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Omnisource: One Lesser Devoured
By Soboscribe: Rsobo67@verizon.net
Server: Protector, the home of Surge Pack

    In the cave network running through the Blackstone Hills of Founder’s Falls a group of Geology students from Paragon University are researching the local minerals that are unique to the area. They are assured by their professor that the designated areas marked on the maps are safe, free of any type of villain or monster that are a common sight in Paragon City.
    “Okay class you should be complete in collecting all the samples needed for the experiments next week,” states the professor.
Suddenly the cave area the class is in starts to shake.
“Oh no it’s an earthquake! We’ll be trapped in here!” screams one of the students in a panic. All of a sudden a section of wall in the back of the chamber explodes out sending rock and dust flying all around.

As the dust settles, the class is shocked to see a group of the Devouring Earth enter through the newly formed hole. A Deathcap lobs a spore sack into the crowd of students causing them to choke. The professor reaches for the emergency beacon that is required for all field trips and activates the distress call. This proves to be his last act as the spines of a Blackrose fatally tears through his chest, pinning his corpse to the cave wall. The students are terrified as the group is surveyed by a Herder. The creature points out one female student.
“This one shall serve as our new Terra,” hisses the Herder.
The student a petite brown haired girl named Angila Leyman cringes back as two Bedrock creatures descend on her.
“You’re not taking Angi, not without a fight!” yells Rich Arzola, a short but athletic built man of Mexican descent charges at the Devouring Earth. He is backhanded almost nonchalantly by one of the Bedrocks and is sent sailing across the chamber. Rich hits the wall and slides to the cave floor. The last thing he sees before unconsciousness claims his are the students being herded into the new cave opening.

Rich comes to and realizes he is in a cave section lined with huge crystal fragments that are luminous in nature. A Razorvine and a Geode stand menacingly in front of him.
“Stop! Don’t touch me! What are you… no! Don’t stick me with that!” Rich hears the cries of Angila coming from across the cavern. Rich slowly looks around the Geode, trying not to agitate the two Devouring Earth creations. He sees a Lesser Devoured jam what looks like a syringe into the thigh of the collage girl.
“There, it is delivered. Now we need only to wait for the glorious change,” proclaims the Lesser Devoured, its voice sounds as though it is gargling as it speaks.
“All hail the new mate to the Hamidon,” is chorused by the group of earth monsters. Angila drops to all fours and looks up to see Rich. The collage man is frustrated as he looks into the pleading eyes of his classmate.
“Make sure the cave is secure,” orders the Devoured leader and the creatures shamble off into the caves to check that the transformation is not disturbed.

A half hour crawls by and if felt like an eternity to Rich as he tries to comfort Angila the best he can verbally.
“Don’t you worry Angi, the doc got the distress call out, I saw him do it. The heroes will get us out and have you fixed up in no time,” says the collage student, trying to encourage hope in the dire situation they are in. at least the sobbing from Angila had stopped and the Devouring Earth members allowed the student to walk around the cave area and even brought her water from an underground spring.
“I hope the heroes get here soon Rich. I’m starting to feel really strange,” says Angila as she approaches her friend as close as the Geode will let her. Rich is shocked as he sees Angila start to turn a dark earthly green. The collage girl lets out a groan through gritted teeth and doubles over in pain.
“Oh God, this hurts! Ugh...” grunts out as she wraps her arms around herself. Rich stares on in disbelief as firs his friend’s abdomen seems to pulse and swell up. Angila throws her head back and let’s out a primal scream as all of her body swells and contorts. Within seconds the transformation is complete. In the place where the collage student once stood now has a Devoured Earth creature there. The figure stands about eight feet tall and made of solid muscle. Shreds of Angila’s fall from the Lesser Devoured.
“What has happened to me? I’m a monster!” escapes from the tentacled mouth of Angila. The creature sobs and drops her head into her huge three clawed hands and collapse to her knees.

