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Falling
Sky: Aven A
Day To Remember Both
of them stood relentless facing their fate. They faced uncertainty, they faced
fear, they faced the dark, still, they did not move. Was
it because they were the epitome of courage? That could be true. Was it because
they did not fear death? Perhaps. In
fact.. They were just mummies! Living mummies wrapped up in black tentacles! Yes,
they were trapped, betrayed by someone they called a friend. Their
names were Spirit Ronin and Huge-Man, heroes of the legendary city of Paragon.
Both were scrappers, the first with great knowledge in swordfighting and
battlefield tactics, having lived a thousand lives Jason Mitsu was a scarred
soul with a quest, first to get loose of those tight binds, find a way out of
the darkness and then track down his crazed wife. The latter, a drunk, a
brawler, as bright as a doorknob, and also a great friend, Edgar was the
kindest musclehead anyone could meet, he loved to fight, to drink and right
now.. He really had to go peepee. -
Hey, Ron! - Belched out the musclehead, his voice sounded
like a truck in the darkness -
Can't you like, sum up your magic kitchen knife thingy and get me out of here?
I gotta take a leak! The
niponic scrapper kept his eyes shut, his body in a very rigid, trance-like form
underneath the dark tentacles that held both men down. -
You know what? Never mind... It's kinda too late now. - Huge-Man
said keeping his voice down, embarrassed. Then, suddenly as the stirngs of yellowish
liquid seeped through the magical ropes of darkness, a portal opened underneath
them and their bindings creeped into oblivion, letting them loose. -
Didn't know summons were allergic to pee! - chuckled
the muscle-bound scrapper to his friend. He didn't answer, his stance had not
changed when their bindings vanished, and even though they were no longer bound
by chains they were still trapped in the darkness below Perez Park. Above
ground, even above the trees and the buildings of the area, the betrayer stood,
static in the air around him, the darkness inside him creeping up as the
iminent threat to the world closed in. Mr. Miracle had given up on his
friendship to save his friends' lives, the portals all around the city carried
within them an evil impression, he and a few others also originated in the
depths of magic could sense it. Sacrifice
was his life's goal, to sacrifice his love to protect the ones he loved, to
sacrifice his friendship to save his friends, to sacrifice his life to keep the
innocent from dying. And so, wihtout a single remorse or doubt, Paul Duvain the
man, Mr. Miracle the hero flew into the red portal. And
he was no more. Back
underground, Huge-man was once again relieving himself, for a man with such a
grand stature he had a very small bladder, he did not notice him until he was
gone, Spirit Ronin had snapped out from his trance and was already marching
into the darkness, sword clutched in his hand, ready for anything. Finally
Huge-man's bladder was satisfied and he found himself alone in the darkness,
then he noticed the faint green glow of Ronin's enchanted sword and followed
him into their fate. Both
men were once more. The
now: -Tropic..
- Coughed
the injured man laying in the empty warehouse's floor. -
My name is Tropic.. - His
voice was weak, as was everything else. He had taken a nearly fatal blow from
the plasma beams of one of the alien flagships, it was amazing he had survived
the first shot but had it not been for Aven also being injured in a nearby
building, when he blew through one of the walls like the fiery flames of an
hellish ball from hell, and saving him by jumping a few twenty stories from the
exploding building right into the concrete floor of the warehouse they now
stood, which the day before was swarming with lazy alien soldiers and stinky
alien monkeys, who at the sight of them shot, blew, sliced and tried to kill
them in a very welcoming fight-fest, he would have died. -Don't
try to get up, you're still in a bad shape from that blast. And don't worry,
I've taken care of the Rikti. I'm Aven. - Said
Aven pointing his hand at the large chunk of molten alien, rubble and steel
behind them. The fight had also taken a toll on him but thanks to his genetic
material e could heal pretty fast, though he had been feeling somewhat weakened
since his rough trip to the past. His left arm felt numb for awhile as he had
just put on a few hundred pounds on one single spot, he clutched it trying to
increase blood flow pressure to awaken it. When his arm was somewhat restored
to a woken state he helped Tropic up, he knew that there would be a friendly outpost
near, Paragon General, at Atlas Park, near his home. Having the memories and
