Jamal felt his throat run dry as the henchman decided to investigate the alleyway.
The downpour got heavier, as the man approached.
He stopped 5 metres shy. Since he had no source of light, Jamal assumed he'll have to come closer.
But he was viciously wrong.
The man flicked a flashlight on and the beams fell right on Jamal. The man hesitated, and that was all that was needed. By the time he reached for his rifle, Chris was there; out of nowhere.
Jamal saw the scuffle that ensued, so close that he heard the man's neck snap even with the noise around him. He heard a gun cock, then Chris appeared.
"We have to find shelter for the rain," he said, then pointed down the road. "I think Edward and his men are headed south, towards the Den. We'll move east. The hideout sweeps across the north and we don't know what we'll encounter."
Jamal nodded in agreement. He knew he'll have to ignore his pains until later. They moved out quietly, making sure to stick to the shadows. The noise of the city had been replaced by the roaring of thunder and flashes of lightning. Jamal imagined most people had moved to find safety from the rain instead of just running around. A thick blanket of hopelessness filled the air as they maneuvered their way around.
***
The guard carried a tray of half-cooked food and headed for the basement. His friends had been taken away in search of the escaped prisoners or some useless war he couldn't imagine. He was happy babysitting the prisoner and being in the safety of the bunker. He'll have been called a coward, but to him, better a coward than an untimely death. He whistled down the hallway and turned right.
There stood Elder Paul, red beams of energy coming out of his hands and supporting the building structure. Paul looked like he was suffering: sweat covered his body, and red welts already appeared on his back. His eyes also looked shallow.
"Who's there?" Paul barked.
"It's just me, Elder Paul," the guard replied with a bow. "I have been tasked to watch the prisoner."
When Paul didn't answer, the guard continued on his way. He reached the prison door and unbolted it. He stepped into the cold room. It was dark as night. Well, it was night, he thought. Smell of rotten food hit his senses.
"Come on out, you scumbag," he called as he stepped deeper into the room and dropped the tray on the ground. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the little light of the corridor had blocked off. Probably the door, he thought. "You don't want the food?"
There was no reply. The only noise was the trickling of water from somewhere in a corner.
"Eh?!" He said, louder.
By the time he had realized something was amiss, it was too late. Maybe it was the fact that the prisoner wasn't in his usual sleeping spot or maybe it was the silence, but the guard felt spooked. He felt a shiver down his spine as he turned to leave. That was when he made eye contact with the person standing behind him, at the entrance. Person? Eyes? The thing he saw couldn't be human. He wanted to shout but his body was too paralyzed, too frightened.
The door creaked closed as the guard reached for his gun…
Goddammit! He forgot his gun in the toilet! The red eyes he saw had vanished into the darkness. Slow footsteps clattered around the room, with an occasional groan uttered. He felt sweat down his neck. He decided to scream for help.
Wrong move.
What came out of his throat wasn't a scream. It was a gurgling noise as he felt a slicing pain across his neck. His eyes bulged as warm liquid streamed down his torso. He fell on his knees. The darkness got darker, he didn't feel it when a hand bent his head and jagged set of teeth chewed his flesh.
*****
Kelvin had been feeling his body twitch for days. He didn't eat anything. He had suddenly lost appetite. And his eyes hurt badly. What with the darkness, he was practically blind. He screamed for days, banged the floor, scratched the walls, all to no avail. The fever consumed him. He shivered that morning, his body feeling like somebody's. As he tried to talk, a groan escaped his lips. He felt death lying on the floor behind him. In front of him, he saw his dreams drifting away like the sun set. He scrambled to his feet and ran after the "dream" but only clutched at empty air. He saw Laura's face beside him. She looked scared. He reached for her but it vanished.
The last thing Kelvin could remember was that he blacked out. He wasn't sure for how long but something told him it wasn't long.
The prison door opened and a figure appeared holding something.
His body moved on it's own, slipping away from the light of the corridor and dissolving into the shadows, like a devil. He suddenly felt exhilarated. Like he was more alive than ever! And his appetite crashed on him. A certain kind of hunger set in.
The figure moved forward, clattering something on the floor. He said something about "scumbag" but Kelvin wasn't listening. He was focused on blocking the light, it hurt his eyes.
That was all he could recall. The next thing he saw was what he was doing right now, licking his bloody hands. Few bones -and flesh- scattered around the room. He could see them clear as day. Cold air seeped into the prison.
And freedom.
******

This update is terrific

Kelvin has turned to a cannibal. let's see whether he will get past elder Paul

Damian077:
This update is terrific

Thank you

Evold:
Kelvin has turned to a cannibal. let's see whether he will get past elder Paul

I personally don't think it's enough, but we'll see. Thank you

LightQueen:
Thanks for the update

I appreciate, ma'am.

