Erica ran as fast as she could, while at the same time trying not to attract any attention to herself. As much as she would have liked to have flown, at this point in time it would not have been a good idea.
Thankfully, the impromptu orphanege wasn't that far away, and she was familiar enough with the city enough to know where to go. All the same, it was hard to get around, thanks to the angry mob.
The angry cries of Humans and Omegas alike filled the air as they marched upon Times Square, the epicenter of the event (in NYC, anyway), waving handmade signs, and in some cases, looting pretty much everything that wasn't nailed down.
And it was here that Erica ran across the mob on her way to the orphanege, coming to a halt as the huge crowd passed by. She watched almost helplessly as things went to hell around her for the second time in five years.
As she watched, Erica heard someone shouting not with the crowd, but at it. She looked towards the sound of the voice and saw a boy about her age, most likely another Omega, despretly trying to get everyone to stop rioting, but to no avail.
Nice try, Kid, She thought sardonically, But that won't work on a crowd like this.
Still... it was nice to see someone trying to be the voice of reason here, even if it was only one person.
Her thoughts were cut short as a SWAT vehicle drove up and a riot squad aarmed with heavy artilery marched towards, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Uh oh... Despite her mind telling her not too, Erica darted into the crowd, making a beeline for the one person she deemed the sanest being in the whole place.
Enapay continued to plee, but to no avail. "Seriously! What is this helping?! Ugh," he yelled. "People are always looking for an excuse to go off." After that thought, he sighed loudly, but inaudibly over the crowd, and spotted a trio of Omegas breaking a large store window. Each one then proceeded to swipe a television and dash away. "HEY! PUT THOSE BACK!" he yelled, barely hearing himself.
A bottle suddenly shattered on his right arm, which was raised to guard his face. The teen's brows furrowed as he observed the crowd, now sizing them up. Many of them didn't look to be very strong. "Look's like a bunch of C and D class Omega. I could probably take em', but it shouldn't come to that."
As he looked over the crowd, a distinct, New York accented voice yelled, "Yeah! I threw it! You traitor scum! Why are you helping them?" Enapay snapped to this man's direction. He looked to be middle-aged, sporting very large hands and feet that were too large for footwear. "Back the hell off, Bigfoot! I could care less about the riot sqaud! I'm just trying to make sure you all don't get hurt!" Enapay yelled in response to his heckler. As "Screw you, buddy!" was yelled by the man, a snowball hit Enapay in the head. He turned to see a young black haired woman hurling another snowball at him, which hit him right in the face. It seemed that she had some sort of ice powers that obviously hadn't developed fully. However, her aim was to be commended. "Yeah! You piece of s*@%! You should be on our side!!" she belligerently called out. Her shouts were soon joined.
Enapay was getting angry, now. A small red spark flashed around his right hand. His insides hurt again, though not nearly as badly they had the first time this happened. "Calm down," he whispered to himself, subsequently attempting to dull the anger and sooth himself by breathing in through his nose and exhaling out of the mouth. "This doesn't need to happen, right now."
As he felt himself getting a grip on his anger, a large SWAT van pulled up. Within seconds, a riot squad armed with rather large guns marched towards the crowd, ready to fire at a moment's notice. "Awww s#$%," Enapay cursed. "And this is where it all hits the fan." He then noticed a long haired, brunette girl sprinting in his direction, pushing through the crowd. However, her expression was not one of blantant hostility. By reading her face, it was easy to see that she wasn't just another angry rioter.
As she approached, Enapay raised a brow and yelled to her, "Please tell me that you're here to help!" His head then snapped to the armed SWAT troops. The teen was ready to leap into action as soon as he saw it necessary, but for now he just wanted a response.
Roar had arrived in one of the streets near Time Square, still keeping himself hidden away from the riot sight. He is just observing the chaos unfold.
Why I am here? I suppose to be hiding well I am but not this close to the riot! Maybe I'm just over seeing this should I need to use my roar even though I suppose to stay out of it...
Something had caught his sight, he saw a boy, assuming he is an Omega since he flips over a car and stood on top of it. He saw that the boy was shouting with all his might, trying to stop the riot.
That should be me on top of that car. I guess that boy would like to swap powers with me right now.
He sighed that he wanted to stop the riot but he afraid that his reputation would make thing worse in the aftermath should be stop the riot. Just then he saw a SWAT vehicle and the riot squad with even more firepower's heading toward the riot. Just when he about to think about his next plan of action, he saw a girl rushing into the crowed and it look like she was heading toward the boy direction. Just by seeing this, he felt a strong urge to take action and not to think and he too run toward the armed authority.
