"The world is at its cruelest when it takes away everything you've known, everyone you're loyal to is gone. You had NO POWER during it. You were as capable as an ant to a human's boot... Still though, somehow you're still around and free. A man realizes to survive in a cruel world that offers nothing but suffering, he has to adapt. Search for the cruelest parts of himself and embrace it with open arms." Marcel Lakin said in his head as he made sure his blade was sharp and his bright suit wass ready after he smuggled it in the city his own complex way.
"How's he holding up Floquet? I need you to tell me that there were some changes to his condition." Nathaniel prayed as Floquet entered the room, while he was sitting beside Josue with his head hanging and he was blinking fast. "I respect your care for him, visiting and asking that everyday for months now, but you need to go be our leader, Nate, his breathing has been stable and there's no fatal wounds. Any and all seemed healthy through Kiya-eal but there's no possible way of knowing how long it's going to be until he's conscious. We need our face and our leader operating at his best." Floquet tells him with as much understanding in his voice and words as he could give. Nathaniel remained seated in his chair at Josue's side. Anxious and doubtful of himself, his ability to lead, the future of the cities and his teams.
"No words back from Nathaniel and Aleph is gone. I checked his apartment, he might've gone on patrol though." Ember told her brothers as they walked leisurely through their favorite public park.
"Isn't it funny none of us have ever bumped into him on patrol though?" Artus commented, "When we split up, we occasionally spot one another on a roof or strolling by." Artus finished with a curious tone. "You don't have to call me every time you do either, Art." Ember replied with an irked tone, "It stops me from feeling lonely, so I love it." Lyle commented.
"This is reminding me of the time Ember came out of nowhere and saved you from Livia stalking you." Said Artus as the Trio continued their relaxing walk. "This city was annoyingly held down tight on security, I'd probably have an easier time breaking one of them out of prison." A man known as Marcel Lakin thought to himself as he spied on the Trio from a comfortable distance with his binoculars and a bag that was absolutely filled. "At least you won that rematch, Em?" Artus asked his sister. "Let's not dwell on the past. Let's change the topic here." Ember replied and insisted, leaving Artus in shock.
"Breakfast? There's nothing happening now." Lyle suggested, "Anything but baked eggs with goat cheese." Artus replied as he held his stomach, "You can't eat like you do and slack off on working out and staying fit." Ember reminded Artus as she noticed he ate more often. Lyle stopped his siblings while they were speaking to one another as he saw a muscular man around his size, slightly taller, in a bright turquoise and violet superhero costume. He had a turquoise heart with a double crescent bladed sword in the center on his chest approaching from a distance with a crowd staring at him. Artus began laughing at his underwear on the outside while Ember admired it.
"Knives strapped on his chest, R-UY steel gauntlets for defense and heavy layers of body armor for optimal protection, in his hand is obviously a retractable blade, why a regular eye mask?" Lyle revealed his observation and asked his siblings as they got ready for a battle. "What's R-UY steel and how worried should we be about it?" Artus asked with a worrisome tone. "Not very, it's only one of the strongest metals on earth." Lyle answered his brother with his usual relaxed tone.
"Everybody seem to be able to afford the strongest materials these days." Ember commented sarcastically. The Trio watched as the man threw the sword's grip high flying their way but not quite close. Lyle and Ember were confused but their eyes returned to their mysterious opponent but Artus kept his eyes on the grip. He noticed it continued to soar their way as the man approached them until he finally realized it's moving oddly. It began flying downwards with intense speed, Artus saved Ember by a hair, she looked at the sword and its blade was stuck in the grass.
Moving his arms like the breeze controlled them and his fingers in a strange fashion, Lyle could only think of those he was trained with how precise his movements were. He sprinted toward him for a close encounter battle but halfway to him, the stranger's retractable blade came jetting his way, Artus called this to Lyle's attention, saving him too. The soaring blade stopped perfectly in the stranger's face, a few inches closer and it looked like he would've taken himself out.
