It was a cloudy night in Paradis City. The sky was a dark blue with dark grey clouds tinted with a glowing blue light, covering the bright stars above as a glowing moonlight shined on the buildings and homes.
In the southernmost district of the city,Shiganshina, Four teenagers sat in their rusty, black car to take a look at the entrance of a recently abandoned warehouse.The brick walls were discolored in shades of red and brown and half of them were covered in unreadable graffiti in all sorts of different colors making the wall look like a concrete rainbow.The windows were shattered and some of them missing were glass tiles completely.
"Is this the place,Drew?" A male teen asked.
"Yeah,Markus,this is the place.My tracker that i put on the bike is pinpointing to this warehouse right here."
Markus nodded. "Ok then,let's do this."
The four teenagers got out of the black car to walk carefully to the entrance of the warehouse.Markus noticed that the roof of the warehouse had holes in it.
"Illyssa,try and scout the area from the roof."
A young woman of average height with very fair skin with her eyes green like emeralds.She tied her long orange hair in a ponytail but she let the newly cut bangs rest on the side of her head. To blend better to match the night's darkness, she wore a black oversized hoodie with black jeans and black and white low converse shoes.
She nodded,clapping her hands together and briefly flashed pink before jumping up to the roof to analyze the situation inside the warehouse.Within a couple of miuntes, she jumped back down to the ground and landed softly.
"Ok,There's seven of them in there,all armed,all male,it's pretty empty in there though," Illyssa told the crew.
"Most likely a temporary hideout," Drew said.
Drew was a little over five foot seven with dark skin and a slightly overweight build with six black, thick, dreads on his head with dark brown eyes and a small mustache above his full lips.
He was wearing an oversized black shirt to hide his relatively big midsection,black jogging pants and black shoes that has a small hole in the bottom of his left shoe.
Markus nodded.He was the tallest of the quartet, being only a couple of inches taller than Drew with short black,messy hair with fair skin and dark grey eyes.His was wearing a pair of slim fit denim jeans that have a few small tears in the thigh area,a worn out white t-shirt with the collar slightly stretched out, his black bomber jacket that he kept in average condition,no holes but he hasn't washed it in awhile and black timberland boots he stole from someone a couple weeks ago and a black glove on his left hand.
"Thanks,Ilyssa.Everyone,ready?Rose?"
Rose nodded.She was a few inches taller than Ilyssa with an average build,fair skin and chin length wavy black hair,covering one of her hazel eyes.
She was wearing a black tank top with a dark blue high-waisted ripped denim skirt as well as a pair of black pantyhose underneath and dark brown leather boots and black choker around her neck with a silver chain bracelet on her right wrist. "I am."
"Are you sure about this,guys?"Drew questioned. "I mean we can just find a new one."
"Are you fucking serious,Drew?"Markus asked. "A rare model like that?!Do you know how much money we can get from it?That's thousands of Eldrens waiting for us in there.They're not gonna keep it,that's for sure.We're gonna bash though that warehouse,beat them fuckers up,take the bike and sell it."
"Well,Markus…how about you sit this one out?"IIyssa asked, slightly nervous.
Markus gave Ilyssa a cold look."Why?"
Ilyssa averted her gaze from him and started to gently stroke her ponytail that was laying on her right shoulder."Well…it's nighttime and we can't draw attention to ourselves and your ability is well…"
"destructive and loud as fuck?"Rose added.
"And it can attract the attention of a witness,"Drew added in as well. "Therefore, the enforcers can come here and fucked this whole operation up."
Ilyssa nodded in agreement."Yeah,all of those things plus, you could damage the bike with your power."
"Why does it matter?" Markus said, a bit angry. "We're in the poorest part of Shiganshina.Crime is pretty common in this part of the district.So what would a few explosions matter?"
"I don't know,maybe being arrested, in the hospital, or worse…dead? And I don't want to be a statistic…" Drew retorted as he handed out three of his three handmade earpieces to his friends.
"Whatever.Let's hurry up and get the bike now.It's supposed to rain soon,and I don't want to get wet," Rose said impatiently as she tied her hair into a ponytail,revealing the other hazel eye and the scar on across her right cheek.
"Fine...but remember Markus,if you get caught,you're on your own,"Drew warned.