Screw it!!! I have the power to stop this one way or another and I?ll be damn to stand by and let even more bloodshed spilt! I will deal with the consequence head on! I will not hesitate any more!
As he run toward them he adjusted the dials on the side of his mask, he was adjusting how much to amplify his roar power and range he should use.
He stops his track and stand in front of the riot squads. He was hoping that maybe his reputation was known to the authority that maybe they should rethink their tactic to just talk it out or face the sound of his fearful roar. Should they carry on or even attend to pull their trigger, he will use his roar before they even fire.
Erica approached the other boy cautiously. If he was an Omega, she had no idea what he was capable of.
"Depends", she said after a moment, "You seem to be the smartest person here at the moment, not joining the rest of the sheep" - Here she gestured at the chaos around her - "So tell me, what do you plan to do now, since no one is listening?"
She knew the soldiers were quickly approaching, but out of the corner of her eye she spotted another figure, a teenaged boy wearing some sort of weird face mask running into the fray, right towards the soldiers.
Looks like I'm not the only one risking their neck today...
Marcus saw the brown haired girl join the teen and another person wearing some sort of head gear approaching. Also approaching was a riot squad with larger and more lethal looking weaponry.
"This is bad." Marcus thought. "Between the mob and the riot squad, those guys won't stand much of a chance, unless they're sporting some really strong powers that I don't know about."
"You should do something." said a voice in his head.
"What exactly?" Marcus thought back. "My powers aren't exactly great for combat."
"You haven't tried yet."
"You could be the deciding factor here for all you know."
"And what about Sonny?"
"What about Sonny?" Marcus asked, the voices in his head now drawing more attention than the crowd.
"If someone dies here, can you look him in the eye, knowing you did nothing to help?"
Marcus knew that the voices were right but he couldn't bring himself to agree with them. In the end though, he knew what had to be done. He pushed aside the uncomfortable feeling he got in the pit of his stomach as he made his way to the two teens. Marcus was beginning to seriously question his own sanity, and if he had any sanity left.
Brushing his bangs out of the face, this abundance of ignorance getting on his nerves, Enapay looked down to the girl, once again. "The priority is the riot! If we can stop it, basically solving it among ourselves, SWAT won't have to get involved. Even if they don't shoot, we still have to keep an eye on them anyway!" He said, looking towards the heavily armed law enforcement. Enapay saw a young man step in front of them. He seemed familiar, not because he knew the man, but because of his description. Around Harlem, which seemed like information central, people would occasionally speak of a masked figure scaring off altered wildlife with some sort of deafening, cowardice inducing roar.
Just then, Enapay noticed the African American teenager making his way to the brunette and himself. It was clear on his slightly distressed face that he wasn't as sure about this as the rest of them were. Enapay called out to him. "I assume you're here to help, too?!"
After the newest addition's response, Enapay continued on with his plan. "That guy there! His name is Roar! I'm pretty positive his powers are of the sound based variety! He's in the wrong spot! From here, he could probably shut these people up with a yell!! We need to scare them off or shut them up so they can listen some way or another! The weaklings in this crowd don't seem like they would put up much of a fight at the first blantant display of real power. That sound good to you?!" Enapay said to the two teens before him, pointing in the direction of Roar and the SWAT troops.
Erica looked from one boy, to the other, and back, then asked, "Okay, since you seem to know more about this than either of us, how do you think we should do this?"
Behind them, the crowd semed to get even more agitated, evn as the SWAT team prepared to open fire...
"Yeah I'm here to help." answered Marcus to the teen's question. At the mention of Roar's name Marcus knew who the one with the mask was and what he could do. With a little luck, there could still be a way to avoid a fight. Marcus had been observing Roar and the riot squad and barely registered that the brunette had asked what the plan was, and didn?t at all notice that the question wasn't entirely directed at him.
"We should get this guy's attention." Marcus said, turning back to the other two. Marcus caught a glimpse of the riot squad preparing to launch sinister looking canisters.
"Could just be tear gas..." Marcus thought "Could be something worse..."
Marcus tried to figure out how close the authorities were to using force, and how to get Roar's attention over the sound of the mayhem.
"You two come with me! Standing and trying to make sense obviously won't help the situation!" Enapay yelled, another snowball hitting him, this time in the chest. Without another word, Enapay put an around the brunette's torso, did the same with the black teen, and, like it was nothing, leaped as far as he could in the direction of Roar and the SWAT team. "My name's Enapay, by the way!" Enapay yelled as they soared, the air whipping his hair around.
