Arlo looks down at the dead carcass that was his friend, the body soaking into the ground as it becomes one with the worms. "Joe, no….." Arlo softly whispered in defeat. The young man feels like he is about to cry, feeling defeated on the inside as it swells up within his gut. He then feels a red eye stare him down as it shined brightly in the night. Arlo looks up at the red eye with anger. "You, BASTARD!" He roars. Arlo begins to power up and corners James in a barrier, James breaks out no problem and throws Arlo against the wall. "Listen, I won't fight you, I think we need to meet again some time. I'd get out of here, the rat king lives down here. Arlo looks at the demonic supe with fear. "The Rat King?" He asks.
"I call it that because of the nutcracker" James explains. "There was a rat that had five heads in the story, same thing with this thing, and it's really big. It killed a lot of people, we don't really have a use for it unless we...." Arlo cuts off The One eyed ruler. "Shut up, where the hell is Elaine you freak!" James looks at Arlo confused. "Elaine, who's that?" Arlo begins to break down as he begins to feel powerless once again after years since the invasion of Oklahoma city. "Y-you took her, one of your people did! I'LL KILL THEM FOR IT!" James doesn't talk, he just moves up.
"So, despite me being king, people are still acting on their own" James thought to himself as he looks back down at Arlo. "Some cousin of mine, John is way better to deal with, and I thought he was a pain in the ass, guess it runs in the family." Arlo mutters as he begins to hear screaming. He looks over to see a giant mutant freak of nature crawling towards him. It had at least five heads, hanging on the right half of its body was a lump of breasty tissue. Patches of hard fungal spores grew on sections of the creatures body. Each head hissed and screeches as Arlo begins to charge his powers up.
"Oh no!"
Arlo uses his barrier, but the thing breaks it in two hits, it then grabs Arlo and throws him across the basement. Arlo looks up and sees it crawling up to him at a rapid pace. "Man, this thing has to weigh two dozen pounds or something, it doesn't have aura but it's able to break my barrier without ability dampeners. This is one strong mutant!" Arlo thought to himself as he scrambles onto his feet. The creature moves towards Arlo; he uses his barrier to try and crush it, but the barrier doesn't work and it hits Arlo into a wall. Meanwhile Emily and JJ are trying to find a way out of the school when the hear the noises coming from the basement, they hear Arlo's screams.
"Come on, this way!" Emily screams, urgent to evacuate the facility "But, what about...." Emily cuts off JJ. "No, I don't care if he helped us, he's the reason why we're evacuating in the first place!" Emily roars. "Come on Emily, what if it were the other way around, oh wait, it WAS! That's how he found us, now it's our turn!" JJ roars. The two stare intensely at each other. Emily sighs. "You're right, let's go." Arlo jumps on the beast, pounding his fists, he manages to find a weak point and pull one of the heads out, managing to rip off an infected subject off the mass of people that was this thing. He then stomps on it's head, killing it. "Dammit, I can't kill it like this, this will take forever." Suddenly an explosion goes off blowing off part of the things back. "Hey freak, over here!" JJ yells. "Yeah devil freak, OVER HERE!" Arlo stands there, watching the monster charge at Emily and JJ. He uses his barrier to shield them, now able to use two. "I'm gonna have to evolve if I wanna get better! I can't keep fighting at the level I am!" Arlo thought to himself as he starts to feel blood collect in his mouth. "John and Blyke, even James, they all got stronger by going out there and using their abilities, all of them were weaker than me at one point, and they got stronger. I however didn't get stronger at all, only when I started working on his ability did I go anywhere. I need to catch up! No way, they were right this whole time, Blyke, Remi, Sera, even John, the government doesn't want us to know….."
That we all have something to offer.
We all can become strong
We all are the same
All men were created equal.