I really want to take this moment to appreciate the comments, encouragement, and more importantly, taking your time to read my story. I'll admit, it's not my best writing but you guys have made it an addictive experience for me. I apologize to those comments I couldn't reply to. Thank you. P.S: I also appreciate the ghost readers.

up you go bro

Nice one.. More grease to your elbow, Pls we need more updates ooooooooo.

Benjamin's cloak absorbed more water, slowing him down. He dragged the latest casualty he had seen into an abandoned shop. It also allowed him a few seconds to catch his breath before going back into the rain.
"Origin to all teams," Origin's voice broke over the radio. "We are approaching the hot zones. We should expect to be attacked anytime soon. I sense dense amounts of energy ahead. Probably an elder."
At hearing the word "elder", Benjamin felt his grip tighten around his gun.
The elders had been in existence for centuries. The source of their power remains unknown, but it had been said that they were born with their abilities; unlike Shin, who had to inject different things into his body to attain just a quarter of that of the elders. Charles and his brothers, Red and Blue, could use the same abilities because they were Shin's offsprings. But none of them had the perfect DNA alignment to be able to take full advantage of energy. Jamal had the DNA, but his body and mind were weaker. So he could be a vessel, nothing more.
"Rearguards," Origin called, "move north. Scouts, head east. We'll sweep other areas. The energy in the air signifies there's more than one energy user in the vicinity. Keep your eyes peeled. Origin out."
"Rearguard, out."
"Scout, out."
Benjamin sprinted, expertly climbing and rolling off obstacles and walls.
"Move faster," Red's voice came. "We're lagging behind."
****
Jamal felt a few muscles in his left leg start to give way. The pain became unbearable and they had to break the journey, taking shelter in an abandoned supermarket. Half of the building had been destroyed. A body sat on a chair behind the counter. The eyes had been gorged out and so too were the intestines. The smell of blood raked through the atmosphere. Jamal's stomach turned. Chris was already throwing up in a corner nearby.
"What the hell happened here?" Jamal asked. "The elders invaded the city from the north. How could they have reached this place quickly?"
Chris moved closer to the body. He used the rifle to poke the head and belly, examining it.
"This is not an elder," Chris noted. "Your kind use energy to fry people dead, right?"
Jamal agreed. All fatal attacks using an energy beam would be so hot the target would be fried inside out. The heat was generated through the continuous overlapping of protons over electrons and vice versa. This creates a violent reaction of atoms, this giving off heat. He had read in Shin's journal that the heat created sometimes ranges to hundreds of degrees. Physical attacks required one to generate enough energy balance to solidify it, boosting the power by two or three.
A slow inhuman groan came from the back of the building. Jamal thought he saw fast movement ahead. He stepped back. From the sudden aim of his rifle in that direction, he knew Chris saw it too. The groan came again, this time behind them.
"What in the world is that?" Chris whispered.
Jamal wished he knew the answer. A cold chill ran down his spine. He could almost lick the toxic smell of proton virus out of the air.
"Just stay on alert," he whispered back. "High alert."
The figure moved, but Chris had tracked it. The crack of gunshot momentarily filled the supermarket. The thing whimpered and with a thud, fell on the shelves somewhere.
"We can't go in there," Jamal said. He crouched in front of Chris. "We have no lights."
Chris grunted in agreement.
"Let's get out of here."
*** I'm sorry for the short length.***