Enapay landed gently on the balls of his feet, making sure that his party was completely comfortable and safe. He then gently set them down and pulled a pocket knife out of his jean pocket, kissing it. "Luck, don't fail me, now."
"Hope you guys didn't mind that impromptu flight too much!" the young Native American exclaimed, walking backwards towards Roar, returning the pocket knife to his back pocket, and very slightly grinning at the two he had just met.
He gestured towards SWAT and the angry mob and yelled, "Watch them for me, 'kay?!" The boy then turned, speeding his pace up to a jog moving slightly past Roar and in front of the antsy looking SWAT squad, bearing thier firearms and gas canisters. He proceeded to wave both of his arms back and forth as he moved toward them, yelling, "Please don't shoot us, bro! We're trying something to stop the riot! It'll just take a second, m'kay?!"
The SWAT captain, his armor being bulkier and his being visor blue instead of black, leaving his impressively large rifle to trail in his right hand, held up his left hand. The other troops reluctantly lowered thier guns, but thier grip on them never loosened. The captain then marched over to Enapay. "How do I know I can trust you to get anything done?!" the captain exclaimed, his voice giving off a filtered quality due to the helmet. "You're just a kid!"
"C'mon, man! I'm trustworthy! Look at me!" Enapay responded. The SWAT captain looked at Enapay from toe to head, stopping on Enapay's face, which was sporting an exaggerated cheesy grin. The boy also had his hands behind his back, and his head was inclined slightly to the right. Enapay could tell by the way that the captain's head was inclined that the man's expression was far from pleasant underneath the helmet. "Nope," the officer said plainly, about to step past Enapay.
"Nawww, man! Let us do thiiis!" Enapay responded, hurriedly stepping in front of the man and putting on a perfect puppy dog face, the look in his strange, amber irised eyes being oddly persuasive. "You have five minutes! Five!" the captain yelled aggitatedly after a long pause, the five fingers of his left hand held in Enapay's face. The teen frowned at the hand for a brief moment. "Many thanks!" Enapay responded before approaching Roar.
"Roar! I've heard things about you! If you don't mind, I really need you to head off the mob and quell it by roaring at them from that spot I was just at! And without seriously injuring anyone! That okay?! I can get you there in no time!" Enapay yelled, both hands on Roar's shoulders. The look in the boy's amber eyes was pleading for him to say yes.
Marcus began to protest as Enapay's arm went around his torso, but before he could, he found himself airborne. Marcus caught the teen's name as they flew through the jump, but was more immediately concerned with landing. Despite his worries, all three of them landed completely intact. Marcus was about to inform Enapay about personal spaces when Enapay pulled out a pocket knife. Marcus was hit by a sense of déjà vu; something about the knife seemed familiar. The colour of the handle, the way the sunlight reflected off of it. Enapay put the knife back in his pocket and Marcus made a mental note to ask about it later. Enapay asked Marcus and the brunette to watch the crowd and left before a reply could be made.
"He's a fast guy, that one." Marcus thought "Okay, we'll just handle this then."
Reading the exaggerated gesture made by the SWAT captain, Marcus figured they had five minutes before the SWAT made their move.
"Alright, looks like we gotta stop the crowd from starting a fight with the riot squad for about five more minutes. After that, all hell breaks loose." Marcus said to the girl beside him.
As the SWAT approach closer he was about to unleash his roar.
It's now or...
Just then the boy he saw earlier trying to calm the riot town jog past him and waving his arm like a mad man.
What is he up to? They are about to shoot us!!!
Just then he saw that the boy was trying to reason with the SWAT captain, completely ignoring him.
There no way that the captain will be fair to us and I hope the kid move out of my roar in time
He was then shock that the captain allow the boy five minutes to stop the riot. He stares at the boy when he turns to face him. Hearing his plea he obligated to assist him since after all he was able to reason with the SWAT Captain. He said "Yes" and follow him back to the spot he was when trying to stop the riot. He saw a girl he saw earlier and an older teen that look like around his age running with him and the boy. He assumes that those two were with the boy. As they ran back, he quickly adjusted his dials again so that the sound of his roar range to the max but it's neither deafening nor powerful enough to shatter the glasses in the area.
They were back at the flip over car and he climbs on top of the car and saw just how big the riot was and he fully understood why the boy brought him to that spot.
Wow I'm an idiot, that boy is a lot smarter then he look, I guess this is what I get for not thinking it through and ran in head first.
He looks down and saw the three of them in front of him.
He said to them "Get behind me and close your ears, you three should be least effected by my roar."