Ember summoned a bastard sword to clash with his own, and as they clashed and their blades met, Ember's speed started to get too overwhelming for him. Her stamina was unbelievable to him, her defense and reflexes even as he attempted to fool her with his double blades, his logo gave it away. He surprisedher with his talent wielding such a difficult weapon. It wasn't enough for him to overcome her.
He was able to create space between them and use his boot's thrusters to get airborne for a breather. Lyle and Artus stood in the background spectating when they realized Ember could take him alone, they know she hates someone interrupting a sword duel particularly, especially if she's a participant of it.
"That's strange energy he's using to power his boots and flight. Lilac-colored energy?" Lyle thought to himself as he stood next to Artus, "I see a weak point on his boots." Artus informed Lyle as he studied the stranger's boots with his incredible sight, he was guessing it was something for him to shoot. Lyle knew he had no idea what he was talking about but he nodded his head in reply.
Marcel Lakin, the stranger, watched the Trio for months so he could test his equipment and skills he's learned, he didn't see her leap 30 feet in the air, only ever fourteen. Ember gave him a look he didn't feel comfortable seeing from below.
Marcel saw Lyle reaching for his twin pistols, he began flying around in the air with incredible speed accompanied by a knotty pattern. It was hard for Lyle to expect. Lyle was amazed he could fly with his speed and maneuver so gracefully, his curiosity anent Marcel's boots were at its peak. Lyle and Artus put their guns away, Lyle holstered his twins and Artus vanished his rifle.
"C'mon, before breakfast, bro?!" Said Artus with a displeased tone, "It's twelve now, technically-- lunch." Ember replied to her little brother. Artus and his siblings walked away with Lyle patting his brother's shoulder to calm him down.
"He sent them all to the cruelest prison, I'll get better, like him and then send him to the cruelest depths of hell. I'll destroy his reputation.... Why did I try to take all three of them on without a better plan?" Screamed Marcel at himself in his mind as he was chilling at a public café he found and he decided to hide after successfully escaping the Trio. "What should we do now?" Artus asked his siblings, "We split up and cast about for clues to where he's cowardly hiding." Ember answered with her usual powerful conviction filled tone.
"That sounds like something he'd want us to do, though." Artus replied, "I'm with Artus on this one, he has versatile gadgets, more knives on his chest combined with R-UY and his ease with manipulating them makes him far too dangerous. He needs only one mistake out of us. If he made that suit by himself, he could find a weakness in ours." Lyle added onto Artus' point.
"You two are always taking each other's sides but maybe you're right. Still, while we're better together we should be good enough to not allow those mistakes." Ember argued firmly, "Artus with your sight, you could spot him from miles away through a crowd. Lyle, you'd hear him coming from that same distance or through it. He could run through the city but if we're jumbled up it's easier to get and stay away from us. We don't know if he's a part of some terrorist organization or a serial killer. Lives could be on the line. We can't afford to let him free in the city." Ember finished speeching as she conjured a sword and prepped to go out on her own anyway. Ember left off shortly after arguing with her siblings in a direction she felt comfortable with a hunch he could be hiding around.
"She's right, we are public servants an obligation and her plan is faster." Lyle told Artus after he turned his way, "Alright, she went North, you go south and I'll take west?" Artus replied and suggested it to his brother. Lyle nodded his head before vanishing away leaving an outline made of smoke behind.
After searching in the crowds walking the streets of the entire south side of their fair city from above with his eagle sight, Artus let himself down and decided to take a break for the breakfast that he missed, he needed something to eat. Hunger led him to a Café called Carrabaro.
"Could I get order four?" Artus asked the cashier, "Yeah, you can go have a seat and your order will be right up." He replied to Artus. The Sanguine Sharpshooter sat down but a few minutes later, he realized there was a knife on his side, the Sanguine Sharpshooter was baffled but he didn't need a fight to happen around the civilians if he could control it. "Hold still and remain calm." He heard from a voice, "Alright, okay, keep it chill and stay focused on me. I'll cooperate with you. What do you want and what can we do?" Artus responded with his calmest tone.