Let's get out of here."
But it was too late.
Something sprang out of the darkness in front of them. Chris wasn't fast enough on the trigger. It crashed into him, sending the gun flying. They stumbled into the darkness behind Jamal. Growling and scuffling noises rendered the air of the supermarket.
Jamal suddenly felt adrenaline pumping through his veins as he picked up the rifle and readied himself.
A deafening silence fell across the night. No more growls, no sign of Chris either.
Jamal moved carefully towards were Chris was attacked. The light was awfully ineffective.
"Looking for this?"
Jamal turned around.
An unconscious Chris was suspended in the air like a cloth on a line. His body was slumped but he was suspended vertically. Jamal imagined it must be the enemy using electron energy to achieve that feat.
A figure appeared near Chris. The shadows obscured his features but Jamal could sense the energy in the air. It weighed him down. His body felt heavier than ever. He had felt that aura before. It was that of Edward.
Without hesitating, Jamal prepared to shoot.
"You are surrounded," was the only word Edward muttered before several more growls filled the air once again and hunched creatures entered the building from all openings -zombies came to mind. They stopped short of Jamal and Edward.
"All I have to do now is give the order," Edward muttered again.
Jamal felt a surprising sense of relief. Death was an easy way out compared to being captured by a deranged Edward. If it came to that, he was ready to kill a few enemies before dying himself. But, it seemed however that luck was not going to be on his side anymore -the losing side.
"But I wouldn't," Edward said out of the blue. "I want to watch the two of you suffer for what you did."
Jamal kept quiet. He was evaluating his options. If he started gunning them down now he'll probably kill a few but it'll result in his own death, and definitely Chris' too. But escaping was completely impossible. He can't trust that Edward hadn't told a few more men to wait outside in case things went south inside. Plus he had made a big mistake in the space between taking that gun and now: he didn't even check how many rounds were left after Chris fired earlier.
Considering his plans too risky, Jamal dropped the gun.
"Good. Round him up and bring him outside."
Jamal heard a door open and close. Chris floated along in the air and disappeared along with Edward. Two zombies grabbed Jamal from both sides and dragged him outside, where the rain fell endlessly.
Edward appeared from the side of the building, this time accompanied by a raunchy looking man with outrageous arrogance. He also wore a suit and had a pissed look on his face.
"Is that him?" He spat towards Jamal.
"We should kill him right now!"
Edward remained silent while the man went on about how Jamal was an enemy and Chris a traitor. And how they should be killed as an example to opposition forces.
"Tukur," Edward addressed the noisy man, who fell silent immediately. "Talking about traitors, I didn't remember giving you any instruction to tell Katrina anything about the experiments."
Tukur swallowed. He smiled uneasily. "You know, she's the chief. I thought she had to be informed," he paused. "Elder Edward."
Edward said nothing. He simply looked over his left shoulder and one of the creatures stepped forward.
Tukur had seen it coming. He rushed to run but was nowhere near the speed of the zombie thing. The thing grabbed him by the throat and squeezed the living air out of him. Tukur kicked. He struggled, but it wasn't enough to keep him on his feet nor set him free. He lost balance and the thing got on top of him, biting off chunks of flesh off his flailing arms.
Jamal knew Tukur was trying to scream but the iron grip around his throat was there for a reason.
Edward chuckled from the corner, like a kid watching his favourite TV show. It was obvious he instructed a slow death for Tukur.
By now Tukur's shirt was dyed crimson, his arms having flesh bitten off, eyes bulging through sockets. With one last attempt, he managed to get the grip around his neck loosen a bit. A gut wrenching, animalistic shout sliced the night but it only lasted a few seconds before Tukur was crowded by two more hunched creatures.
Jamal couldn't look again. The sight was too gory even for his standards.
"That's what happens to people who cross us," Edward warned. "Consider yourself lucky if you had a quick ending like Tukur's."
*******
Benjamin spun in the air, he rolled on the ground and quickly into a crouching position before taking aim at the zombie-like thing he was fighting. The headshot shattered half of the thing's face. He saw a slimy hand grab his shoulder but the grip weakened immediately. The creature was fried by a red beam of energy.
"Thanks," he whispered into the comms.
"Move!" said Red.
An inhuman shriek suddenly came out of nowhere. It was momentary, but it was enough to catch nearby attention.
"Did you hear that?" Benjamin said.
"Yeah," came Red's reply. "It came from the east side. Less than two minutes from here."
"Let's go check it out," he quickly added.
"No," Red said. "We'll be going out of range. Let's call it in and wait for the others."
"It'll take ages to regroup," Benjamin protested.
No reply came.
"Either way, I'm going," he said with finality before sprinting towards the direction of the scream.

Still Followinq.......