Arlo flashes back to history, Next to him is John, behind him are Sera and Elaine. All was nice as they just sat there smiling, somehow not bored of the history lesson that was going on. The teacher lectures on about the history of their nation. Inserting his opinion of the ridiculous philosophy that "all men were created equal" How science proves that not all men were created equal, some people have strong abilities and can protect themselves, even others, while some can barely function, now to say that all of these people are equal is extremely absurd in it's....."
John slams his hand on the desk.
"Mr. Doe, what is it now, a cripple as yourself shouldn't interrupt class like that. You do not want to piss off your stronger peers now do you?" John starts to laugh as other students murmur among themselves. "Oh no, he's gonna kill the teacher like he did with Zeke." One student groans as they cower in fear of their new king. "God, please stop this mad man."
"Why would he be a cripple, it's like he wants to get revenge on us later" Another student adds.
"Maybe he hates us."
"Hey shut up, he could be good, he was paper bag boy after all, you're all just scared cause you suck and beat him up! I didn't do anything wrong!"
The teacher out of fear begins to activate his ability. "EVERYONE QUIET, John, please sit down, or I'll have to use force." The teacher's eyes start to glow. John begins to look around at the rest of the class. "Why do I hide my powers? This is my castle dammit. Whether they like me or not, I rule." John then glares at the teacher. "That'll be the biggest mistake of your life." John's eyes start to glow gold, he stares at the teacher with a death glare. Arlo, who is sitting right next to John begins to anticipate a conflict. "This cannot be good. New Bostin is beginning to resurface."
"Uuhhh, uh, please listen John, I didn't....."
"Oh so you're scared now, because no matter if you have ten year or not you're still gonna have the snot wacked out of you." John says with a rather evil glare. "So, what's your point now, what you wanted to reveal yourself or something?" The teacher asks. "Oh no, I just wanted to teach the class something that's actually true. Everyone listen up, this guy is full of SHIT!" John roared with glowing golden eyes. John then punches the teacher to the ground, remembering his privileges that Vaughn read out loud to him, he doesn't fear for anything. The entire class watches in shock and horror, for they did not even witness high teirs lashing out in such a mannor. "Okay everyone, don't listen to that clown, what are some of your talents?! You!" John points to a quiet kid in the back. "Uhh, well, I can see atoms, but that's a weak ability." John smiles as he begins to increase his power. "Boom, you can work in the science field, you over there, what's your talent?!" John roars as he points to another student. "Uhh well, I can fly for three seconds, umm, I like animals." John laughs as he finally feels himself proving a point. "Veterinarian! Arlo!" Arlo remembers sitting in his seat with his arms crossed. "No" he groans. "Uhh, Elaine, you're a healer, didn't you wanna go into nursing school!" John yells. "Uhh, yeah!" Elaine yells. "Sera, you like government and law, what about being a lawyer?" John asks as he cold calls Sera. Sera looks away rather flustered at her mans behavior.
"What no way, she's a cripple now, she can't get a government job!" One student chirps. Outraged, John slams his fist in a desk, he pulls it out covered in blood, healing it he looks at the class in horror. "That's exactly the toxic attitude I HATE, because someone can't win in fights they're meaningless, for a species that has evolved without heads, we sure love to use our fists…" John then looks down at the teacher, who looks up at him in horror, the same way his peers back in New Bostin did.
"PATHETIC!" John thought to himself with self pity.
"We sure have a lot of individuals among us, we all have different personalities, powers, talents, perspectives, like we were each hand crafted by someone. Yet we chose to ignore that and just beat each other up for trivial reasons! Well wake up! Because we all have something to offer to the table, and we all were made equal! Hell we were all once weak. I was once a cripple for real, and only became a God tier from hard work throughout my life!" The teacher stands up once the shock wears off, laughing at John he stares right down at him. "Haha, well then, you may think like that but you sure had to use your fists to make a point right?" John begins to feel himself being crushed by the teachers words.