The three move to behind the car and were also behind him. He wasn't too sure if his roar will reach to both the riot and the SWAT teams feeling that the SWAT still can't be trusted but he had to try. He took a deep breath with his chest out and his arm pull back. His lung his head forward with the mask open out exposing his mouth.
He yell [HEADING=1]"STOOOOPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"[/HEADING]
His voice sends out like a shockwave, spreading out toward the entire riot and it may have reach to the SWAT teams and beyond. His voice carries on until he was out of breath and he quickly stop and his mask shut his mouth. Every single people in the riot were silent and were still as if frozen in time. His throat feeling a bit sore but he quickly drops down behind the car and turn to face the other three. The three were also still but were trying to move a lot quicker compare the riot people. He quickly shakes each of them trying to get them back to normal. He was shaking the boy the most.
He quiet said to him [sub]"I'm done my part so they will now listen to you."[/sub]
He was hoping that he heard his sore and quiet voice. He was pushing the boy to get him to climb on top of the car.
Erica tried to protest as the boy put one arm around her, but before she could say anything they were up in the air, wind rushing past them as they flew. She might have flown many times before, but this was a new experience for her.
As she and the other kid were trying to get it together after they landed, the third boy (Enapay, was it?) was off towards the armored men.
She only vaugely heard her remaining companion talking about keeping the riot squad and the mob from fighting as she focused on Enapay, curious as to what he could be planning.
The boy talked with the riot squad leader, and, apparently they had worked something out, because then he came back to them and the masked kid (Enapay had called him Roar, which must have had something to do with his powers).
"Get behind me and close your ears, you three should be the least effected by my roar." Roar told them, and she quickly obliged, figuring he knew what he was talking about.
Sure enough, a great wave of sound erupted from the boy's mouth, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. Erica, Enapay, and the third boy who's name she did not know, were all shaken by the sound wave, but not to the extent that everyone else probably was.
Erica shut her eyes tightly, hands over her ears in order to block out the sound. The mob seemed to stop on their tracks, and overhead, a news helicopter was forced to fall back.
Even as they were getting back on their feet, Erica could see Roar pushing Enapay back towards the car, presumably so he could say something to the crowd.
---
Unbeknowst to them, a figure was watching them from the shadows, a skinny adolescent boy of Asian, proabably Japanese descent. Like everyone else, he had been struck by the sound wave, and was only now just getting up.
"This... certainly throws a wrench into our plans," he said to himself. "I must let the Boss know...!"
Weakly, he staggered over to a nearby fuse box and concentrated. Moments later, his whole body turned into electric energy and he disappeared into the fuse box, going through the power lines towards the docks district.
Enapay nodded at Roar's agreement and wordlessly led the way back to the overturned Cadillac, effortlessly pushing through the angry mob with strength that didn't seem right due to his slender frame.
Once they were at their destination, Roar climbed onto the vehicle. "Get behind me and close your ears. You three should be the least effected by my roar."
Enapay cursed under his breath and clapped his hands over his ears.
Roar took a powerful inhale, both his chest and diaphragm expanding and his arms pulling back. As Roar's head snapped forwards, Enapay quickly shut his eyes.
[HEADING=1]"STOOOOPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"[/HEADING]
The word rang out across what seemed like the entirety of Manhattan, bouncing off of every surface. His hands helping virtually none, Enapay leaned over, widening his feet to keep balance, holding his mouth open, and squeezing his eyes shut. A few of the riot officers dropped their shields and clutched their ears, while most of the humongous mob fell to their knees, the few left standing attempting to hold themselves up or run. Enapay was sure that it was heard for many blocks. When it stopped, a stumbling Enapay opened his watery eyes and cautiously removed his hands.
After the ringing, all that was heard was silence. A news chopper hovered far overhead, capturing every moment of the scene. Enapay's sense of balance was still very off-kilter. He was still stumbling. However, Roar helped the teen steady himself. Afterwards, sounding extremely hoarse, Roar almost inaudibly whispered, "I've done my part...So they will now listen to you."
Enapay was slightly shocked. He looked left and right to make sure that Roar really meant him. Eyebrow raised, he then placed a hand on his on chest as if to ask, "Me?" Roar was already pushing him towards the car, and for some reason, Enapay complied. "I've never publicly spoken in my life," Enapay said, his heart pounding. He withdrew the switchblade from his back pocket again, kissed it, and returned it. He then looked to the brown haired girl and the teen in the black hoodie. "Wish me luck," he nervously chuckled, hoping that he didn't make himself look stupid in front of everyone.