Thankz yhu for d update

Benjamin will endup regretting his decision to move out of range. Elder Paul is too much

Thanks for the update

Thanks for the update

***
Paul heard growling coming from the prison down the corridor. The lights flickered on and off a few times before going off completely. The whole place was rendered totally dark.
But it was fine by him. There was merely a difference between light and darkness to him. Plus the glow coming from proton energy provided a little illumination. Just in case.
"Why the hell are you taking so long?" He called down the corridor. The guard had been in the room for almost an hour now. Had he been chatting with the prisoner? Or worse, trying to help him escape? Paul felt a surge of anger through his body. Those bloody incompetent guards! He stomped down the corridor saying loudly: "Answer me before I decide to end you."
He yanked open the door and was greeted by an unfamiliar sight.
There sat the prisoner in just trousers. He sat facing the door, back against the far wall, licking his fingers, moaning in pleasure. Paul saw the untouched food on the floor a few paces ahead. The guard was nowhere to be found. Just blood all over the walls and cold floor.
"What the -" Paul uttered. He was short of words. The prisoner's head suddenly shot up and their eyes met. Those blood red eyes glowed in the darkest parts of the room. Paul didn't feel intimidated at all. In fact, he felt like he was being challenged and took a few confident steps closer. When the prisoner flashed him a bloody smile, he felt his blood run cold.
It crossed his mind to unleash his trump card but quickly dismissed the thought. It would be an insult on him if such a weak human would force him to go full power. Besides, it had been long since he had some fun. He flexed his body and removed his torn suit jacket.
"Don't disappoint me, eh?" He said
The creature growled in agreement and stood to full height.
Paul slammed the door shut behind him and his arm glowed in a violent black flame.
The creature lunged at him.
***
Jamal fell on his knees, panting hard. The downpour had grown lighter over the few hours. His drenched clothes grew heavier by the minute.
Edward looked over his shoulder. "Get up," he said dryly.
Jamal didn't respond. He just stared at the ground. His chest hurt due to the cold and his body had reached it's limits. This is the final end, he thought. It occurred to him that a part of him had been waiting for death ever since Faruk died. The princess, fighting crimes, they all distracted him from what he really wanted; freedom.
One of the creatures slapped him on the back of the head but he barely noticed. He didn't care anymore about survival or keeping promises. This was hell to him. He glanced over at where two creatures held the unconscious Chris and wished he could be in the same place too. No, he thought, he preferred dying. The hunger, the pains, the hopelessness. They clawed through his chest like caged animals that wanted out.
Another creature appeared in front of him and raised a hand to hit him. That was his last act.
Jamal saw the headshot before he heard it. The bullet smashed half of the creature's head clean off. Blood sprayed on Jamal as the body slumped sideways. Before the other one could react, he was treated in like manner. Two more got down and also the ones holding Chris. Before a silhouette appeared ahead. Whoever it was had to have all the confidence in the world to move head on. Jamal saw that the person wore a cloak as the bottom half swayed gently in the air.
Edward chuckled. His shoulders shuddered as he burst into uncontrolled laughter. "One man," he said between chuckles. He raised his index finger in the air. "Just one man?"
The cloaked person stopped a few metres away. No reaction came. Jamal started to wonder if maybe the person realized he or she was about to make the biggest mistake in their lives. But he was wrong.
"Give me those two and I'll promise you a quick death," the stranger said calmly. Now that he came close enough, Jamal could see that it was a hooded cloak similar to his. Could it be?
"What's your name?" Edward enquired.
"It doesn't matter," Jamal realized the man's voice was muffled.
"No, it doesn't," Edward agreed as the surrounding area started to glow red. The stranger didn't move an inch except to bring out his pistol and reload it. He looked towards Jamal and nodded.
