The Living City

(author's note:- this story has been in my mind for a while and refuses to leave, so I write it down and will try my absolute best to complete it quickly and move on with my other unfinished works.. it will take place in Book III)

Prologue
There are places where men dare not tread, dark and forbidden - with the onset of superhuman warfare entire cities have become evacuated and left abandoned, these ruins have become the haunting grounds of criminal gangs and madmen as well as the breeding place of urban legends and ghost stories.

Yet for every one of these "dead" cities there are many new cities being built to replace them, technological wonders that grow ever further - in defiance against the forces that would see them destroyed.

Work has even been done to try and reclaim the "dead" cities from the gangs and madmen, with brave heroes and adventurers alike braving the dangers of these forsaken places - doing battle in the ruins and reclaiming land once though unfit for peaceful life.

Many stories have been told about these "Reclaimers" yet none are as shocking as the tale of the Living City.. a reminder that when wandering into the abyss even the bravest of souls must take care not to plunge into the murky depths and into that inky chasm where the unspeakable do dwell.. dancing in the shadows of oblivion..

Chapter 1 - Walk of Shame
The story began on the edge of a large city known as "Neo-XI" - one of several such cities that existed across the world as a place of relative sanctuary in what was now an almost ceaseless era of conflict: a group of superhumans had gathered to partake in a Reclaiming Mission, a common practice now - in which they would leave the safety of Neo-XI and try to take back a nearby "dead" city from the clutches of what was a modern wasteland.

Leading the Reclaiming Mission was Razorback, a man who was named after his mutant traits - which gave him the appearance of a somewhat humanoid boar, complete with tusks and thick fur: it also gave him the infamous aggression of said animal as he glared at the "recruits" in front of him.

A young man with a shaved head stood amongst the "recruits" - rather skinny and shivering a little, not used to battle and seeming unsually nervous as his eyes darted from side to side.

Razorback began walking back and forth, examining the "recruits" - some had obviously travelled from other cities or worlds but he didn't care as long as they proved helpful to the cause.

A rather thin woman with brown, curly hair stood among the assembled crowd, looking down at her feet and holding her left arm to her side with her right hand.

"Well.. it's better than nothing.. come on "heroes".. we got work to do.. hope you got comfy shoes cause we're going to be walking.. a lot.. the nearest dead city is over the horizon.. we should reach it by nightfall if we keep moving: pick a partner and stay close.. I'm not taking responsibility for your screw-ups.." Razorback declared as he turned away and began walking out into the wilderness, clearly not a man of many words.

The others quickly pair up and follow Razorback, save for the young man with the shaved head - his attempts to pair up failing as he soon stands alone and sighs a little.

The woman looks around, sighing slightly as others find their partners. Reluctant to pair up, she confronts the shaved man wordlessly.

The shaved man looked to the woman and jumps slightly as if expecting her to attack, then looks to her and gives a small nod - watching nervously as the others wander further along the landscape:

"..you coming? ..I.. don't think they like us very much.. but I can't go home.. not like this.." the man remarked.

"Why not?" the woman asked with genuine curiosity.

"..see this?" the man said, pointing to his shaved head "..this is what my dad had me do my whole life.. I can't go back.. until I've proven I'm not like that.." - the man continued to shake a little as he followed the others, as he did so the woman catches a glimpse of a skull etched onto the back of the man's neck (ooc: this is a symbol of the Skulls (used with permission) ).

The woman's eyes seemed to soften a little. "I see. My name is Megan. Megan Ryder."

"Nice to meet you Miss Ryder, my name is Ace.. what brings you to a Reclaiming Mission? you seem different from the others.." the man replies as he continues to follow the others, observing the array of "recruits" - many of which were borderline thugs, opportunists or attention-seekers out for fame or glory.

"I'm looking for someone," Megan said. "One of my two brothers. Alan or Anthony Ryder. I don't suppose you've... heard of them?" she asked, barely even half-hopeful.

Ace shook his head, "..sorry.. if I do.. I'll let you know.. that's if we make it back from this.. never been to a dead city before - have you? they say you're lucky to come out alive.. let alone healthy..".

"I'll manage," Nicole said, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "What powers do you have?"

Ace stops for a moment and turns to Nicole, seeming a little nervous - "..you don't want to know..".

"I would like to know our odds of survival," Nicole said.

Ace sighs a little and closes his eyes, shrinking down until he was only about 8-inches tall at best - "..not exactly inspiring, is it?" he said, looking up at Nicole - the others were rapidly getting further away as they continued without the pair, yet Ace didn't seem to notice.

"Is there, um, anything else?" Nicole asked, doing her best to hide her disappointment.

Ace looks uncomfortable "..I have some other.. gifts.. but you don't want to know about them.. trust me.." - he then turns around and notices the others having all but abandoned them.

"Ack! come on!" Ace yelled out as he ran after the group, though he soon tripped and cursed a little as he realized he'd forgotten to grow big again.

Nicole stoops down and picks up Ace, spinning around and hurrying a little to catch up. "We'll talk on the way."

Ace is surprised to be picked up and wiggles a little "Hey! put me down!" - it's then Ace's hidden power activates, a noxious fume begins to emit, much like lifting up a stink bug.. which as can be expected is definitely not the most pleasant of experiences, even for a superhuman.