“Thanks for taking this mission Animal, there was a kidnapping by the Devouring Earth. There was a class from Paragon University exploring the caves when they were attacked. There are six students to rescue and seek clues to what the Devouring Earth are up to,” comes the voice of Merisel Valenquala, one of the many civilian contacts that work with the super heroes through out Paragon City.
“Got the location on the map, I’m on my way,” responds Animal as he snaps close the contact communicator, a device that is issued to all registered heroes and heroines in Paragon City. Animal is a Mutant Scrapper with the Security Clearance level of 32. He has a short wiry frame and is decked in a black and grayish brown body suit with a half face mask that exposes his lower face and his unruly black hair. Animal wears the insignia of a Bear Claw on his chest and two shoulder pads. With completing the set missions, the Scrapper has gained the honor to wear a cape, which is the same grayish brown as his uniform.

Animal enters the cave system and is greeted with a heavy earthly smell, a sure sign of the Devouring Earth. The hero concentrates and strains his hearing for any sound of movement. Only the sound of dripping water can be heard, so the Scrapper proceeds into the cave network. After exploring the twists and turns of the caves that have turned back on each other or led to dead ends, Animal has finally spotted a hostage. The collage student is being guarded by a Deathcap and a Razorvine.
“This is going to be fun,” jokes the hero to himself as he picks up a rock. Animal chucks the rock and bounces it off the mushroom cap shaped head of the Deathcap. The Scrapper exposes his twin set of indestructible Chormiantium claws s the Devouring Earth creature turns and attacks. With lightning fast slashes, the hero quickly dispatches the Deathcap.
“Hey I’m no pin cushion you crazy shrub,” barks Animal as he dodges a blast of spines from the Razorvine. With a spinning jump the Mutant Scrapper shreds the Razorvine.
“Now that’s what I call a pruning job. You okay kid?” “Thank you, I thought they were going to kill me,” says the collage student praising Animal. The hero hands the young woman an emergency teleport transponder and waits to see the student fade from view, teleported to safety.

After further exploration and battles with and dispatching the Devouring Earth creatures back to the Earth, Animal has rescued a total of four of the hostages and recovered the body of the professor. The Scrapper slowly works his way around a curve in the passage and dodges the long abandoned rail tracks that were probably used by miners that were excavating the luminous crystals that seem to sprout form various areas. Animal soon comes to a make shift door closing off the next section of tunnel. As Animal slowly opens the door he quickly dives for cover behind a natural pillar of stone. He sneaks a look around the pillar and spies one of the remaining collage students pressed into the corner being guarded by two of the creatures. The thing that strikes the hero is the behavior of the green colored Lesser Devoured on its knees and appears to be sobbing with the white colored Devoured consoling it. After a quick check to make sure that these are the only monsters in the cavern before deciding on a plan of attack.

Animal decides on the “pulling” technique and hurls a stun grenade, a temporary gift from a contact, at the Razorvine and in turn catches the attention of the Geode. Animal unleashes his claws and slashes at the crystal creature. The first attack is blocked so the hero lets loose with a roundhouse kick that knocks the Geode to the side. The Scrapper then pummels the monster with a rain of punches that finally shatters the Geode. Out of the crystal remains two Crystal Shards spring into life as the Razorvine launches its spine attack. Animal grabs one of the Shards and throws it at the charging mass of flora. The two Devouring Earth creatures smash into each other, taking the two out of the game. Animal slams his right claw into the head of the last Shard and flings it into the wall shattering it.