With that, he slowly strode up towards the car, hopping on to it with what looked like no effort. A breeze picked up. After a deep inhale, the boy muttered, "Here goes nothing." Running his right hand through his silky, jet black hair, he decided that he would simply speak his mind and leave it at that.
"Hey! HEY!! I'm talking to you all!" he yelled to the much calmer mob, which was just now getting it's bearings back. They paid attention, which was a nice change of pace. He then began yelling with control as loudly as he could. "What are you all doing?! Look at yourselves! This behavior is so disgusting! It's exactly what whoever killed Mitch Albarn wants! That person, or group of persons, wanted this uproar! He wanted this rioting and this hate to start, because he knows that it'll halt all the progress that?s been made! You're just eating out of the palm of his hand!" Enapay said, taking a large inhale afterwards.
"Mitch Albarn didn't work as hard as he did so that this could happen! He was a good, honorable man who was against belligerence, and only wanted peace and equality between super humans and the regular humans, not stupidity, hostile behavior, and fraudulent deeds! How is this helping that cause, or anything for that matter? You're using his death as an excuse to thieve, hurt, and destroy! You don't mourn martyrs this way!...If anything, you're disrespecting him! He certainly wouldn't want to be remembered like this, if you even have him in mind at all!"
Marcus got behind Roar to avoid the effects of the sound wave. He held his hands over his ears but still found himself rattled. Marcus steadied himself with Roar's help. When Enapay said "Wish me luck" Marcus gave a small thumbs-up that seemed to go unnoticed. After Enapay's speech, Marcus hid his impressed feelings behind a tense expression as he looked over the crowd to survey their reactions.
Standing in front of the door to the computer lab, Alex took some time to compose himself. He couldn?t bring himself to feel overly sad about this news; he had never really heard of Mitch until now. But, its causing of a riot of such a scale that the police had to scout neighboring areas was worrisome. With some of the students getting tense and angry at the news around the campus, he hoped another riot wouldn?t spring up here. He and his friends barely knew any other places they could live outside this one.
When Jeffrey had calmed himself enough to come outside with Leslie, the three of the returned to the dorm, hoping everyone one else would begin to calm down as well. Upon arrival, Alex heard a loud bang from the western gate. He knew that sound too well: a gunshot. Taking a second to listen further, he waited for any upcoming sounds of pain, but nothing happened.
?Is that riot coming this way?? Jeffrey asked, his voice still producing loud screeches.
?I don?t...I hope not.? Alex said. ?You guys get inside. I?ll check on it.? Without waiting for his friends to listen, he took off towards the western gate with a jog. He knew Feron was working the gate this time of day; if he was the one who fired the shot, it might not be anything big, but with everyone acting so on edge, he had to be sure.
Halfway there, Alex slowed down to pick up a piece of rebar that was lying on the ground, it?s form rusted from the years of exposure to air. Removing his gloves again, he held the iron beam and concentrated on the form he wanted to shape it into. It then began to shift and reform in his hands, it?s original form of a long rod soon changed to the shape of a long dagger. The process only consumed a minute, and while the shifting hadn?t removed the rust, the tip and edges were sharp and that was all he needed.
Replacing his gloves, he tucked the dagger away between his jeans and belt and resumed his trek to the gate. Turning the corner of a building close-by, he saw Feron holding his MP5 out, looking as though he had seen and driven off a wild animal that had tried to attack him.
?Feron,? Alex shouted, getting his attention as he did. ?what was with you firing that gun??
?It was just an accident, Alex.?
?Yeah. I doubt that.? Alex said, pulling his jacket together to hide the dagger.
Feron staled for a second. ?I fired the shot because I wanted to. Happy now??
?Hardly.? Alex replied, closing the distance between he and Feron. ?Everyone?s on edge, and we don?t need your trigger finger acting up to make it worse.?
?Piss off, Alex.? Feron stated, now getting annoyed and pointing at him. ?You?re not my superior...?
?No shit,? Alex snapped. ?but you know not to fire that thing if you?re ?bored?.?
?Just don?t bother me. OK??
Groaning because of the reason of the shooting, Alex then heard a noise coming from the area west of their location. It was a rumbling sound, like a bass speaker that was turned all the way up and played through. Then, he didn?t know why, but he was able to make out what sounded like a word in the noise: Stop.
?What the hell was that?? Feron asked, turning around to face whatever made the noise.
Alex couldn?t answer. He had no idea what the sound was either. No one?s voice carried over miles unless they...?Hey, Feron. I?m heading out.?
?What for??
?To see where that sound came from. No one?s voice that I know travels like that.?
