
Bastion Arch and Daniel Waters have escaped.
****************************************************************
A fiery shade of orange burned brightly on the horizon as the sun dips below to sleep. Neon lights flicker and bloom one by one, illuminating the sprawl of buildings packed closely to one another in screaming shades of pink, red and purple.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOx0EyLPmW
Bustling in the streets wedged in-between, the busy work day has come to an end for the hard day’s labourer, and the night life of food and fun has just begun.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab4itBZlXQ
The city of Mayberry is the place to spend your twilight hours after a long days work. With a variety of entertainment and affordable luxury spanning across many blocks, it would be nearly impossible to not lose yourself in the wild selection this city had to offer.
Within a short hour, the streets were already being filled with happy patrons spending their hard earned Units. Eating, drinking, enjoying the company of another, the city had it all.
And the ones who would come and enjoy it the most were the lower Ranked Warriors who could not afford the luxury Silver Cross could provide.
One such Warrior “Jake” was such a frequent visitor to the night light city, he was well known around the bars and brothels as a man to watch out for.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapPBj4Im4d
Not because he was a man of mischief, no. Jake was a man who would spend every Unit he received after every Portal, it was a wonder and a mystery as how he could still afford a house to live.
And tonight was no different to any offer night, after leaving the rest of his team back at base, Jake spend his hard earned dough at one of his most frequented brothels in the city “Sirens Song”.
Jake loved this nest of birds, the woman were just as plentiful as they are beautiful. He would often sit comfortably at the bar, drinking his favourite cheep booze, watching the skimpy ladies jiggle by.
It wouldn’t be until he had his first glass of beer that Jake would pluck up the courage... and the motivation, to go out into the wild and find his lady for the evening.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyrXkLpXc9
And it didn’t take long before he found his chosen gal, a woman of deep black and dreadlocks. A woman he had spend a night of unimaginable pleasurable fornication, a night he would never forget.
Taking him by the hand, the woman led him upstairs. Jake eagerly followed behind, his eyes attentively watching her derriere as it bounces with every step.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7uRXwTBwS
Passing through the doorway and into the love nest, Jake wasn’t interested in the vibrant decor of the room that screamed love and sex, no his eyes glued to the every movement of his lady as she removed her bra and revealed her succulent fruit hidden within.
And as the door closed and the sounds of passionate grunts from the wooden frame escalate, another man sits at the bar and waits. Not for another round of alcohol or for the right woman, no this man was waiting patiently for Jake.
Dressed in dark blue jeans and a grey hoodie, the man takes baby sips from his glass, never taking in more than a few drops at a time.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4X9JkxQ5o
An hour passes by before Jake remerges from the chamber of fun, his hair a mess and cheeks blushed with lipstick. Jake hobbled back to the bar and rests his weary sore behind on his favourite stool.
Weakly raising a hand to catch the bartenders attention, Jake orders a drink, not realising he was still being watched by the man sitting next to him, a man who was simply nursing his drink as he waits and watches Jake.
Two hours pass and more than a thousand Units later. Jake, full of fun and liquor stammers out of the establishment in a daze and stupor.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iE6VZW2c8
The heavy bustling streets of Mayberry were starting to disperse, ready to go to bed and start the next day fresh and free.
But for Jake, it would have been a miracle for him to find his home, let alone his bed. He was sloshed out of his mind as he wandered and staggered throughout the streets.
Jake would constantly bump into and irritate passerby’s with his barbaric smell of sex and booze, who would shove him out of the way to get on by.
Eventually Jake stumbled into the alleyway of a nightclub, the loud techno music blasting wildly through the exit door, going “thump, thump, thump” with its beats.
But Jake could barely hear any of it, he was too far gone and he didn’t even know where he was.
Crashing next to a dumpster, his temporary bed for tonight, Jake eyes were far too much of a blur to notice a man standing before him.
The same man who had been watching him and following him all night.
With his grey hood covering his face, the man reached for a pair of special black gloves from his pockets.
Jakes eyes drooped closed as his mouth opens and drools, the man watches in disgust as he puts his gloves on.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OouFuXDVe
Grabbing Jake by the collar, the man drags the unconscious Warrior to the far end of the alley and hides behind a dumpster, far away from any wondering eyes.
The smell of warm piss struck up the man’s nose as Jake murmurs in his sleep. Getting irritated and annoyed by the Warrior passed out before him, the man reaches out and grabs Jake by the throat.
The man’s glove starts to glow a hot red and his Core shimmers as Magic forms in his hand.
A burning sensation in his throat startles Jake awake just long enough to see the man before him.
And see the blank stare of discontent in his eyes before his body burst into flames.
Searing hot fire burned and melted the side of the dumpster behind him as he clothes turned to ash.
All that remand of Jake was a scorched body and a colourless Core in his chest. The life inside the Core had dissipated and the once green gem was now a murky grey.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvfblxvEEB
Retracting his hand away from Jakes blackened throat, the man reached towards the Core in Jakes chest.
With his fingers tightly squeezing the rims of the gem, the man pulled tightly and ripped the Core out of Jakes body.
Checking out the prize within his hand, the man smiles contently as he tucks it away in the pockets of his hoodie.
Casually strolling out of the alleyway with the sounds of techno basting behind him, the man disappears into the hustle and bustle of Mayberry.
The Scorch Murderer satisfied with the nights takings.
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Trivia: 146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn5KdyTPw5
Scorch Murderer: an unimaginative name given to a lone killer by the media. The moniker was given in light of the description of his victims; blackened and scorched.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPSz8UAmck
Little is known about the individual, like gender or race. However what is known can be extracted by his choice in targets.
The Scorch Murderer has so far targeted Awakened individuals exclusively. No regular human victims have so far been found.
As to why he has targeted the Awakened has so far remained to speculation. The most common one so far amongst the law enforcement agencies, is that the murderer is hunting the Awakened like a man would hunt a beast.
After each kill, the murderer leaves the scene with a trophy; each victim is left without their Core in their chest.
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Authors Notes:
Yay the Scorch Murderer is here... it only took him 8 chapters...
Anyway, this chapter was what I was looking forward to writing the most. For me it is the real start of the story, the real meat of the plot begins here as it were.
Having to plot out and write a story with four main characters has made it tricky to get this far. Trying to balance page time for each character was taxing but I did what I could with the plot that I mapped out already.
And yes, Aiden the homeless man is still a main character, he just didn’t get a lot of page time because I don’t need him yet, but he is still integral to the plot of the story.
I will say now, that writing Carin’s story was the easiest so far and writing Layla’s was the hardest.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PY5rxLStd
Bastion was just fun in general to write because of Mr Waters, and those two will continue their story later. But for now my next focus turns back to Carin and the start of her new life.
Hope to see you next time.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxYZy7UtOb