Jamal stumbled across to Chris and started to pick him up, half dragging him.
Edward charged at them screaming "Nobody leaves!" But was stopped by a single bullet that passed between Jamal and himself.
"I am your opponent, Edward."
Edward nodded with a smirk on his face. "Special bullets."
"For special beings," said the man.
Jamal dragged Chris away from the area, only stopping when he was sure they were far enough. He tapped Chris on the cheek three times and he started awake. He looked shaken but OK. Chris sat up, obviously trying to remember where he was.
Jamal briefed him about the supermarket encounter, the creatures, how Edward captured them, and the stranger. Chris listened.
"What makes that guy think he can match an elder?" Chris whispered, more to himself than anything else.
"Maybe he can defeat them," Jamal shrugged.
Chris shot him a look. "Nobody has ever been able to defeat them in history. Not even the legendary Shin or his brother." When he saw the look of shock on Jamal's face he continued.
"I went through the Monarchy archives when I was at HQ. It said that their were five brothers who were born with a specific DNA structure. Their father, a scientist who ran out of jobs, took to researching his sons one by one. He-"
Jamal held up a hand. "But I thought they were born with abilities? YOU said that."
Chris sighed. "That is what they made the world believe. I couldn't trust you completely back then, to tell you everything I knew."
Jamal agreed. Chris couldn't trust him earlier. He still couldn't trust Chris. He hadn't dragged Chris out of that place just because it was his friend. He wanted to keep an eye on him. All that has happened could've been to make Jamal trust him, give up some important information, and then make it look like they were captured on the run.
"This happened centuries ago," Chris was saying. "After years of God knows what, the sons were able to control atomic energy. Probably because they were able to absorb it. Then suddenly, they outlived everyone and used their powers to conquer."
"You said there were five, right?" Jamal asked. "I only see three."
Chris scoffed. "With every action there's a corresponding reaction. Two of the five decided to explore and tap deeper into the powers. They became so obsessed and their bodies started giving off an altered proton type: proton virus. It destroyed them on a molecular level and everything around them until they were stopped by their brothers. The brothers kept the Torpedo, awaiting the day they could obtain the needed ingredients to resurrect their brothers. In fear of dying suddenly, they created the Monarch organization and deceived many into thinking it was protecting us. In reality, it was to make sure they had enough resources to keep searching."
"So what are those ingredients?" Jamal asked.
"There's the Torpedo itself, which was half of the real proton virus, then the virus itself. The brothers had that in large abundance by removing it from the corpses of their dead siblings. They had looked for the third for centuries. I don't know what it is."
"What about the writings on the staff?"
"It's about how to open the Torpedo vault and how to resurrect the brothers."
Jamal stared out into the night. He was confused. But it didn't matter because he had to destroy the Torpedo. And whatever the third is. He realized that Shin didn't know some things too. But what if Chris was lying again. He eyed his friend and the feeling that this was a conspiracy dawned on him again. He shifted uncomfortably.
"What can you tell me about the elders?"
"They are indestructible," Chris said with finality. "At least with the current weaponry we have. And they have their ultimate powers, I heard. They call them 'trump cards'. Once heard Paul say that his dragon could split the world in half. I believe it's just exaggeration, though."
Chris opened his mouth to talk but Jamal stopped him to be quiet. They kept perfectly still as numerous silhouettes appeared on the streets. Some were on the roof and some on foot. They faced different directions and were all hooded.
"Come on out. We're not the enemy," Jamal identified Aido's voice.
Jamal didn't hesitate to come out of the shadows, grunting with effort as his muscles stiffened. Chris followed shortly.
"He's with me," Jamal jerked his head in Chris' direction.
Jamal couldn't stand again. He felt his body go numb then his eyes closed shut.