Markus rolled his eyes."Whatever,just go and warm up the engine."
Drew walked back to the car with a sour look on his face as Markus rubbed his hands together and looked at the two girls."Alright,let's do this."
The four teens each put an earpiece that Drew made in one of their ears, so they could communicate with each other as the three teenagers slowly approached the doors of the abandoned warehouse.
The trio looked at each other,knowing if they were ready.They nodded at each other before Markus placed his hands on the metal doors.
"Alright,let's get this over with,"he said before exploding the doors completely off.The remains of the doors bounced off and then slid on the hard,concrete ground.
"What the fuck?!Who are you?!"A gang member shouted angrily as he slowly stood up from his metal chair.
"You have something that piqued our interest,"Rose said while she pointed at the sleek,black,electric motorcycle behind the gang member. "We want the bike and you're gonna give it to us."
"And if we don't?"
Another gang member approached,standing ten feet apart from the trio.He was of average height and build with short light brown hair,dark teal eyes and beige skin. He was wearing a brown leather jacket with a black shirt underneath, blue torn denim jeans and dirty brown boots.
"So you must be the leader,huh?" Markus questioned the man that approached them.
The leader threw down his cigarette and stomped it out."You got some balls,kid.Showing up here, making a big ol'grand entrance and fucking up my doors."
"Fuck you and your doors,"Markus said coldly.
The leader pulled out a gun from his jacket as the other members pulled out their artillery as well. "Watch your mouth with me,kid.Cause trust me,the last person who said fuck you to me is now 6 feet under.But you know what? I'm in a good mood today, so I will give you three one chance to walk away and I'll forgive you for blowing my fucking doors off."
"Yeah.No.Not happening.We ain't leaving without it,"Rose said,cracking her knuckles.
The leader shrugged. "Guess you ain't leaving here alive."
He pointed his gun at the trio and fired off a shot,but Rose managed to block it just in time by making a thick wall of thorny vines.
"Guess we're not doing this quietly,"Ilyssa said as a pink aura flashed around her figure and jumped one of the walls of the warehouse.
"I'm not surprised.After all,I need the practice,"Rose said with a confident smile.
Markus went around the vine wall and ran to the leader as his hands started to heat up again.The leader tried to shoot Markus, but he dodged them creating mini explosions to blast himself left and right, forming a quick zigzag.Markus took the opportunity to quickly punch the leader in his face, making him drop his gun.
"Kill them!''another gangster commanded as he pulled out his assault rifle and started shooting at them.Rose made a riot shield and started to sprint at the subordinate gangsters,stabbing them with the sharp thorns on her shield.
The leader stood up and chuckled,spitting some blood out of his mouth,"Metahumans…of course.No one would be this reckless unless they had some sort of power.That was one good hit kid,but that's the only one you're getting on me."
Markus glared at him. "We'll see about that."
He dashed towards the leader once more using his explosions.Markus quickly moves his right hand downward,launching himself up and making a bigger explosion with his left,diving towards the gangster until he quickly took off his jacket and suddenly his right arm transformed into a white and black laser gun and shot a light blue laser,hitting Markus in the right shoulder and making him fall on the ground. He grabbed his left arm in pain as blood started to run down his arm as the skin on his shoulder was still sizzling from the blast.
"What the fuck?!" Markus loudly muttered as he stood up,noticing the laser gun that was the gangster's arm.
The leader looked at his new arm-gun proudly."Ah,cyber-enhancements…you like em?Now we got something to fight against you mutants."
'I should be wary of that arm.It could do a number on me if I'm not more careful,' Markus thought as he looked at his bloody arm.
The leader pointed his arm blaster at Markus as he stood up and glared at the leader.
"Rose! Go to the bike and defend it!"Ilyssa said as she stole a gangster's gun,took cover behind Rose's vine wall and landed a bullet on one of the gangster's sides. "We need to keep it in good condition!"
"Already on it!"Rose quickly replied as she grew a vine dome to protect the vehicle.
The wavy haired teen made another vine to grab and disarmed one of the gangsters before swinging him around and collided with the other gangsters and slamming them against the wall,knocking them out.
"Guys!Hurry up!The enforcers are coming!"Drew shouted through the earpieces, causing the trio to wince in pain.