Feron quickly unlocked the gate, swinging it open enough for Alex to squeeze through. ?Get going then. You know the routine anyway, and I?m not stopping you.?
?Good to hear.? Alex said as he passed the gate. As Feron shut it behind him, Alex slipped him one final statement. ?If Jeffrey or Leslie ask about me, I should be back, just not sure when.?
Feron didn?t respond. Alex didn?t expect him to either. He took requests if he felt like doing it, but his friends would likely ask where he had gone eventually. Checking to make sure the dagger was still tucked nicely away in his belt, he then began making his way to New York. Along the way, a thought of looting crept into his head for a second. He didn?t dwell on it long and pushed the idea aside with a shake of his head.
With the boy getting up onto the car, Roar took a quick peek at the crowd which is no longer a riot. He quickly pulls back not wanting them to see him for what he had done to them.
Man I haven't made a yell like that for ages. I think I may have over did it.
His mind focuses back onto the helicopter he saw earlier when he yells.
Great, I pretty sure that helicopter was a news crew meaning I got film on live TV. When the words get out that I went rouge I will be a wanted man or if somehow the government took the praises that they send me to that spot somehow. Either way I'm in trouble... but I did something good as well.
He looks back behind the boy as he yells out his speech, listening to it.
That is a good speech but why do I get a feeling I had seen that boy before somewhere?
His mind was racing trying to think where he would have seen him. He was thinking he was either one of the people he had saw in the street of lower NYC when he was in the van or one of those people who were spying on him like they were bird watching him when he was guarding the bridge against the alter animals. His mind concludes that he wasn't one of those but he felt he had seen him earlier then that.
Davoren followed Pete as the two ran around the city. They weaved in and out of alleyways, cut through buildings, some with confused or cheerful people inside, others without. Pete took him eventually to the back of an apartment block, a deserted one at that. Boarded up windows and a vile rotting smell were the first thing you noticed as you got near. If you were barefoot, you would then notice the glass, occasional needle point and splintered wood littered around randomly. Pete didn't take notice and instead opened up what seemed to be an entrance to the basement. He didn't have a key to the lock, but it didn't take much for it to just come off. He pulled open the doors and signalled Davoren to go in. Davoren went to go before realising that instead of stairs, it was just a drop. A drop to darkness.
Pete's boot slammed into Davoren's back and the 19 year old fell in, landing on his arm. The floor seemed oddly clean and well looked after. He looked up at Pete, standing over the entrance.
"Sorry," He said, clearly not happy, "But I have to keep you someplace safe. You got a life ahead of you. You got something to live for. Me? I ain't got nothing."
"Pete!" Davoren yelled, "What in God's name are you talking about? If you want to keep me safe, come with me. Don't leave me alone!"
Pete snapped back fast, "You won't be alone! Two guys come here. They ain't exactly honest, or clean, or hard working members o' society but they'll look after you better than I will now." Pete took out a gun, a pistol and aimed it at Davoren. "Now you, just stay there." He was now crying. "Accept your new life. I've given it to you. This is the start of something. Something bad! We're all dead! All of us!" Pete was now starting to blabber madly. Something was wrong. He was always a man of a worrying nature but now he seemed to be losing his mind.
[HEADING=2]"STOOOOPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"[/HEADING]
The loud and frightening roar echoed through. Davoren, being down in the Basement, couldn't hear it clearly but still sent a small shiver down his spine. Pete was not so lucky, he looked around and was frozen in fear. When it finished echoing around, Pete turned his head to Davoren with a mad look in his eye, he gun now pointing outwards towards the street.
"Don't tell anyone who you are. Only if you care for 'em."
He said that all the time back at the bar. Constantly, every day, without fail. He ran. Davoren scrambled to get back up. A shot was heard and Davoren stopped. He jumped and climbed up and looked around. Pete was lying down on the ground, motionless and dead. Davoren saw his face, and saw he was smiling. Davoren dried his eyes on a tissue and walked away. He looked back at the basement and saw drug labs, instantly turn him off from his new housemates. He went back to the street and turned invisible.
Davoren's gone now. Ghost is here. He thought, And I fancy hearing what this riot's about.
The confusion and chaos in the streets was everything that he could have hoped for. He'd followed the news of a murder up top and risked everything he could coming above the underground where just the idea of being an omega could get you shot or worse. Still though, news that an Omega had been killed, a high ranking one, was worth it. Because he wouldn't be the only one there.