Rich sprints from the corner to the waiting hero. “Angi… she… she…,” “Don’t worry kid, I’ll find her. Here now scoot.” “But wait, you…,” stammers Rich as the Scrapper pushes past him.
“Okay Squidly Diddlies mind giving me the last collage student or do I have to turn you into Calamari?” taunts Animal as he prepares for the attack.
“No, no you don’t understand. I’m the student, I’m Angila Leyman!” comes the garbled voice of the green monster as it waves its hands in front of it.
“You will not harm the new mistress to the Hamidon,” says the white beast.
“Calamari it is then,” states the Scrapper as he begins to charge the Devoureds. Animal is surprised to have his attack interrupted, not by a creature but by the latest student to be rescued. The young man blindsided Animal and is trying to tackle him. Only his mutant reflexes keep him on his feet.
“Angi has been turned! I won’t let you hurt her!” yells Rich.
“I will destroy you both,” growls the white Devoured.
“No!” cries out Angila.

Suddenly the cave chamber is filled with a brilliant flash of light. Animal is the first to regain his senses and is stunned by what he sees. Standing behind the white Devoured is a figure shaped like a Lesser Devoured but appears to have a costume on. A full face plate covers the facial features including the tentacled mouth and from its hulking shoulders angled down to the center of its chest is colored a dark purple. The rest of it appears to be made of the night sky, complete with stars.
“What has happened to Angi now, hasn’t she been through enough?” wonders Rich out loud. The Lesser Devoured is still in attack mode and summons its pet swarms.
“Now my faithful, destroy the two meddlesome creatures. Protect the mistress.” “Bees, I hate those things, they get everywhere. Run kid, I’ll hold them off,” says the hero as he sneaks his hand into a secret compartment in his belt.
“No, do not harm the swarms hero, they truly mean no harm,” comes the echoey voice of Angila. The white creature turns and is startled to see not only the further transformation of the mistress but the fact that she is absorbing the swarms into her.
“The mistress has forsaken the Green and joined forces with the colorless sky! Betrayer of the Hamidon!” Angi is stunned by the powerful sweeping blow from the Lesser Devoured. She quickly retaliated with her own smack as the two creatures exchange blows. The two lock hands like Roman/Greco wrestlers and circle around trying to get leverage on the other.
“Do something,  Angi could get hurt.” “Kid, it looks like your girlfriend can handle this herself,” responds Animal as the two men look on the titanic struggle.
“Such corrupted thinking on a very noble idea. You creature has suffered needlessly,” states the Omni-guard. “We serve the Green. We serve the Hamidon!” cries the Earth monster.
“With the source inside me I can take away all the pain just renounce your misguided loyalty.” “Never, I will never betray my master!” yells the white Devoured as he lets loose a stream of toxic spray into the face of the masked Angila. The Omni-guard breaks her hold to clear her eyes. When her vision is restored Angila is shocked to see that the hero is laying across the chamber and the white beast is ready to crush Rich Arzola.
“I can not let you hurt other. You leave me no choice.” The costumed creature raises her hands as twin beams of energy project forth to surround the Devoured. The White creature is trapped in a stasis field and is suspended in the air.
“Thanks, now to finish that squid head off,” says Animal as he picks himself off the ground. The Scrapper easily smashes the Earth monster to the ground knocking it out cold.

As the transponder is set on the Devouring Earth creation Animal spies a discarded syringe and a small box of chemicals.
“This may help explain what the Devouring Earth was up to.” Suddenly there is an explosion of light and Animal instinctively dives for cover. As the light dies down the hero sees a young woman laying on the cave floor covered in nothing but a greenish tinted slimy residue.
“Angi! You’re back!” yells Rich excitedly as his vision returns. Animal catches a glimpse of a glowing yellow ball of energy phase through the ceiling. The Scrapper takes off his cape and wraps it around the nude woman.
“So what happened to you?” questions the hero, bewildered by the past events.
“After being turned into that monster, I was nearly overcome by a mental possession that would have fully turned me into a Devouring Earth follower but a strange… energy I guess, it called itself the Omnisource, prevented that from happening.”
“Okay, okay lets get out of here and get you two someplace safe and we can sort this all out better,” says Animal as he takes out his communicator and relays a mission complete to his contact.

The End (for now)



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