"Geez,calm your shit,Drew!I could've gone deaf in my left ear because of you!"Rose shouted.
'Then I gotta finish him quickly!' Markus thought as he gritted his teeth before he quickly dashed straight towards the leader.
"You Idiot!Think thats' gonna work on me again?!"The leader yelled as he attempted to shoot Markus,but he grabbed the deadly gun. He lifted the barrel upwards, causing the blast hit the ceiling and then he grabbed the leader's shirt with his other hand, headbutted him and kicked him to the wall before retreating.
"You bastard! I'll fucking make you pay!" the leader shouted.
The leader looked at his face as his forehead started to glow an orange light.
"You lose, fucker!"Markus said before snapping his fingers.
"What the-?!" the leader managed to say before the glow on his face exploded,knocking him out and collapsing on the floor with black smoke covering his face.
"Ilyssa!Now!"Rose shouted as Markus headed for the valuable motorcycle.
Ilyssa nodded as she slapped her hands together. She flashed pink again and jumped up to the ceiling before her aura quickly flashed blue and dropped to the ground like an anvil,cracking and breaking the ground beneath her.
As the warehouse started to collapse,Rose and Ilyssa quickly ran out and got into the car as Markus stole the leader's pistol lying on the floor before sprinting to the bike and driving out of the warehouse.
Rain started to come down heavily,nearly soaking the two girls immediately.
"Hit it!"Rose and Ilyssa shouted in unison as Rose got into the passenger seat and Ilyssa dove into the backseats of the car.
"Where's Markus?!"Drew said,panicky. "Holy shit,what did you guys do?! The whole thing is collapsing!
"He has the bike!don't worry!"Ilyssa assured Drew as Markus quickly got out of the collapsing warehouse,driving the sleek motorcycle.
"I'll meet you at the hideout.Fuck,here comes the enforcers!"Markus said quickly before driving away.Drew nodded as they drove away from the enforcer.Markus glanced back, only to see one car.
'it's not an official enforcer car.It must be a private enforcer.' Markus thought
"Let's split up," Markus stated through the earpiece.
"Why?" Ilyssa asked.
"I only see one car and they can't go after both of us,"Markus explained.
"He's right.I only see one but there's probably more down the street,"Rose said.
"Turn right on the next street and I'll go left,"Markus ordered.
When they reached the next street,Drew went right as Marcus went left.The enforcer turned left and started to follow Markus.
"He's after you,Markus!"Ilyssa warned.
Markus sped down the streets of Shiganshina,trying to lose the enforcer.He made a right, then a left ,then a right, then another left,speeding past the slightly unconditioned buildings,duplexes and apartments.
The enforcer managed to keep up as Markus continued to try to lose the car by turning right,then a left,then a right, then another right.Markus looked at the mirror to check, only to see the enforcer still hot on his trail.
He then noticed an arm slowly coming out of the car,a gun in hand.Markus took the pistol out of his jacket and shot at the car but the bullets bounced off the car as if the car was made of rubber.
"Bulletproof?! Fucking really?!" Markus said in anger.The enforcer shot at him,but he swerved to dodge the bullets, but the officer managed to hit Markus in his right shoulder,then the mirror and shot both tires out causing the teen to lose control of the motorcycle.
"Fuck!Fuck!Fuck!"Markus cursed as he started to uncontrollably swerve to each side of the street.
He then drove under a highway bridge and managed to avoid a couple of the highway's fifteen foot pillars until he crashed into one,flinging his body like a ragdoll and smashing into another pillar.
Markus laid there with blood trickling down his face,breathing heavily and most of his vision being almost completely blurry.He tried to move, but only managed to barely drag his body to lean onto one of the pillars of the highway bridge.
He saw the enforcer car approaching him.The light was so bright,forcing Markus to squint his eyes.The enforcer opened the door but with the light flashing on his face he wasn't able to see the enforcer's face,only a tall,dark figure.
"Damn.You ain't lookin' too good,boy,"the enforcer said."Whether I leave you here or shoot you myself,you're probably dyin' either way."
The enforcer then looked and analyzed the destroyed motorcycle. "You were driving a pretty expensive motorcycle there,kid.Where did ya get it from?Sad to see such a good motorcycle go to waste.Let me guess,you and your buddies were going to sell it,huh?But,ya can't sell it now.It's fuckin' totaled."