"Because that's what our society did to us, breed a bunch of animals, made us the way we are. I'm gonna change that. I have the power and influence to do that, so yeah I had to beat you up. But while you try and erase the history of this country, or brain wash everyone into thinking it's a silly impossibility, I'm here to prove that it worked. We survived several world wars, multiple racial conflicts, tons of terrorism attacks, millions of crimes, and so much more. We strived to make the world a better place, to make the American value a human value, so that every flag in the world says freedom, not just the red white and blue stripes that your government managed to burn to the ground when creating this new country. Naming cities new after their name as if you're cleansing it. One day everyone will have the same rights, America may never exist again, but I'll carry the moral value and make it alive once more, BECAUSE!
I, John Doe, have a dream…...
"And I will do whatever I have to, even if I have to beat my way to winning a fight to prove a point!" The teacher looks at John, scared at Wellston's New King. Students start to cheer for John. John looks out into the crowd as he begins to feel the politicians rush of wealth and greed consume his body. His flesh fighting with his spirit as justice and evil work together to bring out a common goal. John then looks right up at God with his golden eyes. "If I must become the devil to bring peace to this world, then may I be a worthy sacrifice"
Arlo looks at the beast, horrified as he realizes that he felt this feeling once before. It rips his barrier and knocks him to the ground, Arlo coughs up blood, he watches as it grabs Emily and tears her apart in horror. As she screamed bloody murder, Arlo looked up at John from his desk in class. That moment and the present felt like déjà vu, realizing that in that moment John was a force to be reckoned with.
"EMILY, NOOOOO!" JJ takes a crafted melee weapon and stands it with the scissor end of the pipe in one of it's head, it only pisses it off and grabs JJ and slams him in a broken pipe in the ceiling, piercing his stomach, he then gets slammed on the ground. The blood from him, Emily, and Joe dilute the flooded basement, turning it into a red sea. "No, I was a high tier, I was supposed to protect them!" Arlo yelled, he gets up, a little weak from his barrier cracks. "How can I be trusted as King, when I can't even protect others, no wonder John is the Golden God, he's not a leader he's a protector."
Arlo hears John's voice as memories rush into his mind.
"Arlo, I'm not King because I'm a shitty leader!" John roars. "But you're stronger!" Arlo rebuttals. "Yeah, that's what a protector is for, a leader needs to be able to keep his cool, a protector needs to get riled up to protect!" Arlo finds his second wind and stands up. "No, I'm Wellstons king, John is right, if he wants to be King, then he'll be leading Wellston to the ground, but he's a protector, and I'm a leader!" Suddenly Arlo feels a cold hand on his shoulder. "Oh, so buddy boy thinks he can be a leader, but you need to be strong enough to inspire, whatcha gonna do now." Arlo grows angry as he sees a reflection of his past self standing right behind him. "SHUT UP, LET ME SHOW YOU!" Arlo uses his super strength and picks up a giant pole that was part of some rubble. He charges at the mutant that was right in front of him, remembering a lesson from his history class before John used his power.
"Back in the old days they had prophets that said a boy named David would defeat a Giant named Goliath, he would win the battle for his army by defeating the giant so that both sides wouldn't lose unnecessarily casualties. Right as he threw the stone at the giant's head he slayed it by cutting its head off, using his ability which was foresight. 3.1. Goliath had a mean ability that allowed him to grow, it was a 7.3. Back then abilities rarely went over 5, and some religious groups say that the reason why we have high tiers is because of fallen angel and neliphilm DNA. David had golden eyes, the most fair in the land…." Arlo begins to zone into the present. "Right, just like in our Middle East studies class, this guy thinks he can crush me cause I'm small." Arlo says as he begins to quote the might king David.
"David in his head: This man has no idea what I'm capable of, what I've been through. Don't screw with me! I'll make you pay! NOW DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!"