"Great, don't make me desperate enough to gut everyone in here, I need to test my strength for a battle of life and death and you guys make for the perfect practice before I challenge the man I need that I need to." Marcel Lakin replied with a quiet tone. "Zilla ages ago challenged us for Glory and now this guy is challenging us to a death battle?" Artus thought in his head while listening, he nodded and remained silent and calm.
"Don't try anything funny when I leave out of here kid, There's a knife under the counter aimed at the guy's gut." Marcel demanded then informed him as he got up calmly. Artus listened, the last thing he wants is to risk any threat being true. Marcel left the café where he was thinking about his next steps, how he was going to track down his nemesis, what he would do to him, how he was first going to defeat the Trio. Artus checked on the man behind the counter to be sure he was safe, there was no knife then he informed his siblings about his encounter with the mysterious brightly colored villain. He told them how he revealed himself to him and issued a challenge.
"So, we're basically required to wait until Sun down to take this guy down? Give him plenty of time to prepare." Ember asked with a disgruntled tone. "When I ran out after him, he vanished, it's like he had Livia's power but was better at covering up his trail. I investigated the entire area for any tier of a clue but no luck." Artus informed his siblings. "The greatest part is terrorism or harming others isn't his goal." Said Lyle with his usual calm tone, Ember looked relieved along with him.
"Yeah, bro, Aleph's gone or he'd have taken care of him by now, we're down a member, this is a chance to perfect our team work. We failed to fight better against Nathaniel and he was a test. We still didn't pull through against Advay even if we couldn't have won that months ago. The only weapon he could have that can stop us is a nuclear warhead and I have a great feeling that he didn't bring one with him." Artus added, Ember changed her face after the end. "I'm going down to the gym." Ember said to her brothers while storming off.
"We did just suffer from an important loss but she suffered two important losses back to back." Artus said to his brother, "Yeah. We might have to protect this new bad guy from her when the time comes." Lyle replied in his stoic tone.
"Bro, what if I were to tell you?" Artus blurted out with widened eyes and a serious tone, "What?" His brother asked him, "Livia is in this room with us invisible right now!!" Artus replied before bursting with laughter. Lyle stood silent, thankful Ember was out of earshot. Ember spent twenty minutes practicing her swinging before feeling bored, she goes back upstairs since it was time for her and Artus' practice time.
"Embs, calm down and relax before we begin. Stay relaxed and feel like the person you're giving your weapon to is a red carpet guest. A V.I.P to you and your sword." Artus calmly demanded of his big sister. Ember let out a low growl filled with frustration and restlessness.
"That doesn't sound very relaxed." Lyle commented as he spectated, "If you've got any helpful tips, I could use them right now." Ember responded with her disgruntled voice.
"When my emotions or frustration is high, my coin isn't beside me, I think about sitting next to a warm fire in the dark of the woods. You guys, Zander and-- anyway, are right beside me and that moment is enough to calm my nerves. Other than that, that's all I got." Lyle informs his sister. "Noted. Alright, Here goes an attempt." Ember replied. She summoned a basic bastard sword and tried his calming solution to put her at ease as Artus instructed, she thought about Artus, Lyle, Zander, Iona and her other friends she grew closer to in her childhood and teen years at their military school while she slowly handed over her sword to Lyle.
She handed Lyle over her sword, he was able to firmly grasp it before it almost immediately vanished into thin air again. Artus looked shocked and Lyle was prepared to cheer her up but the two noticed instead of any discouragement, she looked burning.
"It stayed in his hand for six seconds before going away, whereas in the past, it went instantly!" Ember celebrated, what the two brothers should have expected, "Next time, you'll get it to stay a whole minute, Emb." Lyle celebrated with her.