Ben climbed up the rickety ladder in one of the nicer sewers that he'd gotten to know in the last several years. Of course, nice was a relative term, but at least the sewer system had broken down and this one wasn't in use anymore. It also meant that this ladder was currently unmaintained as well. Every rung he climbed made the entire structure shudder as he strained against the bolts that held it in place threatening to collapse at any moment.
"Come on, hold together." he told it as he climbed. The inside of the shaft was pitch black save for a few points of light he was climbing towards. Rung by rung, step by step he grew closer, and the groaning got louder.
*CRACK*
"Oh come on..." Ben said as he froze. The entire ladder shuddered as the sound of something breaking echoed up and down the shaft. It was too dark to see what happened, but something, somewhere, snapped under the strain.
There was no time to lose. He started to climb hard ignoring the strain on the ladder. It was already past the breaking point; it was broken, and if he didn't get up there now the entire thing could collapse and take him back down with it. Back down 80 feet of steel and stone to the sewer main below. His steps and grabs were hard as he dragged himself up. Several more times the entire ladder shuddered as it groaned and cracked more. And then the next time he went to grab at the rung the entire thing dropped...
"No! No! NoNoNoNoNoNo!" Ben yelled out as he held on for dear life. The ladder snapped and dropped sharply as the rungs below him tore each other apart. It dropped hard several times before a groan below told him that two of the rungs had bent but not broken. His heart pounding in his chest he finally took a deep breath of the foul air, safe for another moment. However, the ladder creaked again as it fell off the wall across the small shaft and bounced against the other side.
Wrapping his arms around the side of the ladder Ben held on while the lader came to rest. His feet slipped off the metal bar and left him hanging there for a moment while he grunted in effort. Slowly, inch by inch, he pulled himself back up, squeezing his scrawny body between the rungs onto the other side. Then, getting up on all fours he walked up the backside of the ladder and got almost all the way to the top.
"So close, so damn close." he said as he looked up to the manhole cover. Judging by the difference, he'd dropped about six feet or so. It was too far to jump even if he could knock it off its setting, and there was nothing to climb. Standing there on the top of the ladder, there was only one option left to him he could think of.
"Give me somehting to work with here..." he said to himself as he closed his eyes and focused his mind. There were a lot of people overhead, he could hear them plainly, but he couldn't feel them. Most of them were human, but there were several Omegas up there that he could sense, but nothing he could use to his advantage.
"A shifter...no....I need someone that can get me out of here. I need...wait, there's something. An enviromental..." he commented, his lips curving into a small smile, and then further into a grin. Rubbing his hands together as he felt the Omega pass overhead he felt fortunate that this omega was going to walk right over the manhole cover.
The change was small, a light feeling inside him as the power filled his body. This was always the nice part, what came later...wasn't so nice. As the power rose inside of him it reached the tipping point of manifestation and then he had to concentrate. The ladder shuddered below him as his new powers started to make themselves of use, softening the metal under him. Not what he wanted.
"Oh....shit!" he called out as the ladder collapsed under him. Reaching out desperately he clawed his fingers at the wall. Upon his touch, the concrete shaft began to soften into clay letting his hands sink into it. Below him, the ladder collapsed completely, shrieking against the shaft as it crumpled into a mass of twisted metal below him.
"Gotta...hold...on..." Ben said as he climbed up. The walls of the shaft now clay instead of cement he kicked and dug his fingers in, climbing towards the top. However, the other omega was long since past and moving out of range.
"Gotta be faster..." he said as he reached up and touched the manhole cover. He focused on it, unaware of how to use this power he borrowed but knowing that the cover needed to be lighter. The metal in the cover shifted, changing from steel to an aluminum alloy and ligthening considerably. With a heave he pushed it off with one arm and grabbed hold.
Light poured down over his face, blinding him for a moment as the last of the other omegas power left him. Keeping his footholds in the clay and resting before he tried to get out he looked up to let his eyes adjust. There weren't just a lot of people, they were swarming. Whatever event had brought practically the entire city up there. A passing human walked right over the manhole, stepping on his fingers in the process and making him curse out loud though the human kept walking, and before he could lose his grip Ben heaved himself up and crawled out of the hole.
Finally on the surface he could get an idea of the situation. This was worse than he thought. He imagined it would have been a gathering crowd, but this was a mob. An angry mob. A violent, angry mob, and still one that might suit his purpose. The looting was already active as he dashed into the crowd. The idea in his head already made his stomach growl as he pushed his way through. People were breaking windows and doors down left and right as he looked around for a store, catching a glimpse of the military already advancing on the crowd. 'Damn, that didn't take them long' he thought to himself as he pushed his way through the crowd.