Arlo goes crazy on the giant beast, stabbing it with the giant pole into a wall pinning it, he rips each head off, his yellow glowing eyes shine in the dark basement, one turns blue as he starts to feel heavy recoil on his ability, but his motivation to see Elaine keeps him from feeling any pain, he then rips the final head off of the beast, ultimately killing it. It bursts open, releasing a bunch of dead corpses, the fail safe plan for the creature, which was to release several infected corpses failed for it since Arlo ripped off all of it's heads. A huge sack of flesh laid there, rotting away and smelling up the room. Arlo walks away, finding some rubble it broke through and climbing up, feeling sorry for himself, he goes up to the school roof and scouts up there. He finds the church and starts heading towards it.
Arlo walks to the church, his anger boiling, his fear intensified, he bursts in the doorway to find five Devil tiers looking at Elaine as she's laying there tied up and gagged. Tokyo Heroma, Kent Heroma, some rando, Sir Francias the Third, and Arron Amellot, and some random henchman. Arlo looks to see a tied up Elaine on the Altar, Sir Fancias the third is holding a syringe about to inject it into Elaine. "NOOOOOOO!" Arlo uses his ultimate barrier to shove the rando into a wall, snapping his neck. He then charges at the Devil tiers, enraged and furious.
Moments earlier, Tokyo, Sir Francais, Arron Amellot, and Kent are all standing around. "Listen man, I don't know if this is a good idea, the king said...." Arron is interrupted. "FUCK THE KING, ahem, pardon my french, I was saying how we need a healer, and our rando here can become the next healer for the devil men if we take her ability away!" He runs his fingers up Elaine's body. "Besides look at her, this specimen, wouldn't you all want someone like this to serve for you." Tokyo at this point gets uncomfortable and activates her ability. "Enough you creep!" Tokyo's eyes both glow red and black as she stares into the soul of her next victim, Sir Francais himself.
Kent however has other plans and grabs her hand. "No, he's right, we need a healer!" Tokyo shoves her brother away. "Have you forgotten who else here was abused like that, how could you just stand there and let this happen, food is one thing but this is just gross!" Kent begins to activate his ability. "What's the difference what this freak does?! She's gone anyways, what we do doesn't make a difference!" Tokyo starts to cry, Kent goes over to comfort her. "FUCK OFF!" She yells as she slaps his hand away from her, rejecting the hug, he stares there in anger.
"Everyone knock it off! Arron yelled. "Come on, direct orders from the king can't be refused. This will start a war, she's an elite, people will notice if she goes missing." Sir Fraincais laughs. "You, go over and bring me my tools!" He yells pointing at the rando. James walks in to see the situation. "Oh James, thank God you...." James immediately barks at Sir Francais. "IDIOT, you realize The King of Wellston is here right now coming for her, and he went through our Head of Infected, killed a fair amount of them, as well as some high class Sackers and even The Rat King!" Arron jumps up with pride. "I TOLD YOU!" He roars. "WHAT THE FUCK, HOW STRONG IS THIS GUY?!" Sir Fraincais yelled.
"ENOUGH, everyone who honestly thought this was a bad idea, raise your hand. AND BE HONEST!" Tokyo and Arron raise their hands, so does the rando. James takes the rando and smashes his head against the ground.
"NICE TRY, YOU WERE GONNA GET THOSE POWERS, YOU TWO, I trust that you're being honest, I know your characters, however, you guys...."
Kent stands up to James. "Man, you're just siding with her because she's your new girl, that's my sister you know! Besides....." James interrupts. "HAHAHA, fucking excuses, what are you talking about?" Suddenly Tokyo gets flustered and gives Kent a good kick to the ground. He crashed to the ground like a sack of potatoes as the whole congregation of devils begin to get riled up. "I told you that in confidence!" James walks out, feeling sad and pained, he looks back at Tokyo who runs after him embarrassed. "I hope he kills you all" James mutters as he puts his arm around Tokyo. "Wait, James!" James closes the door, Sir Francais takes out his syringe and starts up again.
"That went better than expected, okay then, let's get going." Sir Fraincais the third says with excitement.