I hope Benjamin will stand his own against Edward until his team arrive

Well done Op

***
The thing lunged at Paul again. He gathered red energy and slashed it at the incoming opponent but it wasn't enough. He was charged into the wall. Paul had to keep his hands on the prisoner's shoulders to stop him from sinking his teeth into his body. The thing was unbelievably strong, trying to shrug of the hands around him. Paul knew he couldn't hold for much longer, but his energy reserves were almost drained. He needed the trump card now more than ever.
F@ck it, he thought. A b@stard like this was not enough to take him to full power. That pride alone was enough to give him the strength needed to toss the sorry thing across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and slid to the floor. That nasty grin was still there, though.
Paul raised one hand in the air and it was immediately covered in black smoke. He felt his body temperature start to drop by a few degrees. Good, he told himself. His body would start radiating a lower temperature and soon, the cold in the room would be unbearable even for the damnest of all creatures.
***
Katrina led Isaac towards the secret tunnels located beneath her room. It had been fifteen minutes now and none of them had uttered a word to the other. They reached a wooden door with two bars crossed in an X and fastened with chains and numerous locks. Isaac watched as she brought up her staff and mumbled a few words.
Nothing happened at first. Isaac was about to condemn her when a slow hiss came from behind the door. The chains started to break one after the other and the cross bars slid harmlessly to the side of the door.
The room was dark and had no openings except the door. Isaac -as expected- couldn't even see anything even with his powerful eyesight.
"Activate it," he said to Katrina. When she hesitated he grabbed her by the hair and hissed into her ear. "Forget sentiments, too late for that. You try stopping me from my goal and I might actually have to kill you."
The threat was genuine enough to make her step forward and point the staff in a random direction and yell: "As Chief of the Monarchs, daughter of your previous king, I command you to show me the Torpedo."
The room was suddenly illuminated by a blinding flash of light which then focussed to the center of the room, shining brightly on a lengthy object measuring about a metre and a half, suspended in midair. It was wrapped in a brown piece of cloth. Isaac moved towards it, shoving Katrina aside. The light grew duller the closer he came to it.
"Come to your master, Torpedo," Isaac said. He could hear the greed in his own voice. He couldn't imagine the power -no, the status- he'll ascend to after retrieving just the Torpedo. Paul and Edward can keep the proton virus to themselves and keep trying to resurrect the dead brothers all they want. It was a foolish mission from the start and Isaac wasn't on board at first until he researched the powers himself and realized he could tag along until the final piece of the puzzle was complete. His initial intentions were to kill Paul and Edward after they had united all the three requirements, but this would do. He'll deal with his brothers later, after all. He caught himself grinning, something he hadn't done in quite a decade. This was victory; even greater than the victory of conquest. He felt his fingertips tickle as he reached for the item.
"Be careful," he frowned and turned around. He had forgotten about the useless girl. "This is a sacred place, you know that. And I can't let you take it to the battlefield."
"I don't care what you want," he raised a hand, ready to gather energy. The original agreement was that the proton virus had been released in the city, causing chaos, and he was going to try using the Torpedo to stop it, as was written on the staff. But the girl is proving smarter than she looks. The doubtful look in her eyes now tells him she's catching up to him. But why wasn't the energy working already?
She chuckled. "The room obeyed my command to reveal the Torpedo, didn't it?"
Isaac retracted his arm. He knew what was going on.
"You can be an elder all you like," she said with surprising confidence, "but this room is strictly for that of the chief of the Monarchs. It is our territory."
Isaac understood. No wonder the previous chiefs all ran to this room when he tried forcing them to give him the Torpedo. They finally die of starvation in self imprisonment. So the chiefs had gone behind the elders' back and did something. It was treason of the highest order and by Isaac's standards, someone had to pay for it. Katrina was the best candidate.
"In that case," he shrugged. He'll just kill her with his bare hands.
She took the hint and pointed the staff at him.
****

OP tanks for the update

zhayyd039:
Hey guys. It's my first attempt at a story online. Forgive my grammar, criticism to welcome. But I assure you that the story is 100% mine. And I don't believe in religious and/or cultural differences and it would be reflected in my work. Updates depend on how well the story sits with the readers.