Nicole nearly drops him in shock, wincing slightly from the stench. "Oh- ew- gross!" Nicole said, holding her nose with her free hand. "Hang on a sec-"

She placed Ace back down on the ground, before holding out her hand, drawing moisture from the soil and air and dowsing him in it.

"As helpful as that could possibly be... ugh, it just stinks!" she said, her voice nasally from her nose still being held.

Ace grows to his normal size and shakes himself wildly as he's drenched, "argh! what the-!? I tried to warn you-!" he began, only to stop as he notices the others pause.

Within moments the reason is clear as Razorback stormed over and glowered at the pair:

"You two quit goofing off and get a move on - we're here on a mission.. not to engage in whatever freaky little game you maybe up to!".

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Nicole exclaimed.

Razorback simply snorted and turned away, the other recruits doing likewise - though some laughed slightly as Ace frowned and clenched his fists: "..come on you bunch of jokers, we've got a long walk ahead of us..".

Ace continued to frown as he followed the others, soaking wet - not looking to Nicole as he simply kept moving.

A small, warm flurry of wind surrounded Ace, and in moments he was dry. "I'm sorry," Nicole said quietly, looking back down at the ground again as she walked, like an ashamed child.

Ace simply stared ahead and frowned, "..whatever.. let's just keep going.. before we embarass ourselves anymore than we already have..".

Chapter 2 - Dark Skies
After a long and awkward walk the group finally arrive at the outskirts of the dead city - the ruins already looking vast and alien, a grim reminder of the violent past and uncertain future: Razorback orders the recruits to camp out by the outskirts as he does likewise, the entire group exhausted from the journey.

Ace was no exception and he sat down, away from the others and looked up at the sky for a moment - into the vast expanses of space, being so far from Neo-XI the stars were visible now and the dead city barely even flickered in the darkness that now surrounded the area.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Nicole asked aloud. She was lying down on the ground near Ace, staring up at the night sky.

Ace sighed a little, finally looking to Nicole as he replied "..yeah.. I guess.. my mom took me out once to see the stars when I was young.. dad said she was making me "soft".. so we never got to see the stars again..".

"My brother Alan loved the stars," Nicole said. "He used to be able to name them all, before mom and dad died... then he left. I wonder if he still looks at them on some nights?" she asked herself.

Ace went silent as if thinking on something, looking over to check the others didn't hear he looked back to Nicole "..this is going to sound stupid but.. do you want to hear a story? I think we could both us it about now..".

"Go ahead," Nicole said.

Ace flopped down on the ground, not seeming to even acknowledge the usual awkwardness one would have being close to a relative stranger, especially of the opposite sex - showing surprising maturity despite his somewhat strange nature: "..well.. my mother told me a story about the Hecatonheires - giants that were more powerful that the Titans themselves.. I don't know why but I think about that story even now.. when things seem rough and the world puts you down just imagine you're one of the Hecatonheires.. silly.. I know.. stupid..".

Ace sat up again and frowned as he began to doubt himself again, growing silent.

"...I think I can relate to that... sort of..." Nicole said, after a moment of thought.

Ace got to his feet, "..don't.. it's stupid.." - he then began to wander off into the ruined city, completely against common sense as the other recruits simply slept.

"Wait- where are you going?" Nicole asked.

"..to clear my head.." Ace replied as he took another step into the city, yet as soon as he did so he disappeared as the ground beneath him gave way, sending him tumbling into the darkness below.

"Ace!" Nicole cried out, hurrying over to where he had disappeared.

As Nicole did this the ground beneath her suddenly gave way as well, and she let out a surprised scream as she plunged into the darkness; the other recruits stirring as Razorback looks around and calls out - no one seeming to understand what was going on..

Soon Nicole finds herself landing on a cold surface as Ace stood up, trying to adjust to the darkness as he speaks out "..where the hell are we?".

Nicole groaned slightly as she stood, slightly jarred from the impact. "No idea," she said.

"HEY! Anyone down there!?" came Razorback's voice, from high above - he and the other recruits staring down into the abyss but far from reach.

Ace didn't reply as he continued to look around, "..I can't see shit.. it's too dark.. you alright?".

"A bit shaken, but nothing's broken," Nicole responded, squinting into the darkness.

Ace nods a little, then blinks as the darkness begins to fade - the ground beneath them glowing as a humming sound fills the air, causing the place to shake, the recruits above scattering as bits of debris break and fall, it is apparent now what had caused the ground to give way in the first place.

"...Ace?!" Nicole called out shakily. "What's going on?"

Ace gasps as the ground suddenly gives way again from under his feet, plunging him into a bright light: "..what the-!?".

Nicole edged her way over to where Ace had fallen, doing her best to keep her balance despite the shaking, and trying to squint through the light.

As Nicole approaches the hole spreads out, removing the ground from beneath her feet once more as she too plunges into the bright light - which soon blinds her.. the feeling of hitting something hard following shortly after as everything goes black.. the hole sealing up and trapping the pair.

First Encounter
After the darkness fades both Nicole and Ace awaken to find their movements restricted as they find themselves standing up on what appear to be metal tables, straps on their arms and legs - surrounded by glowing walls that resemble a vast alien space-craft.

"What... happened?" Nicole asked, slightly dazed.