Arlo heads to the church, he sees James on the roof with another devil. The two say nothing as they come to a mutual understanding of the situation they are in. After a minute goes by James jumps away at fast speeds with Tokyo.
The door bursts open.
"ELAINE!!"
Arlo goes bursting in through the doors, killing the rando and charging at the Devil tiers, Arron retreats out of fear. Kent despite wanting to fight acts as the bigger man and retreats back in search of his sister. THis leaves Arlo alone with the rouge demon. "You guys, if we work together we could!" Arlo tackles Sir Francais, but he takes out his sword ability and jabs right at Arlo. Arlo feels some stab wounds in his chest, he takes off his blazer and ties his tie around his head. "You piece of shit, what did you do to her?" Arlo asks. "Well, if you weren't so rude and barged in here without an invitation, I would have taken her ability by now!" Arlo looks up at the predator demon and begins to feel his blood flow. "You, let her go, or else!" Sir Fraincais looks down at Arlo. "OR ELSE WHAT BOY?!"
Sir Francais jabs at Arlo trying to get his barrier. Arlo blocks it with his barrier, he launches Sir Francais across the church and through the stained glass. He then rushes to get Elaine and untie her. Sir Francais climbs back up and Jabs Arlo, he holds onto Elaine, refusing to drop her. "Aww what's wrong, you don't wanna drop your old lady, well then, HOW ABOUT WE PLAY A GAME!" Sir Francais yells with a rather devilish look. Arlo grunts as he tells his foe to shut up. Sir Francais walks around Arlo slowely, stabbing him in various places. Trying to pry at Arlo, all while he struggles to get a barrier up as his mind races with highlights from his life.
"Hey dad, umm, so today some kids are picking on this girl and well, I can't do much about it." Arlo looks up at his father, his grey hair and old man mustache was all he could remember about the man other than his thick square glasses with brown frames covering the mans grey eyes. "What are you talking about son?" The man asked.
"Uh well, my bawwirer is still weak, they got this really strong kid to bweak it and it hurt a lot." Arlo's dad picks up his son and places the small child on his lap. "Well son, here, come out to the back yard, I'll teach you some things." Arlo and his dad work on their abilities, allowing Arlo to gain levels faster. The next day Arlo goes to school, he sees the same bully picking on Rein, breaking her spider legs.
"Oww, stop it!" Rein yells. "You're not the only high tier here sister!" The boy yelled. He had super strength at a level 4.1 strength. Arlo nervous wasn't sure if his ability was stil a 2.3, or possibly higher. Perhaps hoping a 4.5. "THAT'S ENOUWGH!" Arlo uses his barrier against the bully, breaking his arms and legs, leaving him screaming on the ground, scared and crying hysterically. Arlo and Rein were sent to the principal's office. "So, you got in trouble too?" Arlo asks. "Yeah, well, it's owkay, at least we get detention together!" Rein yells as she shoves her arms up in the air. Rein pecks Arlo on the cheek. "See you this afterwoon!" She runs off as Arlo rubs the spot she pecked him on. "Woah, I just made a fwiend!" Arlo continues to hold onto Elaine as he remembers Rein.
"I'm proud of you son!" Arlo's dad yelled as he held his son.
The next day Arlo walks into his class, everyone calls him names like simp, white knight, loser, pig. One kid stuffs ham down his shirt. "Even though you feel like you're going to lose, you kept your dignity, you kept doing what's right, you're a true hero. Like a real high tier should be." Arlo remembers his father telling him. "Thanks dad, I'll make you proud, I hope you and mom are watching." Arlo says softly as he finds himself holding Elaine up high.
"Because things are about to get violent!"