Markus' head was a little bit fractured with blood trickling down his head and one of the ribs stabbing his lungs,making it hard to breathe.His left arm was deeply cut and fractured with a bullet in his right shoulder.Markus felt so weak,he could barely keep his arm up.He felt his body getting numb,he could hardly feel his legs.
The enforcer sighed. "You gotta do what you gotta do to live.Trust me,I had to do things to survive too.Some of them I ain't proud of, til this day I tell ya.You got potential with that power ya got,kid.Not only you but your friends as well.If you and your little gang wanna make more money,here."
The enforcer threw a black card at the dying teen.
"Oh yeah,you're definitely gonna need this,too,"The tall figure also threw a white pen-shaped object at the dying teen."It's a healing stimulus.Use it."
With all of his strength,Markus leaned and grabbed the stimulus and injected it into his heart,quickly healing his wounds.
He felt the fracture in his skull sealing up with the bullet wound healing itself and the bones in his ribs repairing itself,making easier for his lung to recover as well.Markus grunted a bit in pain as he felt his body started to forcibly and rapidly fix itself.He gasped before he coughed out some blood out of his lungs.
Markus slowly stood up and stared at the figure as his eyesight was clearing up.He was a little shocked at the results from the pen, but he didn't want to show it.He looked to see his minor wounds healing.His cuts,bullet wounds and even his concussion were all fading away.However, when he took off the black glove off his left hand,most of the skin was still dark,dry and leathery.The old burn scar that covered his most of his left arm,shoulder and pec and on the left side of his neck still remained.
'I guess it couldn't get rid of the scar.That fucking bastard…' Markus thought of the incident that got him his scar.
Markus wiped the blood off his mouth and chin and looked up at the dark figure again,squinting to ease the brightness glaring at his face. He never knew medicine like this even existed.Sure,he heard rumors about it around the Vice district but,he didn't even believe it to be true.
"Why did you help me?"Markus asked.
"I saw what you and your buddies are capable of,destroyin' that warehouse over there with ease.Your power is strong and that will be the ticket to get some money off of it."The figure explained. "Perhaps, even getting stronger in the process."
Markus picked up the black card that was floating in his little puddle of blood, only to see just a QR code.With his hearing corrected, Markus noticed that the voice of the figure was male with a deep and raspy voice, but it had a weird bumpkin accent to it.It was minor but noticeable.
"What's this?"he questioned.
"Just scan it,trust me.You're gonna make more money than stealing bikes,"The enforcer said as he entered back in his car and prepared to drive away.
"You never told me your name,"Markus said.
"Just be grateful that you're alive,"The enforcer said as he turned and drove away.
Markus looked at the license plate that was behind the enforcer' car.
'Huh? It seems that the license is from Angleterra...How can a Mareldian enforcer's car be from there?' Markus noted.
He walked to the demolished motorcycle and kicked it."Fucking old cunt,he fucked it up...Can't even drive it anymore.Maybe the parts could be valuable, but i doubt it."
Markus patted his pants' pockets to see if he still has his phone.He took it out to see it was slightly cracked but still functional.He called Drew.
"Hello?"
"Markus,What happened?!I tried to talk to you from the earphone but you were cut off.You good?"Drew said worriedly.
"Yeah...just got into a accident., but i'm fine, but the bike is completely fucked."
Drew sighed. "Well as long as you're fine,i guess it doesn't really matter,just send me your location and I'll pick you up."
Markus sent his location before hanging up. He looked at his battered clothes.His black bomber jacket had bullet holes and cuts on it,His white shirt was shredded and covered in his blood.his black jeans and boots smelled like blood mixed with rain water.
'How in the fuck i'm gonna explain this?' Markus thought,scratching his head.
He then picked up the broken earpiece and put it in his pocket as Drew found him under the highway bridge.Markus walked to the worn out car.
"Holy shit! What happened to you?!"Drew shouted in shock as he saw Markus' torn and clothes as he entered the black car.
"I told you, I was in an accident,"Markus replied. "But again, i said don't worry about it."
"Is that blood?!"Ilyssa said,pointing at his clothes. "It smells like it."