Eloquent ...Keep it coming

****
Paul had to admit to himself that he was having a hard time dealing with the unpredictability of his enemy. He didn't expect the fight to last this long and he was getting exhausted. The temperature of the room had gone back up to normal and the opponent didn't even flinch.
Paul cursed. He looked at the blood trailing down his left sleeve.
The thing grunted then slowly disappeared into the shadows. Paul had no problem tracking his movements, but he wasn't fast enough to intercept. Blurry to the left, right, then attack down the middle. That was the pattern the thing kept trying. It had landed on Paul 4 times already. He didn't intend for a fifth.
"I've had to play along for too long," he said. He could feel the electricity flowing through him. He raised his good right arm in the air. Sparks started to appear in the air around his body, momentarily filling the room in a dazzling pale blue light.
"Experience the power of an elder!" He said. A rumbling noise came from above like thunder. Then the crack of lighting and a bolt of dark energy struck the room at three points.
Paul heard the squealing of the creature somewhere around the left. He laughed at his torment and clenched his fists harder. Another thunderous sound. This time it shattered the walls, the roofs and more importantly, the enemy. An agonizing shriek came from the prison but died down as quickly as it had started.
Paul went on a knee. It was over. He was panting and his vision blurred. Sparks flew around the building along with debris. A thin sheet of fresh air soon came, along with a perfect view of the sky. The stars were out along with the room. Paul wondered how Edward was doing. How much longer until his brothers were resurrected?
***
Jamal felt his body flowing. He was flowing away along with the wind. A cool breeze swept over him and he felt himself letting go. Not long now, he told himself. Not long. He could already see himself sitting by a fire in the middle of nowhere. He was wearing the Peacekeeper cloak except this time he wasn't going to fight. He was waiting expectantly for his friends. And loved ones.
A loud crack suddenly came out of the darkness above and he felt his body jolt. Shortly after, another one came. It was louder this time and much closer. The fire started quenching and the ground began to shake badly. Jamal scrambled to his feet in confusion but there was nothing he could do as a force started pulling him upwards. His heart rate was dropping along with the air pressure. He was suddenly lightheaded and found himself gasping at the same time struggling to free himself from the grip around his heart.
"So it is you who stole our powers," an icy, low voice said.
Jamal tried to reply, to answer no, but only managed a gasp.
"Kill him where he stands, brother," a different voice seethed. He was sure this one came from above. He was still being pulled upwards.
"If he dies, we kiss our resurrection goodbye," the icy voice said.
A dry sigh was the reply. "I haven't killed in years! And now the opportunity has come but still!" The voice yelled in frustration and Jamal's heart froze.
"What is your name, stranger?" The low voice asked.
Jamal gasped again.
"Oh!"
And Jamal's body stopped abruptly. He felt his heart start to beat again and the air coming back to his lungs. He took deep breaths, feeling his body come back to life.
"I'm Ja--"
"Yes, yes. We know," said the seething voice. "Had to watch your boring life back and forth."
"Enough," the icy voice ordered. "If we're nice enough, we might as well return to life."
"Who are you people?" Jamal could feel his brows furrowing.
"We are the reason you are here," the seethy voice answered. "From the confused look on your face I'm sure you are perplexed. But not as perplexed as we are. We were expecting our brothers to come for us, not you."
"What he is saying is you possess our DNA type, yet you are not our family. The only person that ever had the same DNA structure before you was Shin, who decided to destroy himself, instead of helping his grandparents!" The icy voice explained.
"You mean grandfathers?" The other one corrected. "Or….ancestors?"
A thought crossed Jamal's mind. "What did you mean when you said I stole your powers?"
"Well," the first voice continued, "you combined the power of the Torpedo along with the proton virus and our DNA. Why did you go to such heights, if not to steal our powers?"
"I didn't have a choice," Jamal replied. "Why don't you show yourselves?"
"We can't," the second voice said sadly, "we have no bodies. We only exist in your conscience, waiting for the day we'll be let out. In short, our powers and presence manifest in the mind of one who combines all the requirements to resurrect us."
"How does this place work?" Jamal asked.
"That Shin bast@rd," replied the first voice. "He created this place to control our temptations. We kept trying to make him awaken us, but he put us in prison after sharing our powers to his children. The family chief's quarters was a weaker version of this place. And a physical one."
Jamal nodded in agreement. "Thank you. I shall take my leave. I have a war to win."
"What?!" Said the second voice. "Let us out you jerk!"
"If Shin had to kill himself to prevent the risk of awakening you, then it was for good measure. But I have no intention of dying. I have friends to live for. You know if I die you die with me right? Do well to give me your powers."
"Brother!" The voice was seething and hissing loudly. "Kill him!"
"We'll die along," the first replied. "And the boy is cunning. Reminds me of myself. Go, kid. One day you'll be back and we'll have this conversation again. For now, we're your prisoners."
Jamal raised his hand and a black flame erupted from the darkness above. It travelled to his outstretched hand. He could feel his strength coming back.
****