Ember nodded her head, then turned to Artus with as much of a smile as she could get on her face, "Artus, you're too nice to be a proper teacher, I know you've seen the importance of honesty and criticism. You were hoping it wouldn't get to this, I saw the look on your face." Ember told her brother.
"You're totally right, I'm a terrible teacher but if you want my absolute honesty the fact is you're struggling because you're way too selfish... Right now, at least." Artus responded with a serious tone for once, "And your selflessness is what makes you more of a natural." Ember added with a low tone as she was figuring it out for herself while listening.
"I'm a moron, duplication, I should have taught you duplication as a starter lesson." Said Artus as he put his hand up for the idea, "I can already duplicate my swords but Dual wielding isn't my style." Ember made it clear to her brother.
"He means two different types of swords at once." Lyle corrected when he realized Artus didn't describe what he meant accurately. Artus formed a pistol, threw it on the ground then summoned a submachine gun and did a dramatic pose with it to show his sister.
"The way you did that--" Said Lyle with his calm and a lowered voice. "Where and when did he learn this though??" Ember asked with the most curious and surprised tone they've heard from her.
"Where, when, how and why I know how isn't important, the essential part is that I do and you and I sis are going to grow together and soar higher to the citizen's top Gen-Oath lists online for how great we'll become!" Artus asserted out loud.
Ember turned her sight toward Lyle who mouthed out "He was flirting with an older woman on the street.". Ember replied through mouthing out "Should've figured." and gave a shrug. "The way that I do it with my guns is conjured through the zeal I feel for marksmanship. You're absolutely obsessed with dueling and swordsmanship, you should most definitely be a natural at this." Artus vocalized with a grin.
Ember stared down at her hands and tried her best to follow his instruction to the T but to no triumph and glory to progress her powers. Ember sat down in a chair at their kitchen counter of their small apartment.
"Inferior to Artus and Livia?" Ember asked herself in her head with her lying it down while feeling disgraced, Lyle and Artus are all too familiar with Ember's routine when she hits a wall. The brothers followed her and sat down next to her.
Artus' beaming and broad grin confused Lyle until he gave it a moment's thought and the reason he was smiling at his sister's misfortune became clear. "Keep practicing." Said Artus as he and Lyle walked out of their apartment to get Lyle some food for the breakfast they skipped to battle. The brothers returned exactly thirty minutes before their scheduled battle against their latest challenger who wages the highest stake.
They made their way up to the roof and witnessed Ember forming a dagger but slowly in her left hand, she had the rear bolster, handle and spine but no blade. They kept quiet to not interrupt her wondering if she could do it. "This makes no sense!" Ember yelled with an agitated tone.
"Just keep going, I actually didn't master it with a week full of training, it took me almost a year." Artus replied and stated, Ember knew they were with her the entire time, "Guys, we need to get moving." Lyle reminded his siblings, the other two rushed over to his side and together they leapt off the building.
The Trio rolled into the park by mid-noon but it was empty, a plain of tree and green grass. The mysterious and deadly stranger showed up out of the blue like he was always in the park. Behind the Trio, Lyle had heard his breathing and turned around, compelling his siblings to turn around too.
"Name's Crescent-heart, don't hold back on me now." Said Marcel with a self-confident and insistent tone as he initiated his battle stance with one blade of his retractable sword at the ready.
Marcel saw Lyle reaching for his guns but his firearm counter training kicked in and he summoned the other blade of his sword and extended them before it began acting like a propeller at speeds that deflected each bullet.
Lyle and Artus were shocked but Artus never intended to use his energy while Lyle wanted to test how much his armor could withstand. If the Magnificent metal was truly bullet-resistant while being as thin as it is but he didn't get his answer.
Ember immediately dashed into close quarters with Marcel and this time she was holding back twenty-percent less, anymore and she could kill him. Marcel struggled to hold up against her astounding speed and go clash for flash, she bullied him to floor as he tried to fly away.