There was a small general store ahead of him, not a warehouse store but one that at least sold food. SOme people had already broken into it and were fighting over the cash register and the ATM machine, which gave him just the opertunity. Making a bee-line for the grocery section that was, oddly enough, practically empty, he started grabbing handfuls of food and stuffing it all in his pockets. He didn't look, didn't care, filling the tattered pockets in his jeans and stuffing the pockets of his jacket as well. Finally filling his arms with boxes of food he ran back out before anyone else could swarm him, jumping through the front window and making his escape. Pushing his way through the crowd again he was getting uncomfortably close to the SWAT teams before all hell broke loose.
"STOOOOPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ben dropped to his knees and lost all the food in his arms as the peircing yell boomed over the crowds. He wasn't alone, either. Human and omega alike all fell under the power of his scream, though unlike them this wasn't his first experience with sonics.
"Damn...you..." Ben said as he gritted his teeth. This omega was just at the edge of his range, he could barely feel him, but it was enough. Focusing on the sonic omega and feeling him his body started to change. His ears popped and made an uncomfortable shifting as his body adapted the same way he had. It took only a few seconds, but after those seconds he was almost completely unaffected.
"Ha...ha...stupid omegas. Up or down, I guess some just want to hurt people." he said as he gathered up the boxes of food, seeing one that said 'Hamburger Helper' and leaving it behind before he scrambled up to his feet and ran through the stunned crowds.
Name: Ben
Code Name: KageMira
Description: 24 years old and looks 24 years old. About six feet tall, a slim build that's not muscular nor fat, maybe even a little malnurished from life down below. Wearing the only clothes he has, a tattered set of jeans and equally tattered jacket over a worn t-shirt. Caucasian male, pretty much your standard young adult.
Abilities: Class B Replicant. Ben has the ability to copy the abilities of any Omega that he gets close to, however he's limited by a lack of experience with those abilities and how close he is to the Omega he's copying. While he can only channel the abilities in part, the abilities he's copying can never be as strong as their original user though he can improve himself through the practice of them over time.
Weaknesses: The biggest limit on his abilities is distance. Currently his range is about 20 feet that he needs to maintain in order to copy another omegas abilities. Any farther than that and they will weaken to nothing. Likewise, his abilities are subject to the same weaknesses as the omega he's copying, moreso since it's incomplete. Ben has no abilities or powers of his own.
Personality: Sneaky. Being that his abilities require thim to be close to other omegas, and not having any abilities of his own, Ben was forced to follow people in secret either hiding his status as an omega or remaining just out of sight and just in range to be able to use their abilities against them. Of course, against another omega copying their own abilities seldom works well, so he's spent a great deal of time alone, stealing to survive and on the run from those that would harm him.
History: Absolutely uninteresting. Omega event went off, and life changed. What was a young adult with a normal life, go to work, come home, eat ramen, and sleep, was suddenly transformed. Being an Omega and not granted any flashy or powerful abilities, he was remitted to the lowest classes of Omegas that couldn't fend for themselves, at the constant mercy of the pryos and sonics and anyone else that used their powers to intimidate or harm.
While all of this was going on, miles away, in a shadowy warehouse, a figure sat waiting for a report.
Moments later, the Omega known as Voltage appeared in front of him, dropping to his knees almost respectfully.
"You may stand," the figure said, "Now tell me, how is our plan proceeding?"
Voltage stood, keeping his head down as he spoke, as if fearing his master's wrath.
"Boss, we have hit... a snag of sorts."
The figured raised an eyebrow. "What sort of snag?"
"Apparently, one of the Omegas in the area has some ort of vocal power," Voltage continued, "And has managed to stop the riot."
He waited for his leader to punish him for bringing bad news but the figure just sat there, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hm... very interesting."
"Boss?"
"Go back to Times Square and keep an eye on the situation. And if you see Carrion, tell him to start our back-up plan."
Voltage bowed. "Yes Sir." And with that he was gone in a bolt of electricity.
After a moment, the woman named Winterfrost stepped out of the shadows.
"How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know we may have a problem." The woman responded, walking over to the seated shadowy figure. "Unlike your sycophantic lackey, I know there's reason to worry. What do you plan to do about it?"
Her companion only smiled, lifting up her chin with one hand. "Don't you worry, my dear. I have a contingency plan for just such an ocassion..." And with that, he kissed her full on the lips, Winterfost returning his advances.
Unbeknonst to either of them, a hidden figure was watching them both from the shadows. The figure's mouth turned up into a sneer before vanishing into the shadows where it had been hiding.
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