wow

Well done op
Nice update. Thanks

Nice wan


Tanks for the update

skubido:
Nice wan


Tanks for the update

I appreciate

Jamal is back. Show what you got boy

****
Benjamin blocked the barrage of punches that landed on him but could do nothing about the well timed kick to his midriff. He stumbled backwards and fell in a puddle of water. He heard his guns clatter in the dark somewhere. The inevitable fatigue was catching up to him faster than he had calculated. Edward was intentionally fighting at close range, which rendered the guns useless. With all advantages neutralized, the superior fighter would win. He felt inside his cloak and felt the bullet. He pressed hard on it. It gave him courage and reason to stand up.
And he did.
"You stand up to fall again?" Edward gloated. One side of his lips curved in an arrogant smirk. "I wish I had all night to keep teaching you how hopeless you are." He pointed a finger at Benjamin. It sparked. "But I don't."
A torrent of red flames were directed straight at Benjamin. He could feel the heat closing in. Better die standing than live kneeling, he told himself.
"We have conquered your village," one of the three silhouettes said. "But we want you, the king, to kneel before us and surrender yourself and no harm would come to you or your family."
"Or what remains of them," said another. The red eyes burnt straight through Benjamin's soul, leaving a memory the boy would never forget.
Benjamin's father stood between the Monarch elders and his only son. The firm grip on his scabbard told Benjamin that his father had no intention of giving up easily even as the village he once called home burnt around them. His mother lay at the feet of the three men, in a pool of her own blood.
"I'd rather die standing than live on my knees," his father said before drawing out his sword and pushing Benjamin off the cliff. Black and red flames flew in the air and the last thing Benjamin heard before losing consciousness was his father's blood gurgling shout.
Father, mother, maybe in another life. Just maybe, I'll have been strong enough to avenge your deaths.
The cries of numerous people filled his ears, and an insane heat engulfed him.
****
"I'll tell you one last time," Isaac breathed. "STAND…" He let fly a dark orb of energy which Katrina had trouble deflecting. "DOWN!" He let another fly which blasted her 10 feet backwards. He walked slowly towards her. He had enough time to deal with the child. She thought the chamber could keep his powers in check. It did but just for a while. Enough overload of electron surge was enough to destroy the concentration of proton virus in the room. The chiefs should have known better to underestimate an elder.
Katrina rose pathetically to her feet. Blood seeped from her lips and arm. She pointed the staff at Isaac and cannoned off dark energy of her own.
Isaac scoffed. With a wave of his hand, the attack deflected to the wall beside him.
"Are you throwing pebbles at me, child?" Another orb of energy gathered in his palm and he flicked it at her. This time she managed a protection sphere which absorbed the initial blast. She looked relieved
He scoffed again.
If Isaac didn't know it was his attack that landed, he'll have thought the protection sphere exploded on its own. Katrina was blown back, this time into multiple walls. It took Isaac five minutes of slow walking to reach her body. Dead. He bent down and took the staff. The fight had cost him energy and without his full power he wouldn't be able to use the Torpedo. He thought he could weaken the girl and absorb her energy before she died but turns out she was weaker than he had imagined. That's OK, the staff would do just fine. He stood back up and, holding the staff with both hands, closed his eyes. It soon heated up and started vibrating. Isaac heard sparks and felt the weapon harden in his grasp. He opened his eyes.
Something was wrong.
Before he could confirm, however, a strong wave of energy blasted from the staff, sending him hurtling in one direction and the staff in the opposite direction.
He rose to his feet and ran in the direction the staff fell. It didn't take more than a minute to find himself in the main HQ bunker, where the Monarch team were stationed. Dead bodies littered the ground. A shirtless person stood in the middle of the room, red flames glowing around his body.
Isaac felt a certain kind of unease settle in his heart. "And who are you?"
The energy coming off this guy was no joke. It was probably enough to kill an elder or two.
The man turned around slowly, Isaac could see the open wounds on his back now. And a bleeding left hand. The right hand held the staff.
His heart took a heavy plunge to his stomach. It was Paul!
The memories started flooding in. All those nights he spent with Katrina. They weren't just to satisfy his lusts. What had Paul been up to behind their backs? Godd@mmit! Isaac felt anger at his stupid brother. Why did he have to bring up his own schemes now of all time? But he also felt disappointed in himself. He had failed to unravel this b@astard's treachery before hand. What this wasn't what he thought it was?
No, he decided. It was EXACTLY what he presumed it to be: this was Paul's betrayal. The look in the boy's eyes said it all; his eyes have hollowed out. Only two black holes remained. It was the same as Shin had done in the past, absorbing the raw uncontrolled power of the staff causes a fracture in the soul. This puts a killing instinct in its victim. Paul had killed hundreds of people in the space of seconds.
"Paul," Isaac said in a low friendly tone. "Hand over the staff."
Paul stretched the staff at Isaac. "Come get it."
The red flames around his body burnt brightly until it turned violent black. Smell of burning rubber and roasted flesh filled the bunker.
Paul leapt at his brother, in a flash.
*****

Tanks for the update

Katrina is dead. It's unbelievable how she could be that weak.

Evold:
Katrina is dead. It's unbelievable how she could be that weak.

I totally agree. Really expected her to put up a fight