"It has to be because I'm smelling blood too.Explain,"Rose demanded coldly.
Markus crossed his arms and exhaled disgruntledly. "The chase continued and the enforcer shot the tires.I lost control and crashed into one of the pillars. I was about to die, but…the enforcer saved me…telling me that dying here would be worthless to someone with a strong power like mine."
Ilyssa began to shed tears and hugged Markus. "I'm so glad that you're okay,Markus.I don't want you to die."
"Pfff,it's gonna take more than a bike crash to kill me,"Markus said, hugging the crying ginger and softly smiled.
"Jeez, i'm hungry.I wonder what we have left at home," Drew wondered.
"Of course,your fat ass is hungry,"Rose laughed.
"Wait, Markus, where's your earpiece?"the big man asked.
"It's in my pocket.Broken."
"Great…"
The quartet continued to head on home as Drew turned some retro hip hop tunes.He drove inside the scrapyard and parked it by the entrance before getting out of the car and placing old rusty parts on top of the car to give some sort of camouflage.
"Do we always have to do this?" Illyssa complained,placing rusty metal on top of the hood.
"Unless you want the car getting stolen,we have to do this all the time,"Rose reminded her.
The four teens headed towards a big old rusty elevator beside the yard and pressed the button to open the doors.
"This thing is a death trap I swear," Drew commented as they entered inside.
Markus pressed the button to close the door and then pressed the button to go down to the underground.
Gears started to turn to prepare its descent.The elevator started to drop down to the underground.Drew closed his eyes as the bursting speed made the elevator rattle.
In a couple of minutes, the elevator slowed down and softly landed on the ground below them.
The undercity,also known as the Vice district was the place where the elite class go down to have fun in the middle of the night while hoodlums,low income families and homeless people arrive to rest their head for the night. Crooks,mercenaries and gang members come here to do their job, killing,robbing or dumping dead down in the massive pool of stillwater below them and low quality prostitutes create their establishments here using the poorly conditioned buildings around that maintained by the community living here.
The undercity was used as a temporary bunker for the public centuries ago when the surface was infested with monsters but since then,it's been abandoned,leaving people to decorate and upgrade this place as best as they can, like the massive brick tower in the middle of the district that tells the time.
There are dozens and dozens of giant stone pillars all around the district to help prevent the Mitras district from collapsing into this one.But since the Magala incident,some of the homes and stores were destroyed by the falling boulders caused by the devastation on the surface.
As they walked down the dirt road and headed back to their home a couple blocks away from Howie's Underground Bar.
"So,how did it go?"Howie said,dropping an old,drunk man out of his bar.
Howard, nicknamed Howie, was a middle aged bar owner of average height.His slim build made his clothes seems a tad bit too big for him. He had brown hair and a beard but most of it was turning grey with a white dress shirt,dark brown pants and black dress shoes.
"We failed," Markus said,not bothering to make eye contact with the bar owner.
"That sucks," Howie said, a bit disappointed. "Want to have a quick drink before you head home?"
"No," Markus said,a bit frustrated.
Rose shook her head. "Nah,I'm tired."
"Me too,"Ilyssa added as well.
"Not tonight.I have to fix my earpiece,"Drew explained,glancing at Markus.
Illyssa and Drew waved goodbye at the middle aged man as they were heading home.They soon arrived as they walked up the creaking wooden stairs to get to the upper half of the rundown duplex with Drew taking his keys to open the creaky door.
The white ceiling was slightly cracked,the windows were completely shattered from a big fight three year ago making the teens putting up some boards to cover it up while having some small gaps in between to let them see their surroundings. The wooden floor was dusty with mouse traps in the corner and their garbage can overflowing of takeout bags and containers from different fast food restaurants. Bits of the wall paint were peeling off with slight cracks in the corners.It looked like shit, but home was home.
"By the way…who's turn is it to take out the trash?"Ilyssa asked.
"I'm pretty sure it's Drew's turn,"Rose tried to remember.
Drew shook his head,denying the claim. "No,it's not!"
The quartet glanced at the cleaning schedule on the corkboard nailed to the kitchen wall and It was Drew's turn.The three other teens looked back at him.He scratched his chin before walking away.
"Get your fat ass back here and take out the trash!"Rose shouted as she ran to the oval-shaped teen.