knowledge of times past can be quite a resource when you are thrown back to
those same times, and right now every help was needed to fight this almost
invincible threat. The
trip took much more time than expected, with the recurring encounters with
small Rikti patrols, the occasional citizen in need and their own problems,
Tropic seemed to be better though, he didn't need Aven's help anymore and was
at the moment dispatching a few Rikti swordsmen they had stumbled on while
helping an injured woman and her children. Aven
hadn't seen his newfound friend fight yet, and right now that was still hard to
see as the hero speeded between two gigantic energy slicers. They hit nothing
only hot-air and flares, he was fast, very fast, his wounds were healing at the
same speed, and the fires he generated were as or even more powerful than
Kai's, they were similar in a way, the powers, the stance and he also had this
ancient feel to him. Appearing
behind the swordsmen he tapped their shoulders, the dazzled aliens turned
around only to hit face first into two flaming red fists. He then threw a blast
at each sending them into a wall. Those two wouldn't be bothering this world
ever again. Both heroes returned to their journey with an ever increasing
escort of the wounded and helpless, and even a couple more heroes had also
joined them, increasing their survival until they reached the hospital. With
the new help the trip was over in a pinch in a moment they were going to the
weakly lit halls of Paragon General, the place was packed with the dying, the
dead and the injured, it was such a horrid sight, that it triggered a flashback
in Kai's mind. It
was the day his father disappeared, he was in the very same spot on the same
day as he was now, though only at a latter time in the evening, his mother had
been hit by a truck that had been blown off the street by some of the first
blasts from the ships above, somehow she survived, later he would find out she
was a retired hero, the same as his father who had taken off to fight the Rikti
in secret. He had told them he was going to find help and never came back. In
the hospital that day the scene was the same, the dying, the dead and the
injured, only this time he wasn't helpless and he could do some good. He could
find his father. Back
to reality he felt dizzy, enough to lose balance, Tropic noticed and grabbed
his arm keeping him from falling down, he regain his footing and nodded at
Tropic for the assist, this was when he realized both of them were wearing just
something close to rags. He was still wearing the street clothes with which he
had left his home with and that were now just a charred remnant of their former
glory, Tropic too was in a bad shape clothes wise, he was only wearing a pair
of old jeans also burned in several unwanting places. Kai took off one of his
power bracers and handed it to Tropic, he just looked at it confused. -
That'll give you some new clothes, and keep you off some minor damage. See this
small blue crystal in the center of it? It contains special nanites, nano sized
robots, they create a fitting apparel according to the user, I'll show you. - He
put his wrist in front of him and pressed the crystal in the middle of the
bronzed bracer, it began glimmering in a soft blue light and suddenly a grey
mist went from Kai's arm through his whole body, the mist hardened and in a few
seconds formed what looked like a dark grey spandex suit, fashioned with a few
bronzed graphics and a golden "A" in the middle of his chest, he had
regained another bracer, replacing the one he handed to Tropic. -
It's made of a special polymer that adapts to the user, while it processes which
look suits you best it also analyzes your DNA changing to better suit your
powers. Go on, try it. - Tropic
held the bronzed bracer with a doubtful look, it took a couple of seconds but
he decided to try it, equipping it on his left wrist he did as Aven had showed
him, pressing the small crystal, a dark mist began surrounding him, it was an
awkward feeling, the small machines making their way through his body,
searching, recording, changing, just the same way as before the mist hardened
around him, right away forming his look, black leather pants and boots, a dark
red T-shirt with a hawk logo in white on his chest, his wrists wore now two
bracers nto bronze but dark silver. He looked amazed at himself, it had been
something he had in his mind for a while and now there it was. He reached out
his and to Aven and they handshook in appreciation. - I
have a mission for you and me, will you help me? - Said
Aven as his serious gaze caught Tropic. He
nodded, not much of a talker anyway. Aven turned around and sarted marching out
onto the chaotic street, motioning Tropic to follow him. Both men hit the skies
of the razed Paragon. |