He covered his eyes as he was on his knees, threw a flash grenade and blinded her along with Lyle and Artus. The Trio was stunned, he wasn't thanks, he decided to take advantage.
Marcel performed a double legged dropkick on Ember which knocked her to the ground while she was stunned.
He then sprinted to Lyle, he attacked his knee with a low kick with amazing power behind, as he grabbed it, Marcel delivered an uppercut then a sidekick.
As he made his way towards Artus, he was paralyzed by the sound of a crow with slightly more bass. It sounded otherworldly but he heard a crow. Sweat dripped down his forehead and anxiousness settled in. He looked up to where he heard it and he saw what looked like larger and black crows filling the sky with their flock and noise.
"M-murder??" Marcel uttered with a fearful stutter, "Monsters!!!" He screamed out with fear that's been boiling since childhood. The Trio's eyes started to get better, their sight began to return to normal as they got off the ground with Artus' returning last. He joined his Siblings' sides eventually and recognized the creatures.
"Snivlacs. I'd rate this at a seven out of ten on the inconvenience chart." Artus commented out loud as he regrouped, "You know about these things, Art?" Ember asked her little brother as she prepped a sword to fight when they attack, "Snivlacs. Kacey and I came across these things when we worked a case and I had to learn a lesson. They're here for me but they're different now?" He informed all of them.
Marcel Lakin was too afraid and stuck with that extreme fear to move from his spot, he ignored everyone else and stayed with gaze toward the mostly herbivorous crow-like creatures. He didn't know anything about them, though.
"Help me!!!" Marcel heard masculine voice from nearby. "Gen-Oath, somebody!!!" He heard as the pleas for saving got more horrific and urgent. Marcel built up the courage to look away from the Murder of Crows, sweaty and flustered, instead toward the screams and he saw an older man. A larger European fellow that was obviously a citizen.
It took Marcel a moment of controlling his breathing but as the Snivlac closed in on the man, he flew in, used his dual bladed sword as an umbrella until he could grab the man and fly him out of danger. He flew away and as he flew him out of danger, he heard another cry out for help from an elderly man.
Marcel flew in and grabbed him as well, he rocket boots could hold tons of weight, adding two hundred, one hundred plus with his own wasn't an problem for him. "Hm." Nathaniel noised, he was satisfied with his test results.
Marcel flew away from the park with the civilians but suddenly found himself back in the park witnessing his Trio of adversaries fighting for their lives and struggling to keep the murder of crows away. All the feelings he escaped came back and the relief he gained departed.
"There's no way!" Marcel stuttered in his thoughts as he tried to fly away but he got stuck, he saw pink glass keeping his arms stuck and assumed the same with his feet.
Artus noticed their latest adversary restricted by it as he rode a Svivlac and celebrated. The Trio and Marcel noticed they were suddenly next to Nathaniel out of his battle armor and in his signature violet that he appears in on broadcasting.
"Stay here a minute." He heard the man command him. He tapped his pink glass afterwards, releasing him from his trap. Marcel was a fast learner and placed the pieces together. Realized it was futile to attempt an escape from the man.
"You could flash them, exploit their night vision or you could have slightly more fun, keep them fearing you for practically a year, not a single one will be in sight." Nathaniel said as all four watched them swarm above.
"Sir?" Ember asked with a confused tone by him doing nothing, "Oh my god, oh my gosh, He's about to do something that stays on your mind!" Artus stated with a tone of excitement and anticipation. "Cut my arm clean off when I give the signal." Nathaniel told Ember as he kept his gaze on the murder of Snivlac. Ember was certain that was an order even though it didn't sound like it as he said it, she conjured a Falchion sword and got at the ready.
Two minutes passed, his signal arrived, he shrugged the shoulder he recommended to cut off and she did with a dazzling display of her slicing speed and accuracy. It was the second cleanest cut Marcel had ever seen in his life. He had respect for how precise it had been. Artus was wowed by it as well.