As Rose forced Drew to take out the trash and Illyssa checked the rat traps for any success.Markus took off his jacket and tossed it on his bed before sitting on the squeaking, swivel chair in his and Drew's room,thinking about the guy's arm while holding the black card.
'How did he get an arm like that?I heard that cybernetic enhancements like that were still in the prototype phase here in Mareldia unless... he got it from somewhere else.' He thought as he analyzed the card that the enforcer gave him. 'As for the private 'enforcer',How did he manage to get a dose of that?Not even hospitals have that kind of stuff. But whatever it is, i need to get some of that.I could make so much money off of it.'
He heard a knock on the door.A feminine voice asked him, "You good?"
Markus quickly placed the card in his pants' left pocket as he turned to see Rose leaning on the door.
"Yeah…I'm just…thinking about what happened,specifically,when I was fighting the leader,one of his arms was robotic."
Really?I heard about that.He most likely got the surgery illegally because those types of prosthetics are dangerous to the public,especially if they're able to do some crazy shit like that."
Rose sat down on his bed before taking out a granola bar out of her pocket. "Hungry?"
"Thanks."Markus took the snack from her.
"So… what were you holding?"
"What are you talking about?"Markus said,playing dumb while he opened the wrapper of the granola bar.
Rose shuffled herself towards him,causing Markus to lean back a little. "You had something in your hands.I want to know what it was."
"There was nothing in my hands,so back off,"Markus said aggressively.
"Markus,I stood by that door for 2 minutes.You had some card in your hand.Show it to me.Now."
"I still don't know what you're talking about."
Rose's face made a scowl as she approached him. "Show me the card,Markus.I know you have it."
"I had nothing in my hands,"Markus insisted.
Rose smiled before sitting on his lap and placing her left hand under his chin,making him gaze into her hazel eyes. "Look into my eyes,Markus Kane.You're telling me that you had nothing on you?"
"Besides the granola bar you gave me,I don't have anything," He answered,still meeting her hazel gaze,unwavered.
"You have a good poker face,"Rose admitted. "But you still failed." Rose showed him the card that was in his pocket and got off of him.
"How did you-?! Fuck,I fell for it!"Markus said bitterly as Rose gave him a smug smirk.
"Drew!Ilyssa!Look at what Markus got!"Rose said, waving the card above her head.
"What's that?"Ilyssa asked,laying down on their dark red couch.
"I don't know.What is it,Markus?"Rose asked,turning to him.
"It's some card that the 'enforcer' gave me.It just shows a QR code on it and he says that we could make bank with this,"Markus explained.
Drew gently closed his laptop.He used to have another one a few years back, but a former friend stole it before leaving them behind.
"Really?We could make a lot of money with just one call?"
Ilyssa walked to the wavy haired teen and took the card from her and gave it a puzzled look as she looked at the suspicious business card.
"The fact that the enforcer gave you this is really sketchy,Markus,"Ilyssa said. "This could be a scam."
"I don't even think he was even an enforcer. The license plate on the back of his car was from Angleterra," Markus said,leaning on the wall.
"Angleterra?" Drew said. "That's very weird, but if he was a private enforcer, then it makes sense."
"Does it? I mean, why not just use an Mareldian one to blend in better?" Illyssa asked.
"Who cares?" Rose rolled her eyes."The point is that this card could be a trick, especially if an enforcer or some weirdo posing as an enforcer gave you this."
"I'm skeptical of this too,but what choice do we really have?"Drew said. "If we can make a lot more money, than why not test it out?"
"He does have a point.You know how rare that bike was?It will take forever to find anything as expensive as that,"Markus added.
Silence filled the room again with the bustling sounds of the outside making noise.
"Drew,can you scan this code?"Rose asked.
Drew nodded. "I guess so,but I don't want to catch a virus on my laptop."
"Ok then,Markus.You scan it with your phone,you brought it here," Rose flicked the card at Markus.
The taller teen caught the card and took out his phone that had a new crack in one of the corners.He tapped into the camera app, moving his camera to the QR code,showing him a link.
"If we get scammed or tracked down by some group of mercenaries,i'm going to kill you,understand?"Rose warned Markus.
"Yeah sure..." Markus rolled his eyes as he pressed on the link.