Sir Francais gets in Elaine's face, waking her up, Arlo head butts Sir Francais and kicks him far away. "Arlo! What's going on?" Elaine yells as she looks around holding onto Arlo. "Elaine, it's alright, I got you!" Elaine activates her ability while Arlo holds her. "Arlo, you're running low on juice, you might....." Arlo looks down at Elaine with glaring blue eyes. "Elaine, I'll protect you, don't waste your energy!" Elaine shakes her head. "No, you need healing!" Sir Francis starts to get back up. "Get your hands off MY SLAVE GIRL!" Those words broke Arlo, who watched with tears in his eyes as Sir Francais charges at him. He lands a kick on him, forcing Elaine on the ground, he shoves her and attacks Arlo. Beating him to the ground. "Alright stop it, just don't hurt him!" Elaine yells. Sir Francis looks at Elaine with a sinister smile.
"Oh, anything?" He rushes to her and strokes her neck. "Maybe you can lend me a bite of...." Arlo grabs on to his foot, he stomps on his head getting him to let go, he raises his word to finish off Arlo.
Arlo grabs his tie.
He kicks Arlo across to the church entrance, Elaine rushes over to help him, Sir Francais tries to grab Elaine but he fails, she runs to heal him.
"Oh don't worry, it'll be only a matter of time before your MINE!" Sir Fraincais yells with red rage in his black void eyes. He bleeds all over himself as his body is covered with many deep cuts. "Arlo, you're gonna need some aura, here just take some from my blood, I'm moving my energy to my cheek so it'll enter the bloodstream!" Arlo coughs. "Elaine, just run, it's the only option we have-"Elaine bites the inside of her cheeks, now she's bleeding in her mouth. She grabs Arlo and kisses him, allowing the blood flow to enter him, every second her lips touch Arlo's he feels some strength return. Despite the aura entering his body, it would only heal him, something Elaine never learned, but that was giving Arlo his strength back. She lets go of him, Arlo stands right back up, feeling this sensation he doesn't understand. His eyes glow a hostile blue, he picks up Elaine, holding her closely he charges up a barrier, a huge burst of energy flows, Elaine grows a pair of wings, her healing is now a 10, Arlo's barrier turns Blue as his hair does so as well along with it, and everyone inside starts to heal. "GO AWAY ALREADY!!!!!"
Arlo's barrier grows spikes, glows blue, and charges up, it expands at a rapid rate, pushing Sir Francis the Third out of the church, he goes flying fifty meters before snapping his neck on the ground. The other Devil tiers, including James, were watching the whole time. They turn around and leave from the roof they were watching.
Arlo takes Elaine and puts her inside of a vehicle outside the church, he then hot wires it and starts up the car. He then starts to rev the engine, checking it for fuel, he puts it in first gear and drives forward back to his place. Tokyo grabs James hand and asks if the two could talk. "Yeah, sure" James says softly. He smiles, reassuring Tokyo that he isn't mad.
Meanwhile Arlo and Elaine are on the highway heading back to Wellston. Elaine is sitting in the front seat while Arlo is driving, the moon is out and headlights are everywhere. After two hours of driving it's Friday morning, Arlo plans on signing him and Elaine out of school tomorrow so she can get a full recovery. He pulls the car into an alleyway where he then pulls out Elaine, he then walks a couple blocks to his apartment, were he places her on his bed, Elaine wakes up to find herself in Arlo's bed, she see's Arlo go into a closet and pull out a sleeping bag and set it on the ground, he feels a soft warm hand on his cheek. "What are you doing?" Elaine asks. Arlo gives her his grumpiest face. "I'm tired!" Elaine grabs Arlo, lightly pulling him to come up on the bed, he then climbs into bed with Elaine, she wraps her arms around him. She falls asleep. The warmth of her breath and body make Arlo blush. He turns to her, pressing his forehead against hers. Hugging her back as the two doze off into the oblivion state that we all enjoy as sleep. Elaine smiles as she dozes off. Arlo doesn't sleep that night, looking over Elaine making sure nothing happens to her. He kisses her on the forehead as the two fall asleep the sound of a city that never sleeps.
To be Continued.....