Nathaniel grabbed his arm off the ground and held it up, that stopped the Snivlac dead in the air. He then gently returned it then held that dismembered arm up toward the Snivlac. Marcel's terror got worse as the crows' noise got louder as they flew into each other and flew around in the sky all volatile before they flew away. "I couldn't imagine having a fear of other creatures Healing themselves." Artus commented as he shook his head. "They have self-regeneration too, it doesn't make sense." Ember added in reply.
"Listen, Daquan--" Nathaniel said to Marcel after the show he put on. "How'd he know my middle name??" Marcel said in a panicky tone in his thoughts. "This is what Josue would do if he were here." Nathaniel told himself in his thoughts before a sigh.
"I'll let you decide, imprisoned here for the crimes you've committed, I'll send you back to America where you'll inevitably catch prison time there. Instead, if you continue walking down the road you're on now or you become part of the team, you join the Gen-Oath. A squadmate went back to his old post so we're down a member here. You'll Find family, friends, embrace your true nature of being a hero like I saw earlier and find some purpose other than misguided revenge?" Nathaniel told him which didn't shock the Trio but the choice of a second chance shocked Marcel himself. "Misguided?" Marcel questioned as he looked at Nathaniel with an expression filled with animosity.
"A few fascinating rumors have just made their way back to me." Claimed the President of the international Antiques syndicate to the ears of one of his most trusted and loyal members who completes his assignments with no questions. "Josue is completely out of commission, the heir and operation's face is their leader now." The president imparted on his soldier with a smug grin. "What plan did you have in mind? If I may suggest, should we wait until we've gathered further concrete evidence for this rumor?" Antoine Durant inquired after hearing this vital information. "This is precisely why I'll be letting you step up to my position next year. Take care of my Rebellious bruiser gear, keep your phone on and be ready, within a month or two I predict I'll be calling you. Dismissed." The president finished with an assertive tone as he continued coordinating teams from his desk.
Antoine Durant heard the many voices of his co-workers, mumbling, muttering and whispering about him that he didn't care for as he exited the building. "He really obtained it?" He heard from one. "He's already mercilessly murdered hundreds of Artifact harboring criminals!" Another whispered to another. "I know right, and with that gear he'll be able to take on thousands without anybody's assistance!!" Another individual replied with a slight sense of horror being felt. "I wanted his babies, now I want a family with him." A fifth co-worker confessed as he walked past her and a friend. "He'd probably take you up on that request, but he's not the kind of man you want." The chubby friend warned them. "What do you mean by that?" The slimmer friend requested further elaboration on his point, still looking certain by their words. "He's like a gardener, he makes sure to plant his seeds but also makes sure that the sprinklers are working." The chubby friend elaborated but his friend still looked infatuated, leaving the chubby friend face palming in frustration.
"I don't get why he chose that blonde slick back style with a fade cut and his sharp cheekbones don't compliment it." Said a younger coworker that was scarred on his face after he left the building. "Assure me that you're not going to let your jealousy overcome you, you're aware that he's the next head of this operation right?" A short co-worker of his replied. "Criticism and jealousy are not the same, I'm only questioning why the director chose him when that evidence clearly exposes his power hungry intentions alone." The scarred coworker replied as they calmly walked out. "20 plus years, five-hundred plus arrests, rescued the lives of two presidents from an assassination and the levels of ambition and energy that arguably surpasses a child, led teams of us against rings of collectors. We run based on a meritocracy, get as busy and dedicated as he is and you might be considered by him one day." Stated the older coworker walking with his younger student. "I know that he's up to no good in his free time and he's using this as a cover for something much larger." The scarred coworker voiced as it cracked. "That's enough out of you, foolish lad, show your elders a bit of respect." The older coworker scolded his younger rank and hit him with a cane after taking a deep breath. "Don't be upset when news come out and I called it, his aura and voice gives him away." The younger coworker finished as he rubbed his shin.